trying times, trying our bests

Hi,
I found this in Vice and thought I'd share my story. I am physically disabled and use a power wheelchair. I can generally get by on my own. But once a week, I have my assistant come to bring me meals and do my laundry.

I live in a two-bedroom apartment with a roommate. She has a much more severe form of physical disability. She can move around in a power chair but requires help with most physical activities--eating, dressing, going to bed, etc. She has six assistants that come at different times and days.

I completely support her continued need for her assistants to help her with all necessary activities. I also do not want to nor have the right to control where her assistants go about in their daily lives. Nevertheless, they travel from their homes to our apartment and will be out and about.

In order to get my food out the fridge and microwave it, I asked my roommate for two 15-minute time windows in the day in which I can have the communal space to myself (hallway, living room, kitchen, bathroom), when she will be in her room and her assistant won't be there. This is not out of the norm, as there are always long period of time when there is no assistant here.

Also, one of her assistants whom I am friends with urged my roommate early-on (beginning of March) to start planning and have some leadership, some emergency contingency plan.

My roommate has taken my and her assistant's requests as acts of violent discrimination and attacks on her disability and civil rights. My roommate called the assistant abusive and said she was being blackmailed. The assistant just quit yesterday saying she needed to do this for her physical and mental health.

After long, long texts of refusing my request, saying I needed to check my privilege, I discontinued responding and did not engage in arguing. My roommate seems to be respecting my two 15-minute time windows now and I am using that time to get my food.

I'm not sure I want to put this on the google doc because if my roommate finds this she will gaslight me to the goddamn moon.

Sincerely,
A Holy-Shit-I-Need-to-Move-Out-of-Here-When-New-Affordable-Housing-Is-Available Person