Author: Grayson Schultz

Review: Sola Sync

Posted on by Grayson Schultz

Between my divorce last year and a million other things going on, I’ve fallen way behind on posting reviews. That changes now, with this inaugural Reviews Day Tuesday post. Stay tuned for more reviews!

photo of the sola sync - a purple wand style sex toy with a round separate remote control against a turquoise comforter

A while back, I picked up the Sola Sync as a present to myself. I don’t normally buy a ton of toys since I get to test a lot, but I really wanted this one.

Before I dig into my thoughts, here are the Sync’s stats:

  • Made of silicone with a satin finish
  • Flexible massage head
  • 10 vibrating functions, 5 multi-speed options, and 5 unique patterns
  • Wireless remote
  • The wand is waterproof (but not the remote)
  • AC/USB charger
  • LED indicator on toy and remote
  • Ergonomically designed
  • Up to 1.5 hours of play on a single charge
  • Comes with a storage pouch that’s lint-free and antibacterial
  • 5-year warranty

There are some toys that I just can’t bring myself to touch again because they’re far too gendered. Thankfully, this toy is so incredibly soft, both in touch and look, without being overtly and exclusionarily femme. From the first time I saw this toy at Woodhull in 2017, I knew it was something that I would enjoy. Between the ergonomic design, the remote, and the absolutely gorgeous color, I couldn’t get it out of my head and had to have it. The Sync is also the softest toy I’ve ever touched. It was one of the few toys I could consistently use while dealing with intense pelvic floor pain.

The remote addressed one of my least favorite things about other wands like the Doxy – removing the issue of having to fumble with buttons while you’re close to orgasm. The number of times I’ve turned off the Doxy or Magic Wand while using it on myself or others? Way too many. With the Sync? Once or twice.

Plus, no pesky cords restricting you to an outlet!

I bought this before I bought a Hitachi Magic Wand. For those who have utilized the Magic Wand, the Sync:

  • Is slightly buzzier at the lowest level
  • Is easier to hold due to lighter weight and ergonomic design
  • Has a head that seems to diffuse vibration easier
  • Is easier to find buttons on the actual device
  • Comes with a remote
  • Has higher settings are more directed and powerful than Magic Wand in some aspects
  • Offers more stimulation options (e.g., for edging, etc.) due to head design

As someone who has gotten more and more adventurous, one of the other things I appreciate about the Sync is that it’s easier than other toys to insert it into orifices. It’s honestly the one wand toy that I could see using – with a partner – anally.

The one thing I wish was slightly different is the charging system. The power source is a USB, but it connects to this toy via aux jack. For me, that allows far too much opportunity for potential charging issues due to buildup of dust, lube, etc. Due to that, this is a toy you absolutely need to clean every single time you utilize it – no letting it possibly sit overnight, etc.

I wouldn’t mind a longer use time for the charging time, too, but that’s a very minor issue.

The verdict? Get this toy!

Honestly, this is one toy that I feel like everyone should own. It’s incredibly accessible from a physical standpoint, especially with the remote. It has an amazing range and variety of vibrations available to use. Plus, it’s so gorgeous in design that I wouldn’t be embarrassed to leave it out on a shelf in my bedroom permanently

You can get your own Sola Sync from Peepshow Toys.

T Files: 6 Months In

Posted on by Grayson Schultz

Six months ago, I started on testosterone.

Initially, I was only doing 0.1 mL every other week. I then increased the injections to every week. This week, I bumped up to 0.2 mL weekly. This is still a relatively low dose – even a starter dose – but it’s been heavenly so far.

Today, I wanted to share what the changes have been like.

Physical Changes

collage of 4 pics of me over 4 months

Initially, the facial hair began to come on relatively quickly. By March, about the time I began working from home, I was shaving here and there to clean up stray hairs. My facial hair is becoming more prominent and, while it’s still patchy, it’s filling in more and more.

My body hair has grown a lot. I went from not really having too much hair on the fronts of my thighs to growing a small forest. My legs are like small rainforests and my armpits are getting there. The treasure trail I once had (both in puberty and on prednisone) has returned, too.

During this time, I also saw a major decrease in my pain levels. I began to have more energy, specifically later at night. Neither of those occurrences is a surprise. In fact, there is evidence to suggest that both pain relief and insomnia can be relatively common with higher testosterone.

I feel stronger. I’m noticing more improvement in muscle strength with very little effort. For example, on Wednesday this week, I did 30 seconds of planking in 4-6 second chunks. By the end, I was exhausted and ready to yeet my PT app. Thursday night, I did exercises with my foam roller, none of which engaged my core in similar ways as planking for too long. Friday night, I was able to do three sets of 10-second planks with minimal exhaustion afterward. Pre-T, that kind of work would have taken a few weeks minimum. My muscles feel more active and I want to workout.

I’ve had a little bit of fat redistribution. I’m still incredibly curvy, but my thighs are starting to look more like athletic legs than simply being thicc. My love handles are getting less handle-y? Those curves are flattening out a little more.

july 2020 selfie showing a more masculinized face

As you can see here in this picture from the last couple of weeks, my facial shape has changed slightly to be more masculine in appearance. In fact, I went to masculinize it in a photo editing app and it barely changed. After dealing with weeks of heavy dysphoria, it was super awesome to see.

I’ve got some more pimples than usual, but no acne. I didn’t really wind up having bad acne through first puberty – just a little here and there – so fingers crossed!

And, yes, my clit has grown. It’s not been by a lot, obviously, but it’s noticeable. I’ve gone from struggling with self-lubrication terribly a few years ago to verrrrry much not having that issue.

Emotional Changes

I’ll be honest – I’ve had more dysphoria days as of late and that’s been hard to handle. It’s hot out and I’d like to go for a shirtless walk but, you know, tits.

Otherwise, I’m not having much more irritability. I was really worried about that because I greatly dislike feeling anger, especially if it affects my loved ones. I did have one day where my irritability between T and pandemic ish had me snap at my partner and make a comment I’m still annoyed about weeks later. I’m glad that they’re incredibly understanding and have been through varying T levels, so they get it.

Sex Drive Changes

At first, my sex drive went up – especially when I switched to injecting weekly. I was spending multiple times a day with toys and with my partner. One day, I masturbated eight times and still had the energy to have a decent sex session with my nesting partner.

That eventually evened out a bit, thankfully. I mean, I do still have to do my day job even if it’s from home and I’m not wearing pants – testosterone be damned!

Vocal Changes

The vocal changes started quickly. Anyone who has listened to the CS podcast has heard a girly, girly voice. Heck, it’s still the intro audio. This was my voice while trying in February to sound more manly, about two weeks after starting T.

Now that it’s the end of July, my range is growing to include lower and lower notes. I just need to practice more. The thing with testosterone is that, while it lowers your range, you also have to work to stop doing your femme voice… and that’s really hard!

My voice isn’t quite as deep as I want it to be, but it’s getting there! You can also see my small amount of facial hair on this video. Testosterone life is pretty cool, even if it means going through puberty again.

Future Changes

I’ve been using the name Grayson a lot, both at work and on social media. You’ll likely see a shift here soon, both on the site and coming episodes of the podcast. Not that it’s T-related, but my partner Ian (she/they) will be joining in on podcast episodes and writing here, too! I’m very excited about that.

I want top surgery, very badly. The dysphoria that comes along with having an F size chest but being transmasculine is something that’s really hard to explain. Binding – or the process of flattening the chest by wearing essentially a compression sports bra/top – only does so much. At the end of the day, I have to take that off and my chest is prominent again.

If you can help me save up for top surgery, you can donate to my GoFundMe, PayPal, Ko-Fi, or Patreon. Other things that would help? Buying from my affiliates or helping me gather goodies from my Amazon or Target wishlists. And, if you can’t, that’s okay, too!

Stay tuned for more updates from the T Files.

We Live on Stolen Land

Posted on by Grayson Schultz
If you are not indigenous, you live on stolen land.

 

“What’s going on?”
The US government stole and conquered this nation, pushing indigenous folx to smaller and smaller spaces, violating treaties over and over again while openly engaging in genocide and causing irreparable harm to folx. We then tried to steal indigenous culture by using social workers and others to steal their children and raise them in ‘boarding schools‘ [pronounced institutions] meant to make them more like white Christians. We stripped them of their native languages as well as family and tribal connections.

 

“But that was in the past!”
No, it isn’t.
Things like healthcare that our government stated they’d provide are woefully inadequate. Tribal services are often not culturally competent and there aren’t enough providers – or resources given to them – to actually provide care. Many indigenous folx have been pushed to reservations where water is scarce, they have little to no access to the internet and power or other services, and food doesn’t grow in addition to being miles away from grocery stores.
To top it off, we white folx have carved monuments to our whiteness into their holy areas like Mount Rushmore. When indigenous folx try to speak up about things like this or proposed pipelines like Standing Rock, they’re met with violence of the worst kind. The police have become increasingly militarized against the people we stole this land from. If you’re reading this the weekend of July 4, 2020, this is literally happening as you read.
That doesn’t even get into the inability of indigenous folx to arrest white folx committing crimes on their lands and against them. Law enforcement in the white world doesn’t give a shit and rarely does anything when there’s a ton of evidence, let alone if they have to actually investigate. This lends itself to the problem related to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. There are so many resources on MMIW that I can’t include them all, but please make sure to read more below:

There are also very real issues with policing harming indigenous folx, both directly and indirectly. For more, read:

So, today I urge y’all to learn about whose land you occupy by visiting https://native-land.ca/ I live on stolen land of the Kiikaapoi, Peoria, Ho-Chunk, Miami, Očeti Šakówin, and Sauk and Meskwaki tribes. What about you?

Tony Robinson and how white folx can do better

Posted on by Grayson Schultz

photo of Tony Robinson in a tux outside with text: Tony Robinson and how white folx can do better | Chronic Sex Podcast

For the latest edition of the podcast, I crossposted from my true crime/paranormal pod Spooky Sconnie. I talk about the local-to-me 2015 murder of 19-year-old Tony Robinson by Madison officer Matt Kenny, how he’s still on the force, and how this relates to BLM.

This episode is a way for me to hopefully help some white folx understand topics like police brutality, BLM, and more.

A rough transcript along with sources and resources is up at the Spooky Sconnie page for the episode.

I’ll be addressing other topics soon, like why I wasn’t around for a bit here, etc. Right now, I want to focus on BLM activities, though, and we should all be focused on how we can end the state-sanctioned brutality and murder of Black folx, Indigenous folx, and other people of color.

Life Updates

Posted on by Grayson Schultz

Hello, dear ones,

I know I’ve been absent for a while. The emotional turmoil from the divorce process was really rough. I have been struggling a lot with my mental and emotional health. Add into that burnout from my (now previous) job, medical stuff, and financial crud, and that’s a recipe for website neglect.

I’m officially divorced now. I’ve also got a new job in public health, and I love it so far.

Now I’m on day 53 of isolation, and I’ve finally worked through most of the crud I needed to. So, I’ve been working on a few posts, product reviews, and podcast episode ideas. Stay tuned for more!

PS: I’ve been active here and there on social media, so be sure to follow chronic_self_love on IG, chronicsexchat on Twitter, and the FB page if you’re missing content!

ACR Releases First Guideline to Address Reproductive Health for Patients with Rheumatic Diseases

Posted on by Grayson Schultz

The following is a press release from Monday this week. Note that it contains cisheterosexist language.

Today, the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) published the 2020 Guideline for the Management of Reproductive Health in Rheumatic and Musculoskeletal Diseases. This is the first, evidence-based, clinical practice guideline related to the management of reproductive health issues for all patients with rheumatic diseases. With 131 recommendations, the guideline offers general precepts that provide a foundation for its recommendations and good practice statements.

“This guideline is paramount, because it is the first official guidance addressing the intersection of rheumatology and obstetrics and gynecology (OB-GYN),” said Lisa Sammaritano, MD, lead author of the guideline. “Rheumatic diseases affect many younger individuals; however, little education has been provided to rheumatology professionals on current OB-GYN practices. The guideline [and more detailed online appendices] presents vital background knowledge and recommendations for addressing reproductive health issues in the full spectrum of rheumatology patients, with additional focus on specific diagnoses that require more detailed recommendations such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS).

The guideline provides 12 ungraded good practice statements and 131 graded recommendations that are intended to guide care for rheumatology patients except where indicated as being for patients with specific conditions or antibodies present. Good practice statements are those in which indirect evidence is compelling enough that a formal vote was considered unnecessary; these are ungraded and are presented as suggestions rather than formal recommendations. The recommendations were separated into six categories: contraception, assisted reproductive technology (fertility therapies), fertility preservation with gonadotoxic therapy, menopausal hormone replacement therapy, pregnancy assessment and management, and medication use.

While some of the recommendations are strong, many of the recommendations presented are conditional due to a lack of data. Pregnant women are not generally enrolled in clinical studies; and few maternal health studies focus on rheumatology patients. A few notable recommendations from each category include:

Contraception

  • Strong recommendation for women with rheumatic disease who do not have lupus or APS to use effective contraceptives with a conditional recommendation to preferentially use highly effective IUDs or a subdermal progestin implant.
  • Strong recommendation against using combined estrogen-progestin contraceptives in women who test positive for anti-phospholipid autoantibodies (aPL) or APS

Assisted Reproductive Technology (Fertility Therapies)

  • Strong recommendation for fertility therapy in women with uncomplicated rheumatic disease who are receiving pregnancy-compatible medications, whose disease is stable, and who test negative for aPL. Specific recommendations also address patients testing positive for aPL and suggest an anti-blood clotting procedure.
  • Conditional recommendation against increasing prednisone dosage during fertility therapy procedures in lupus patients.

Fertility Preservation

  • Conditional recommendation against testosterone co-therapy in men with rheumatic disease receiving cyclophosphamide (CYC) and a good practice suggestion to cryopreserve sperm before CYC treatment in men who desire it.
  • Conditional recommendation for monthly gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist co-therapy for premenopausal women with rheumatic disease who are receiving monthly CYC injections/infusions to prevent premature ovarian insufficiency.

Pregnancy Assessment and Management

  • Strong good practice suggestion to counsel women with rheumatic disease, who are considering pregnancy, on the improved maternal and fetal outcomes associated with entering pregnancy during low disease activity.
  • Conditional recommendation to treat lupus patients with low-dose aspirin daily (81 to 100 mg) starting in the first trimester. For women testing positive for aPL who do not meet the criteria for obstetric or thrombotic APS, it is conditionally recommended to preventatively treat with a daily aspirin (81 to 100 mg) starting early in pregnancy and continuing through delivery.

Menopause and Hormone Replacement Therapy

  • A good practice suggestion to use hormone replacement therapy in postmenopausal women with rheumatic disease who do not have lupus or have a positive aPL test; and who have severe vasomotor symptoms, have no contraindications, and desire treatment.
  • A conditional recommendation for hormone replacement therapy in women with lupus and without aPL.
  • Conditionally recommend against treating with hormone replacement therapy for women with asymptomatic aPL, and strongly recommend against hormone replacement therapy for women with any form of APS.

Medication Use (Paternal and Maternal)

  • Strongly recommend against use of CYC and thalidomide in men prior to attempting conception.
  • Strong recommendation against the use of NSAIDs in the third trimester.

Individuals involved in the development of the new guideline included rheumatologists, obstetrician/gynecologists, reproductive medicine specialists, epidemiologists, and patients with rheumatic diseases. ACR guidelines are currently developed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology, which creates rigorous standards for judging the quality of the literature available and assigns strengths to the recommendations that are largely based on the quality of the available evidence.

“This guideline should open avenues of communication between the rheumatologist and the patient, as well as between the rheumatologist and the OB-GYN,” said Dr. Sammaritano.  “A better understanding of the risks and benefits of reproductive health options will enhance patient care by providing safe and effective contraception, improving pregnancy outcomes by conceiving during inactive disease periods, and allowing for continued control of rheumatic diseases during and after pregnancy with the use of well-suited medications.”

A draft of the guideline was presented during the 2018 ACR/ARP Annual Meeting in Chicago. Since that time, the guideline team has condensed the original three-part draft into a single, concise manuscript, with detailed background and discussion now available online. The guideline development team also incorporated color-coded flow charts to highlight common decision-making points to make it user friendly.

The paper containing the full list of recommendations and supporting evidence is available at  https://www.rheumatology.org/Practice-Quality/Clinical-Support/Clinical-Practice-Guidelines/Reproductive-Health-in-Rheumatic-Diseases

Do you feel like you can talk to your HCPs about sex?

Posted on by Grayson Schultz

Pals, I’m running research! Come help!

When we say ‘HCPs,’ we mean healthcare providers. This could be a physician, nurse, medical assistant, physical therapist, or another medical professional directly involved in your care.

square graphic with two people of color resting their foreheads together - text says 'research opportunity | Do you feel like you can talk to your HCPs about sex, gender, and sexuality? | bit.ly/HCPsexuality | orchidsresearch.org

This survey is to measure concerns, attitudes, and ideas you may have about the conversation between health care providers and patients on sex. This survey is for those in a patient role and is only opened to people 18 and older in the United States or the US territories.

The information you share will be used to create a comprehensive and accessible guide to help you and others navigate discussing sex with providers easier in the future. This guide will be free and available via a number of methods so that you can utilize the one most accessible to you.

The answers you provide will be anonymous and only utilized for research or education around the discussion of sexuality and gender within healthcare. The cumulative percentages for questions will be used in order to discuss and share information with others. No identifying information will be collected, but you will be asked a number of sensitive questions around sex, sexuality, and healthcare interactions.

What is involved in this research?

This study consists of a one-time online survey using Google Surveys. ORCHIDS – The Organization for Research of Chronic Illness, Disability, and Sexuality – is conducting this survey. You can learn more about our group at orchidsresearch.org.

It should take approximately 30-45 minutes to complete the survey.

Are there benefits to being in the study?

There is no direct benefit for you. By taking part in this survey, though, you may contribute to knowledge about talking with providers around sex and sexuality. This may be used in the future for medical education as well as presentations and other learning materials.

What are the possible risks of the study?

There are no physical risks associated with this study. There is the potential to relive difficult situations throughout the course of this survey. You may stop your participation in this study at any time by closing the survey.

As with anything online, there is a potential risk of loss of privacy. We will make every effort to keep your information private. Naturally, this cannot be guaranteed.

What are the costs and compensation?

There are neither costs nor compensation.

At the end of the survey, you will be given an additional link to put in your email address if you want to be among the first to access information about the guide we’re creating.

Who do I contact for questions?

If you have questions or concerns, please contact Kirsten Schultz. This can be done via email (kirsten -at- chronicsex.org).

Do you agree to participate in this study?

By clicking ‘next,’ you allow us to utilize your de-identified information in order to discuss issues related to sex and sexuality. This also allows us the ability to highlight the concerns you’ve shared in the final guide that will be created and available for free. You also certify that you are a person age 18 and over currently living in the United States or one of the US territories.

This survey will close on November 1, 2019.

If you’re interested, please note that you must live in the United States (or US territories – such as Puerto Rico or Guam) and be 18 years of age or older.

Ready? Let’s go! http://bit.ly/HCPsexuality

Awareness Calendar for October

Posted on by Grayson Schultz

green lines around outline of white photo with orange pumpkin: "Awareness Calendar for October - Chronic Sex"

This month is awareness month for:

  • ADHD
  • Breast Cancer
  • Dental Hygiene
  • Depression Education and Awareness
  • Disability Employment
  • Domestic Violence
  • Down Syndrome
  • Dwarfism
  • Dysautonomia
  • Dyslexia
  • Emotional Wellness
  • Ergonomics
  • Eye Injury
  • Gaucher Disease
  • Health Literacy
  • Healthy Lungs
  • Home Eye Safety
  • LGBT History
  • Liver
  • Long-Term Care Planning
  • Menopause
  • Niemann-Pick Disease
  • Organize Your Medical Information
  • Orthodontic Health
  • Physical Therapy
  • Pregnancy and Infant Loss
  • Residents’ Rights
  • Rett Syndrome
  • SIDS
  • Spina Bifida
  • Talk About Your Medicines

 

Specific awareness days/weeks:

  • International Day of Non-Violence (2)
  • World Animal Day (4)
  • National Taco Day (4)
  • Mental Illness Awareness Week (6-12)
  • World Cerebral Palsy Day (6)
  • Child Health Day (7)
  • World Hospice and Palliative Care Day (8)
  • Stop America’s Violence Everywhere (SAVE) Today (9)
  • World Mental Health Day (10)
  • National Coming Out Day (11)
  • National Depression Screening Day (11)
  • Bone and Joint Health National Action Week (12-20)
  • World Arthritis Day (12)
  • World Thrombosis Day (13)
  • Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day (13)
  • International Infection Prevention Week (13-19)
  • Indigenous Peoples’ Day (14)
  • International Infection Prevention Week (14-20)
  • Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day (15)
  • National Latino HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (15)
  • White Cane Safety Day (15)
  • Global Handwashing Day (15)
  • National White Cane Safety Day (15)
  • National Healthcare Quality Week (15-21)
  • Boss’ Day (16)
  • World Spine Day (16)
  • National Health Education Week (16-20)
  • World Pediatric Bone and Joint Day (19)
  • Asexual Awareness Week (19-25)
  • World Osteoporosis Day (20)
  • Respiratory Care Week (20-26)
  • National Healthcare Quality Week (20-26)
  • National Health Education Week (21-25)
  • National Pumpkin Cheesecake Day (21)
  • International Stuttering Awareness Day (22)
  • Intersex Awareness Day (26)
  • World Stroke Day (29)
  • World Psoriasis Day (29)
  • Lung Health Day (30)

The Podcast Is Back (Soon)!

Posted on by Grayson Schultz

I owe people an update on my life, so here it is!

I’m happy, safe, and very loved <3

Transcript

Welcome to the chronic sex podcasts, chronic sex talks about how self love relationships, sex and sexuality are all affected by chronic illness and disability. That’s not all though. We’ll also touch on intersectionality, social justice, empathy, current events, and much, much more. Give you a range of subject matter, this podcast is not suitable for those under the age of 18 and unless you have headphones in, you probably shouldn’t be listening to us at work. My name’s Kirsten Schultz and I’m your host.

Continue reading “The Podcast Is Back (Soon)!” →

Take Action Now on Section 1557 of the ACA

Posted on by Grayson Schultz

I’m passing this along from NCIL (which I know has been problematic as of late) because this is incredibly important to every community I work with. Please consider reaching out and speaking up.

On June 14, 2019, the Trump Administration published a proposed regulation that would roll back the nondiscrimination protections under Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Section 1557 is the provision of the ACA that prohibits discrimination in healthcare programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. The Administration’s proposal is extremely dangerous and discriminatory, and we need to do everything we can to stop this proposal from being finalized!

Specifically, the proposal would limit the number of health programs subject to Section 1557, and it would narrow the scope of the protections under Section 1557 in the following ways:

• Gender identity and sex stereotyping would be completely eliminated from the definition of sex discrimination, the definition of gender identity would be eliminated, and all references to sexual orientation in HHS regulations would be erased. This could allow healthcare providers to deny transgender people gender-affirming care, and would result in queer and trans people being significantly less likely to get quality healthcare and more likely to face discrimination, abuse, or refusals of care.

• Requirements for notices and taglines that let people with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) know about language access services, including services for disabled people, would no longer be required.

• Healthcare providers would be able to refuse care and justify it under Title IX’s religious exemption. This would allow healthcare providers to discriminate against or deny abortions, reproductive health services, or other health services that a provider says violates their religious beliefs.

• The ban on insurance plan discrimination on the basis of disability, age, and other factors would be removed, which would disproportionately impact people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. The removal of protections around benefit design would disproportionately impact people with HIV/AIDS and other disabilities and chronic illnesses that may be treated or managed with more expensive medications or other treatments.

• The requirement for healthcare providers to share notices that inform people of their nondiscrimination policy, their rights, how to file complaints if they are discriminated against, and other information would be completely eliminated.

All the above proposed changes will impact disabled people. In addition, the Administration is specifically seeking comments on questions related to disability access.

Specifically, they have asked for feedback regarding:

• Effective Communication: Whether to remove the requirement for covered providers with less than 15 employees to provide auxiliary aids and services.

• Accessibility Standards: Whether to continue to apply the 2010 ADA Standards to all entities under Section 1557, specifically in regard to benefits to disabled people versus burdens on private entities (see 45 CFR 92.103).

• Reasonable Modifications: Whether to keep current language regarding accommodations that is derived from Title II of the ADA, or to substitute with language conforming to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Current language (based on the ADA) states that covered entities must make reasonable modifications to policies, practices, or procedures when necessary to avoid discrimination on the basis of disability, except if the modification would fundamentally alter the nature of the health program or activity. Proposed new language (based on the Rehabilitation Act) states that covered entities shall make reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified individual with a disability. In this section, they also seek comment on whether to include an exemption for “undue hardship” (see 45 CFR 92.105).

It is clear that if this attempted rollback is finalized, disabled people and many others will be significantly less likely to receive quality healthcare or to file grievances when discriminated against. Disabled people would also not be provided with the resources they need to know about those things in the first place.

Take Action!

The comment period closes on August 13, 2019 at 11:59 Eastern, so please submit comments as soon as possible! Your comments should explain why you oppose this proposed change, and you should address as many of the specific proposed changes and questions as possible. This is a cruel attack on people who already experience discrimination in healthcare settings, and this proposal will only make things worse. We must ensure the Administration hears from as many of us as possible!

Comments can be submitted online through the Federal eRulemaking Portal (preferred) or by mail.

• Federal eRulemaking Portal: You may submit electronic comments at regulations.gov/comment?D=HHS-OCR-2019-0007-0001 or by going to regulations.gov and searching for the Docket ID number HHS-OCR-2019-0007. Click on “Comment Now” and you can type your comments into the comment box or upload a document.

• Regular, Express, or Overnight Mail: Your comments must be postmarked by the comment submission deadline (August 13, 2019). You may mail comments to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights / Attention: Section 1557 NPRM, RIN 0945-AA11 / Hubert H. Humphrey Building, Room 509F / 200 Independence Avenue SW / Washington, DC 20201.