The Response I Got When Asking to Be Exempt From Jury Duty Due to Chronic Illness
I recently got a jury questionnaire from my local county court office. I received one, followed by a summons, last year. I sent six emails, made 15 phone calls and finally got an exemption due to my solar urticaria. The conversation went something like this…
“What is your disability?” he asked. He sounded disinterested.
“We’re wheelchair and visual and hearing impaired accessible,” he added.
“Sir, I have a severe photosensitivity.”
“Muscular dystrophy?”
“No, sir. Photosensitivity. If I am exposed to fluorescent light for more than 20 minutes I am at immediate risk of vomiting and loss of consciousness. It is not preventable.”
He exempted me. That time.
But the summons came again. Yesterday. And I called to ask what had happened to my supposedly permanent exemption for a lifelong illness.
“We don’t acknowledge lifelong medical conditions. You have to file it again every year.”
I have never heard such ableist ridiculousness as that sentence.
I work full-time and manage my disability. I’m currently going through a bout of ovarian cysts that may be an indicator of endometriosis. I’m in pain every single day for reasons completely outside of my control. And I was just told lifelong medical conditions are not acknowledged by my county government.
Thankfully, my doctor had a copy of my excusal note on file and was able to send it over.
Heaven only knows if it will be processed properly when I send it over this time.
But can I just say… it’s a bold move to claim you’re part of a government for the people and then deny the basic assumption that chronic illness and disability can be lifelong.
Getty image by Natalia Darmoroz.