Chosen Solution

I see the levers that i’m supposed to pull open to release the RAM slots, but I can’t get to or move them.

You have to remove the L bracket to access to RAM levers. Here’s how: MacBook Core 2 Duo RAM Replacement

There were yellow plastic tubes around the two levers, making them un-movable from the battery-slot side. But they could be budged from above once the keyboard layer was removed.