I stand in front of a crowd and tap the microphone. "Disabled people deserve full bodily autonomy," I announce, and the crowd devolves into shouting. I am being asked about every single contingency in which bodily autonomy can possibly be taken away. I am not allowed to ask these people why they want so badly to control disabled people's lives. I am a representative, after all.
A man in the third row calls me a whore. A woman up near the front calls me a filthy god-hating anarchist. I am the villain of the story. I'm ruining their childhoods when I point out the flaws and ableist tropes in media that I never said they weren't allowed to enjoy. I'm policing their language when I ask them not to use slurs.
Someone else calls me a fascist. A Creationist with Calvinist leanings is using the same arguments against me as the literal social Darwinist. The topic of "faking disability" is brought up and everyone suddenly has a story to share and presents it to me. I am horrified by most of these stories because they feature ambulatory wheelchair users being harassed and young people with invisible disabilities being chased out of bathrooms.
I tap the microphone again and announce, louder, "Autism speaks is actually a hate organization." At this rate, I'm never going to get to my powerpoint on the social/medical model of disability and why the intersection is important. But I am a representative, and in between the name calling and accusations, they are asking me questions. And so I answer.
I think the reason a lot of leftists struggle with disability justice is that they haven't moved past the concept that discrimination isn't bad because it's objectively "wrong." yes, sexists are objectively wrong when they try to claim women are dumber than men. yes, antisemites are objectively wrong that jewish people are inherently greedy and run the state. yes, racists are wrong when they try to claim that white people are the superior race. and so on.
but then with disabled people, there are a lot of objective truths to the discrimination we face. people with IDs/LDs do fall behind and struggle with certain concepts. physically disabled people are often weaker and less capable of performing demanding tasks than able bodied people. many of us with mental illnesses are more reckless and less responsible. a lot of us are dependent on others and do not contribute much "worth".
and guess what? disabled people still deserve a place in the world. disabled people still deserve the supports they need. because they are people, and that should be enough to support them and believe they deserve a place at the table.
if your only rebuttal against discrimination is its objective inaccuracies, you are meeting bigots where they are at. you are validating the very concept that if and when people are truly incapable of being equal to the majority, that means they are worth less. this causes some leftists to then try to deny the objective realities of disabled people and/or become ableist themselves.
your rallying behind marginalized groups should start and end with the fact that people are completely worthy of life and equity, because they are fellow human beings and that should, frankly, be enough.
Blind people must save a lot on electricity.
-> A visual guide
[ID: a graphic with simple figures. on the left is a column of 3 identical images of a wheelchair user sitting in front of a pedestrian. on the right are examples of do's and don'ts. the first don't is a person attempting to step over the wheelchair user. the second don't shows a person attempting to push the wheelchair user. the final image is a do with a person saying "excuse me" to the wheelchair user]
❌ stepping over wheelchair users
❌ pushing wheelchair users
✅ asking politely for the wheelchair user to move
I think wed all benefit if everyone on this website learned that sex work isn’t just part of a feminist issue, it’s part of a modern cultural erasure of sex and pleasure and a class antagonism that has been fostered since the advent of capitalism, and more importantly: I like my fucking job
Salutations all! Just letting everyone know that I've gone through all my posts and updated everything with alt text to make it more accessible. ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚
Also I now have everything up on my AO3 and will be posting on there alongside this blog. So if you prefer to read on there, thats also an option! о( ˶^▾^˶ )о
Please let me know if there is any tweaks, things I can do, or keep in mind to make this blog easier for you to use. I have a family member and close friend with dyslexia, so I've been trying to use emphasis and colors in my posts to assist with that.
In case anyone is interested, here are some references for blog, website, and graphic designing in a disability friendly way~
FYI to sick or disabled folks and those who assist or care for them: Simplicity patterns has a new line of adaptive sewing patterns. Designs include tops with port access, clothing with velcro closures, bags and cushions for mobility aids, bibs, chemo hats, and more.
I’m excited about these because they are the first patterns of this kind I’ve seen anywhere. And Simplicity patterns are great for beginning sewists, with very clear step by step instructions and illustrations.
Patterns can be purchased here: https://simplicity.com/simplicity/adaptive/
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one of the biggest things I can recommend to anyone getting a new custom chair (but especially a first custom chair) is to understand all of the parts of a wheelchair and what they do. I decided to make a guide with wheelchair parts to research and places to look for information to make this process a little bit easier. additional link suggestions are welcome.
General resources:
Permobil - The Wheelchair Handbook
Motion Composites - Preparing for Your Wheelchair Evaluation: Before the Evaluation (Part 1)
Motion Composites - Preparing for Your Wheelchair Evaluation (Part 2)
1. Frame
Motion Composites - Folding vs Rigid Wheelchair Frames: How to Choose
Permobil - Manual wheelchairs: rigid and folding frames. How do you choose?
GTK - Oh what’s in a frame? Comparing Multiple Materials
Motion Composites - Wheelchairs: Carbon Fiber Versus Aluminum
2. Front frame angle
Motion Composites - Understanding the Impact of Rigid Wheelchair Front Frame Angle
Sunrise Medical - Rigid Frame Wheelchairs – Frame Angle and Inset
4. Seat dump
Permobil - Ergonomic Seating and Manual Wheelchairs
Spinlife - Wheelchair Back & Seat Angle
5. Caster size, style, and position
Motion Composites - Front Casters for Manual Wheelchairs Practical Guide
Sunrise Medical - Front Caster Position in Manual Wheelchairs
6. Caster forks
New Mobility - Caster Wheels and Forks
Sunrise Medical - Maneuverability in Manual Wheelchairs - What Fork to use?
New Mobility - Innovations: Emerging Trends in the Wheelchair Market (information about single sided forks)
7. Footplate
Motion Composites - Footrest Options to Support Function and Mobility
When Tania Talks - Active User Wheelchair Footplate Options
8. Calf strap
Spex Seating - Lower Leg Support Considerations in Wheelchair Seating
9. Seat pan
Permobil - Solid Seat Insert for Wheelchair: Taking a Closer Look at Cushion Components
10. Seat cushion
Permobil - What to Look for in Seating & Positioning Products
Permobil - How to Choose a Cushion in Long Term Care
Permobil - Cushion Geometry: Linear and Contoured
Freedom Mobility Center - Wheelchair Seat Cushions: 5 Tips for Choosing the Right One for You
Mobility Basics - Seat Cushion Rigidizer
Motion Composites - Selecting the Right Cushion for Your Wheelchair a Clinicians Guide
Motion Composites - Covering the Basics of Wheelchair and Back Support Covers
11. Seat belts
12. Clothing guards
Sherman Oaks Medical Equipment - Wheelchair Clothes Guards / Side Guards Guide
13. Arm rests
United Spinal Association - Wheelchair Armrests What Do They Really Do?
Spinlife - Wheelchair Arm Rest Choices
Motion Composites - Armrests: Getting the Support you Need
14. Back supports
Motion Composites - Solid vs Upholstery Backs
Mobility Management - How to Choose the Right Back Height for your Client
Freedom Mobility Center - Why a Solid Back is Preferred Over a Sling Back
Mobility Basics - Back Supports
Sunrise Medical - Tips for Selecting Prefabricated Wheelchair Backs
Motion Composites - Covering the Basics of Wheelchair and Back Support Covers
15. Head supports
16. Push handles
Motion Composites - Push Handles: Pushing Around
17. Wheels
Motion Composites - Rolling Along: The Importance of Rear Wheel Selection
Sunrise Medical - Comparing Wheelchair Wheel Spoke Options
Mobility Basics - Manual Wheelchair Wheels
18. Tires
New Mobility - Everything You Need to Know About Selecting the Right Wheelchair Tires
GTK - Solid versus Pneumatic Tyres
Mobility Basics - Manual Wheelchair Wheels
Motion Composites - Tire Selection: Balancing Performance and Maintenance
19. Brakes
Motion Composites - Wheel Locks: Unlocking Safety and Function
20. Push rims/Hand rims
Motion Composites - Getting a Grasp: Understanding the Impact of Hand Rims
DME Hub - Wheelchair Hand Rom Options and Factors to Consider
21. Anti-tip wheels
22. Camber
Motion Composites - Camber - Degrees of Performance
23. Center of Gravity
Motion Composites - Rear Wheel Position 101
"ai is making it so everyone can make art" Everyone can make art dipshit it came free with your fucking humanity
"gnc straight man being called a faggot doesn't experience homophobia" what the fuck are you talking about. there's absolutely no logic in anything like that. we have kids who literally killed themselves because of homophobic abuse in schools and you would dare to tell them it isn't homophobia that killed them because they weren't actually gay? insane. and so fucking cruel
I'm working on my graduate thesis at Delta State University (fear the Fighting Okra!) and I'm looking adults with disabilities to take part in an online survey. The survey will probably take 15-20 minutes to complete and it's about how social friction is perceived in interactions between disabled and able-bodied people. So if you're 18 or older and self-identify as disabled or partially-disabled, I would love to hear from you on the survey:
"Let Me Get That For You": Analyzing Frictional Situations in a Disability Context (via Google Forms)
This research survey has received approval (IRB number 2025-037) from Delta State's Institutional Review Board. It will be live and accepting responses for the next 4-6 weeks depending on the number of responses received. But there's also something for you!
The survey itself is anonymous, though you can optionally enter a drawing for an Amazon gift card at the end of the survey. I can't buy a gift card for every response (as much as I would like to be able to do that) but I can give away a token of appreciation to a randomly selected portion of you. Email addresses are collected only for those who wish to participate in the raffle; any collected emails are deleted after each weekly drawing and only used to contact whoever won that week.
If you have any questions about the project, feel free to send me a message on tumblr!
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