Post By @ Lucyedwardsofficial On Instagram Showing How The Paralympics Includes Blind/visually Impaired

Not smoking weed before I use my forearm crutches so I'm not operating machinery under the influence

As a part time user of crutches (specifically smartcrutches, hence the below image), I've found a couple small products have been able to improve the quality of my experience when using them out n about n decided i might as well make a post with them on :) i might add more as i try out other things in the future and such also

The first thing is a small storage bag to attach to your crutch, you can get ones made specifically for crutches, and smart crutch even has their own branded one for the sizing of their crutches, but I got a bag intended for use on bicycles and found that it fit quite well for a fraction of the price, and likely would also do so on normal forearm crutches. I can't put too much stuff in the bag for regular usage as it would throw off my balance but it's great to have my phone and some change in to be within easy reach.

The second thing is new ferrules, specifically I got flexyfeet's ferrules which are available in a variety of sizes to fit pretty much any crutch or cane, they have shock absorption and their flexibility also means I get a lot more grip and feel safer walking with them than I did with my previously very worn down standard ferrules.

The Dance of a Thousand Hands.

Housing is a privilege.

“Fewer than 5 percent of units have the features needed to accommodate a person with moderate mobility difficulties. The percentage of wheelchair-accessible units is even smaller; less than 1 percent of all units are equipped with features that would allow a wheelchair user to live independently.”

Marriage is a privilege.

“The [SSI] monthly maximum Federal amounts for 2023 are $914 for an eligible individual, $1,371 for an eligible individual with an eligible spouse.”

Minimum wage is a privilege.

“Section 14(c) of the Fair Labor Standards Act authorizes employers, after receiving a certificate from the Wage and Hour Division, to pay special minimum wages — wages less than the Federal minimum wage — to workers who have disabilities for the work being performed.”

We still need to fight for accessibility and equity for all disabled people.

Despite the ADA, equity is still out of reach.

I saw a post saying that stimulants for ADHD are life saving medications because they reduce car crashes and while stimulants are very important for people with ADHD they just... aren't life saving.

some medications you will die without. stimulants for ADHD are not on that list.

when other disabled people talk about life saving medication we don't just mean "very important" we mean "life saving"

I would die of organ failure caused by inflammation from lupus if I didn't have my biologic. diabetics would die of diabetic ketoacidosis without insulin. people with asthma would suffocate to death without their inhalers. that is what it means to have a life saving medication.

you can emphasize the importance of a medication without comparing it to truly life saving medications. it just comes across really insensitive when you compare lower risk of car crashes to guaranteed death without a medication

like, the shortage of stimulants is absolutely detrimental to people with ADHD but it's not comparable to a shortage of a life saving medication. without a stimulant people with ADHD would still live, without insulin diabetics would die. when stimulant prices are inflated and people can't access them it is hard but it does not equate to death. when people with life threatening autoimmune diseases can't afford their medication it does equate to death.

if you want to talk about the importance of stimulants for people with ADHD and the negative effects of the shortage that's great! but refer to the medication correctly- it's life changing, it's not life saving

wheelchair users deserve a minimum of three wheelchairs to meet different needs. like, bare minimum of indoor chair, outdoor chair, and off road chair. chairs that meet different needs for transport, activity, positioning needs, energy levels, etc.

there is not "one chair" that can meet every need. wheelchair users deserve to have multiple chairs that meet specific needs, no matter how complex their seating/positioning needs. we deserve to at least have a backup if our chair breaks that is just as suited to our needs.

This person said this to me over a random tag I left on a photo months ago and I don't know how to tell them I have a debilitating mental illness that makes me unable to leave my house

everyone dunking on that automated fleshlight sex toy needs to remember that disabled people get horny too ok 💜

My husband and I became catechumens in the EOC for which we are incredibly grateful. Here’s my dilemma though.

I can’t attend Divine Liturgy because of my chronic illness. The priest is very understanding of this and is genuinely trying to accommodate us the best anyone can.

He wants us to get plugged into the community despite my limitations and is thinking of safe ways for us to do so, since I am immunocompromised and my husband (who has lupus) is also facing potential new health concerns. Though we want community as well, I am having debilitating anxiety around it.

My illness is so unpredictable. I have good days and bad days. Some days, I need my wheelchair or another mobility aid (which I don’t like using because I don’t like being vulnerable but I NEED to use them for safety and/or energy preservation). But other days, I do not need anything. Chronic illness has SO MANY facets and triggers and layers of unpredictability! In the past, many people (mostly people from our old church) have accused me of faking my disability when they’ve seen me on a good day, or when they’ve seen me without a mobility aid after needing one a previous day. They’ve told me I’m making excuses, that I’m faking for attention, etc.

No one but my husband ever sees the “details” of my chronic illness, after all. They don’t see me when I’m curled up all night on the bathroom floor bc of gastroparesis agonizing and crying for it all to end, or being SO extremely fatigued due to POTS that I can’t move a limb out of bed. They didn’t see me when I fell that morning which warranted me using my rollator for the rest of the day to prevent another concussion. They don’t see the painful internal struggle of trying to walk in the summer heat without support. Anyone with a chronic illness can relate!

People from my last church (not an OC) said hurtful things and more and told me I’m going to hell for a number of reasons- because I don’t have kids, because I don’t go to church on Sundays etc. i had poured my soul into that parish. Then, everyone left. We felt abandoned.

This served as the catalyst to question our faith -tradition, theology, and everything- and ultimately, everything came together to lead us to Orthodoxy which is a HUGE blessing! But I’m just SO EMOTIONAL because though I’m more than ready to embrace the fullness of faith and the Sacraments when the time comes, I don’t think I can ever be a part of a community.

It’s exhausting to have to try to explain the ins- and- outs of my illness to new people, many of whom wouldn’t even believe me. And I just don’t want to get hurt again. I know it’s wrong of me to assume that every new person I meet will eventually judge me and leave, but that’s just what we’ve consistently experienced. That’s all we know. I have a small circle of friends, and I’ve known all of them for many years - those friendships have stood the test of time and I’m grateful for them.

I honestly don’t know why I’m making this dumb post. I’m not trying to throw myself a pity party, I just need a place to vent and let it all out. I’m also just in a totally bad headspace right now and my anxiety levels overall are insanely high with my husband preparing for a high stakes surgery in a few days and me having side effects from the rescue medication I had to take last night. But if you’re reading this and have any advice, please tell me. And please pray for us. Please pray for peace and healing in our lives, spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Please pray that i can stop myself from spiraling into depression - I can feel it happening. I feel like a burden to my husband and the few friends I have and the devil is probably angry that I made the decision to become a catechumen. Please pray that we can find joy this Pascha, even though we are separated from the Church, knowing that we rejoice in Jesus’s resurrection. The pain runs deep but His love runs deeper.

Thank you. 🤍