Latest Posts by gothstudybuddy - Page 2

People take the word ambulatory wheelchair user, and say it means exclusively part time wheelchair users and run with it.

I’m an ambulatory wheelchair user. But I’m not a part time wheelchair user. I use my wheelchair EVERY SINGLE day. That means that I’m not a part time wheelchair user, because I use it more than part time. A lot more than part time.

There seems to be this new rhetoric, that ambulatory = part time. And for most, this isn’t the case. Ambulatory does not mean part time, it simply means that you can walk.

I can walk around my room unassisted by any mobility aids. I cannot walk to the lunch room which is literally up the hall without a mobility aid. I’m almost a full time crutch user, and I’m an ambulatory wheelchair user.

I am not a part time mobility aid user, and I hate that people have come to the “agreement” that ambulatory means part time, when that is quite literally, not true.

Whats Inspiration Porn and how do i avoid it?

I remember a few years ago i went to a pro choice rally, i was the only one in a wheelchair, many strangers came up to me telling me how strong i was, how i was a representation of how no one had an "excuse" not to be here, and they took photos with me to post online and gush about how much of an inspiration i was. This event made me weirdly uncomfortable and i couldn't figure out why for a long time. I felt dehumanized, like to them i was an object, a trophy, a representation of their ablist views. Then i learned about inspiration porn an realized what happened to me.

Inspiration porn is when someone, usually an abled person, objectivities a disabled person. Putting all of their achievements on a pedestal to motivate other people. In that moment we are not treated like people, to them we are just an excuse to tell others they aren't doing enough.

It has a tone of "the disabled person can do it, so why can't you?" Which is frankly an ablist mindset.

By making our lives about YOU you are putting down all other disabled people for not doing the same.

I hear the phrase "no excuses" a lot regarding inspiration porn, implying those who cannot achieve these high standards are experiencing a moral failing. And its not just putting down other disabled people, but also abled people who simply don't have the means to do what the inspiration porn expects of them. It's saying "if you cant do what this disabled person did then you are lazy and a worse person." Which is just ablist as fuck.

Some characteristics of inspiration porn online:

Using photos, videos, or stories of disabled people WITHOUT THE DISABLED PERSONS PERMISSION. Do you know how icky it feels to achieve an accomplishment as a disabled person and then run across photos of you online filled with comments treating you like a prized show dog? Its gross.

Lots of phrases like "this is the definition of "no excuses"." And "they have my respect for doing this DESPITE their weakness/disability" (im literally writing this post because i JUST saw someone literally say "weakness" this way.) And "not disabled! Differently abled!"

We are not stories and characters, we are real people with lives just like you. We are not trophies, or an inspiration, we are just regular ass people. If you see something like this online know that the disabled community doesn't respect them at all. Don't do this.

the person who helped today when I fell out of my wheelchair actually did a really great job, so I want to share in case other people wonder what to do. [Note: this is not universal, this is merely a suggestion from one person, every wheelchair user's needs are different! I am a person who uses a manual chair usually pushed by someone else who is also disabled.]

Scenario: you see someone in a wheelchair fall out of their chair, and you have the ability to help.

1. Approach and ask "are you okay?"*

2. Next question if they say no, are vague, or open to continuing conversation** is, "is there anything I can do to help?" Or "what can I do?"

If they say no to help, then that's the end, just leave and go do whatever you were doing!

If they ask for help or say they are mildly injured, ask "what would you like me to do?" And wait for an answer before doing anything! If they seem dazed or confused, they might have hit their head or had another medical event*, or they might just be like that due to regular disability. Be patient.

Do not touch the person unless they say to, or they are like, unconcious in the middle of the road, ya know?? Wheelchair users usually have conditions that mean being handled improperly can severely injure us, you could cause much more damage than the fall.

Some things they might need you to do:

Bring their wheelchair closer (mine went about 5 feet away after it dumped me)

engage the brakes of the wheelchair

hold wheelchair steady if it's an unsteady surface (mud, hill, ramp, wet, etc)

offer an arm for them to hold onto to get up (them grabbing you, not you grabbing them) or move another solid item closer for them to use (i.e. a chair) [only do this if you physically have the ability to!]

If the terrain is rough (i.e. a parking lot), they *might* ask you to push their chair to a more stable area once they are back in their chair

nothing

Something else

Do what they ask, NOT what you think would be helpful. If for some reason you have to do something (i.e. you can't stop oncoming traffic and need to get them out) ASAP, tell them what you plan to do

Keep in mind they might also be D/deaf, have a communication disability, be stunned after the fall, have a head injury, not trust other people, etc. Be patient and treat them as a person with autonomy and agency! They might need to just sit on the ground for a few minutes to recover before trying to get back in their chair. They might want everyone to leave them alone. They might ask you to call someone specific. Their chair might have broken and that can be extremely distressing. All of this is like if your legs spontaneously stop working when you're out and about!

A lot of wheelchair users (NOT ALL) have ways to get into their chair on their own once the chair is close enough and brakes engaged (but it's hard from the ground!). Here's what brakes look like on a lot of manual wheelchairs, in case they ask you to lock the brakes. They're levers on each side and pushing the lever pushes a bar against the wheel to hold it still.

ID: A manual wheelchair with the brake levels circled in red and labeled "user brake levers"

*There is also the possibility of course that a person fell out of their chair due to a seizure or other medical event, so that is why it is important to ask if they are okay. If you saw them hit their head, tell them so. If they had a medical event, follow protocol for that, I'm not gonna get into it here (thought I could).

**sometimes a person will be clear after the first question i.e. "I'm all good thanks" clearly means they do not need you to ask another question, you can just leave them alone. Keep walking and don't stare. A lot of the time people will be a bit banged up but be totally fine and able to manage on their own.

TLDR: Ask the wheelchair user if they're okay, then what they need, and then do exactly that, including leaving them alone. Thanks!

Fatigue feels like you have sandbags tied to your feet while trying to walk. It feels like you haven’t slept in weeks. It feels like gravity is pulling you down. It feels like cotton balls are in your head, clouding everything.

Fatigue is NOT the equivalent to being tired.

special shout-outs to people who:

• won’t get better

• are terminally ill

• can’t be adequately treated/treated at all

• can’t afford treatment

• will die soon

• considered/are considering MAiD

• have problems that aren’t temporary

• have diseases that aren’t being researched

• are angry about being disabled/sick

• are sad about being disabled/sick

• are bitter about disabled/sick

• don’t want to joke about their sickness or disability

we’re still deserving of community

“You can do anything you set your mind to!”

Well thanks Susan, but I’m actually disabled which literally means I can’t do certain things.

"You're always so chipper and excited even though you're in pain, I could never."

Bethany, if I wasn't chipper and excited about the most mundane things like bees and dice, then I would literally be bedrotting all day every day, sobbing because my entire life is falling apart because I have no answers or relief to pain that doctors think is fake. So I will take joy in my trinkets and rollerskating while my body allows because one day I won't be able to.

Instagram credit: thenovelacademy

me when someone calls arcade gannon a communist

he's an anarchist. he is explicitly an anarchist

Anyway, able bodied people need to stop blaming people’s chronic pain on their diets.

Like no mom, my hips aren’t in excruciating pain because I ate a couple cookies last night.

Always feel bad when I see someone say something like "I don't have a disability but I have [something that is a disability but society doesn't treat like one]"

Migraines. Food allergies. GERD. Vision problems. Skin problems. For people that menstruate, conditions that cause irregular and painful cycles. Those are all disabling. Anything that impairs you from functioning or completing a basic life task without accommodation is a disability. Anything that makes you spend days in bed during a flare up is a disability! Not everyone experiences your symptoms and you're not being weak or whiny.

Mental illnesses that people treat as "mainstream" these days like anxiety, depression, or ADHD are still disabilities. Overcoming a massive struggle just to get out of bed, slow down your thoughts, or focus on what you need/want to do is disabling. Starting the day with less mental energy than most people is disabling.

For the migraine people: yes, everyone gets headaches, but no not everyone gets migraines. It's a condition that can be inherited in which our nerves are literally wired differently and more sensitive than someone who doesn't get migraines.

For the food allergy and digestive disorder people: if you eat something your body can't tolerate, you become sick. Doesn't matter if it's a trip to the ER or skin irritation for a few hours, that's a negative response in your body. Going hungry at social events because you can't eat anything, that's not something you just have to grin and bear. Prohibitively expensive or hard-to-find accessible food. Most people have the privilege of not worrying about eating.

For people with abnormal menstrual cycles: you don't have to suck it up because "lots of people get periods, no one likes them, but they all deal with it." Majority of people who get periods don't spend days in bed with debilitating pain or nausea. Your heightened struggle is real. Going months between cycles can increase your risk of health conditions down the line, and it's good to speak to a gynecologist if you have access to one.

If you are feeling discomfort on a regular basis in any part of your body, or if you usually feel unwell after eating, that isn't normal and you deserve medical attention and support

Wild concept that shouldn’t be wild and the coldest take ever: disabled adults are *adults* and not just children trapped in adult bodies

Disabled adults have sex

Disabled adults do drugs

Disabled adults curse

Disabled adults get piercings and tattoos

Disabled adults can make adult decisions and act and behave like adults because we are adults

It’s just so weird for people to constantly infantilize me all because of my mobility aids when I’m not a child!!!

Anyway, people with brain damage I love you. People who have had strokes I love you, especially if you're told you were "too young" to have one. People who acquired your brain damage by less common means such as infection, lack of oxygen at birth or degenerative disease, I love you. People with moderate and severe brain damage, I love you. People who lost their sight or hearing or ability to speak because of their brain damage, I love you. People who have paralysis from their brain damage, I love you. People with amnesia and severe cognitive issues from their brain damage, I love you. People with rare and unusual symptoms from their brain damage, I love you.

You are not a punchline, you haven't lost your humanity, your thoughts and opinions are as valuable as anyone else's. We deserve respect.

[ID: a dark red banner with the words "This post is about physical disabilities, do not derail." in grey font. Either side of it is a lighter grey wheelchair user symbol with the user leaning forward with the arms raised and back, giving the appearance of wheeling fast. End ID.]

Top 5 women?

bro i can't even top one woman ha ha h[two drums and a cymbal fall from the ceiling killing me instantly

My study methods with ADHD!

Warning: Long post under the cut.

Hii, I just wanted to share some things I do to make studying less boring having ADHD :)

Coloring task list

In a picture frame, I put some drawings of potion bottles underneath the glass, and as I go doing my tasks, I color the potion bottle with a white board marker, as if I was filling the bottle, until it gets full, this method motivates me to keep going, to see the drawing fully colored, besides, it's a good way to visualize your progress.

Cloze

My to go study method is cloze, basically I blur out the keywords of my text (I part it in questions or topics, but you can do as you please), then, I open the notes app and try to ''fill the blanks'' and complete the words that are missing, that not only is a good way to memorize, but also is a good way of answering questions without draining all your energy while doing so.

Breaks

I hate pomodoro, i usually just take a bunch of tasks, and part them in groups, by doing that, when I complete a bunch of quests, I can take a break with an appropriate time for the tasks I just did.

Water and posture reminders

I like to have reminders to fix my posture and drink some water, but notifications are just not annoying enough, so I make an alarm, an actual alarm that will show up in the middle of the screen and interrupt me so I can actually drink water before turning it off

Well those are the tips I got, I hope it helps you as much as they help me! :D

I feel like most able bodied people see wheelchairs as the worst thing that could happen to a person. When I discuss my want to have a wheelchair for various reasons, most peoples first reaction is to be surprised that I could voluntarily consider that.

But what they fail to consider is that, unlike them, I very much hate walking. It causes me pain and fatigue, it is a miserable experience.

So to any able bodied person reading this, yes some wheelchair users like walking, some want to gain that ability back, but that does not invalidate the feelings of wheelchair users who absolutely hate walking.

remember when you used to look stuff up and the first result was always wikipedia :(

Euripides (Tr. Anne Carson) / @wholeheartedsuggestions / Jenny Slate / Euripides again

Say it with me! Wheelchairs aren’t sad! Mobility aids aren’t sad! Mobility aids are instruments of freedom!

Work until you no longer have to introduce yourself.

Emergency: Help Abedallah and his family to Evacuate From GAZA WAR

✅️Vetted by @gazavetters, my number verified on the list is ( #276 )✅️

https://gofund.me/c358a1a5

Dear Humanity,

Please read this as if I'm a member of your family. maybe your brother, son or a friend and as if my family who's under death now is yours.

My name is Abedallah, a fresh graduate who wants to be a doctor like his role model, his father.

A student who was supposed to start his university and achieve the dreams he worked for but found himself losing the city he's living in, his house and losing any hope of a better future with it.

And after a alot of studying in Tawjihi ( The final level at high school before joining university), the war had another plan.

The story started since childhood, when every one I have knowen called me doctor.

This continued till I reach to the final grade at my school grade 12 (Tawjihi).

In this time, I felt that everything should be real, I can do it, I started to study

and work hard from begining to end, no sleep, no rest, all these things to achieve my goal and make my dream a real one.

The hard year has finished, then two week of fear waiting.

After this, the result came, it’s 99.4, I ranked the third in my country.

Since the war on Gaza strip started, we struggled alot, when we were at home at the beginning of the war the Israeli occupation bombed many houses around us, then we were displaced to Rafah because of fear and at the first day suddenly we heard the sound of many blasts,cracking glass and screaming women and children, they blew up a residential square near us.

After two months, I returned to khanyonis, but not to our home.

I live in tent becuse the israeli occupation burned my house completely, nothing left.

I feel that I lost and continue to lose every thing, this war made my dreams, hopes, my beloved things and my beautiful house burned and disappeared.

The single wish for me at this time is waking up from this nightmare and everything goes back to what it was.

Help your brother to get out of this disaster, rebuild his house and complete his education and realise his dream of becoming a doctor.

'80 degrees in november we're cooked' and yet you still use chatgpt as a search engine

little miss awful body temperature regulation is taking his hoodie off again

Such a privilege it is to be tired from studying your dream ✨️⚕️

Change your perspective of life

something i have always found really weird is when english texts italicize words from other languages.

i remember reading a book as a kid and the author continually italicizing the word tamales