Disabled - Blog Posts

I’m popping pills left and right

(It’s ibuprofen)

(The rain makes my joints ache)

yay a post about arthritis! thank you!

Seeing people say that arthritis isn't disabling in the year 2023 sure gives me some. . . not great feelings. Like yeah, cool, thanks for completely undermining the decade or so of horrible pain I've experienced, my gradual loss of mobility, the constant fatigue and confusion (because rheumatoid arthritis affects more than just your joints!), the ableism I've faced from everyone in my life, and the degradation of my fine motor skills as the pain in my fingers and wrists especially gets worse and worse.

Also the ageism in it. . . "My grandparent has arthritis, that doesn't make them disabled." Idk how to tell you this bud but pretty much every elderly person in the world is disabled in some way because bodies break down and start doing weird shit naturally. Sorry that you see aging and disability as inherently contradictory but it's not my fault that you're so determined to gatekeep the label of "disabled" from people that you can't show even a bit of compassion to people whose experiences are different from yours.

Anyway @ fellow arthritic people I know this sucks so fucking bad and that no one takes us seriously but I promise you are not alone ily 🪻

Even though Disability Pride Month is over, that does not mean we stop supporting and bringing awareness to our disabled peers! GO SUCK ON THAT, ABLEISTS!

Happy Disability Pride Month to people...

Who have been diagnosed and been on treatment...

Who have not been diagnosed, but WANT treatment...

Who have been diagnosed, and know almost everything about their condition/disease/disability...

Who have not been diagnosed, and barely know their triggers or how it started...

Who talk about their disability, and make it a part of their identity...

Who don't talk about their disability freely, and might be too scared to make it part of their identity...

Who have been on a long and hard struggle and finally, FINALLY got into remission...

Who are still trying to get into some 'better' state...

Who have an invisible disability and don't 'feel disabled enough'...

Who have an invisible disability that has been over-dramatized and hear jokes about it constantly...

Who have been in remission for a while, and don't feel like 'enough' while talking to disabled peers...

Who have not been diagnosed, and sometimes feel like their experiences 'aren't enough' to warrant the disability...

Who have a physical disability, but didn't realize the mental toll it would have on them...

Who have a mental disability, but didn't realize the physical toll it would have on them...

Who got diagnosed rather young and have lived with their disability for most of their life...

Who are only just learning how to cope and live with their disability...

Just like me.

Happy Disability Pride Month, ya'll!

When my disability was really bad and my handwriting started suffering, I was given the choice of a wrist splint or finger braces so my handwriting would stay 'normal,' but I said no, because I thought people would think it was weird or ask too many questions. I was 8 years old. A freaking 8 YEAR OLD already got influenced by ableist nature.

Do not tell someone their mobility aid isn’t cute.

Please, for the love of any god that exists and the ones that don’t too, don’t tell someone their mobility aid isn’t cute. Don’t tell them it ruins their outfit. Don’t tell them they’d look better without it. Don’t. 

Why? Because chances are, they were very insecure about it before. Maybe they still are. And also because it’s fucking ableist. You’re telling them that using a mobility aid looks bad. I don’t care if you think the outfit would look ten times better without it, keep that shit to yourself. You’re not the one wearing it and if the person has decided that their functionality is more important than their appearance, then that’s their choice to make, not yours. 

Mobility aids are there to help the person using them, not to appease your idea of beauty. 

And, not to mention, mobility aids are fucking cute. 

The braces worn on the outside of pants because that’s more comfortable or they don’t fit underneath or it’s uncomfortable otherwise? Rock on. Canes that are decorated or otherwise but let someone get around easier? Fantastic. Crutches that let someone participate in society? Amazing. Wheelchairs that mean someone doesn’t have to be in unnecessary pain? 10/10. Walkers that give someone the freedom to do things they want to? Spectacular. Freaking prosthetic limbs?? Iconic. Insulin or blood monitoring patches that means someone doesn’t have to be thinking about yet another thing while they go about their day? Beautiful. Feeding tubes that mean someone can fucking get nutrients? Cute as hell. 

If you have something that makes your life easier and you use it, that automatically makes you smart and hot. You have my permission to hit anyone who says otherwise (with your mobility aid if applicable). 

TL;DR: Mobility aids are cute and anyone who says otherwise is stupid. 

Yeah I met someone who had an invisible disability like me and they had just gotten steroid injections into their knees so it was really painful, so they were using the disabled spot on the bus but a whiny lady came up and told them they couldn't use it??? So they had to argue with this lady all along the bus ride about what in invisible disability is.

using disabled stalls, seats, and parking spots without needing them is not innocuous. these aren't just things that make disabled people's lives easier (although that's reason enough). they prevent us from being injured or in distress, and allow us to take care of our needs. removing our access to that can put us in danger. stop it.

also, to the invisibly disabled people reading this - including mentally ill and neurodivergent people - if you need these accomodations, please continue to use them. your needs matter. do what you need to stay as safe and healthy as possible.

i tried to join a parent's night to learn more about coping mechanisms and actually TALK TO OTHER PEOPLE THAT KNOW MY DISABILITY but they told me I can't because I'm 'too young' and 'its for the parents only.'

I literally broke down crying on the Zoom call and even then they wouldn't let me in. I tried to somehow listen in to my mom's conversation, but that didn't work.

I swear...

i understand (and fully agree) that there needs to be support for friends and family of disabled people, they need help to understand and be able to better support their disabled loved one and themselves. i am not opposed to those resources existing. i am just so tired of looking for resources for myself, a disabled adult!, and only finding things for friends and family and carers *of adults*. why are all these classes and lectures only available to friends and family of adult disabled people? why are there so few resources for adult disabled people specifically? why, from the organization claiming to help disabled people, are only like a fourth (if that) of the resources aimed at adults actually available to disabled adults and not their close ones.

Yeah, for gym class I need to give a note saying that my form is lacking because I'm disabled so don't take marks off and stuff and one time we had this sub that was having us do squats. I cannot do a squat, because, again, disabled, and my teacher probably put that in the note for the sub or my file or something. Now, this sub saw I wasn't doing it, so he brings me TO THE FRONT OF THE CLASS and asks me why I'm not doing it. I then tell him that I cannot do the exercise as I am disabled. He then goes on and on for the whole class to hear, "OH YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD ME YOU WERE DISABLED" its like sir I don't think the whole class needs to know this. (also it might have been because my gym teacher didn't put it in their note but still the school probably has that on my file)

Once my friend Henry was accused of wearing wireless headphones by a substitute so she said for him to hand them over so he took them off and handed them to her. Then later on she asked him a question and he didn’t respond so she said it louder and he still didn’t respond. She asked why he was not responding and he said “I can’t understand you ma'am, you took my hearing aids.”

Negative bonus points caused by the rare and wondrous father

- Since I held onto his arm with both my hands it gave him the opportunity to fling me around like a whip. He took this opportunity three times before concluding that my hips must’ve been acting up.

- There is nowhere to sit in this god forsaken coastal town. The only bench I did have a chance to sit on quite literally had a guard dog. I am now sat on the concrete, my ass is cold.

- And after I stand up again I’ll have to walk back to the car with the mistake I made, aka buying four bottles of flavoured water at Iceland. I am. Not excited to try balance that weight so my shoulders don’t get messed up as well.

I DAMNED MYSELF IM ON THE MOVE AGAIN

A day on the town!!!

My dad is being used as my walking aid. I am. In so much pain. Everything from the neck below feels numb. I feel like a pot of boiling water.

Someone save me I need a bed.

A day on the town!!!

My dad is being used as my walking aid. I am. In so much pain. Everything from the neck below feels numb. I feel like a pot of boiling water.

Someone save me I need a bed.