Disability, Chronic Illness, and Mental Health

Re: the ‘please offer me a seat’ card or button for public transit users: while people should be prepared to offer their seat to these folx in our community, people should also be prepared to give up their seats to those who choose not to use the card or button but ask for a blue seat anyway. Not everyone wants to walk around with those badges on.

In solidarity,

- A

I was at a end-of-summer BBQ recently and there was one attendee who may have been an amputee or born without his limb. He arrived late and I asked the person beside me to offer him a plate (something we do out of courtesy in my culture). This person responded with, “poor guy, doesn’t have one hand. If he holds a plate, how will he eat?”

Aside from the fact that this man can put his plate down to fill it up at the food stations, carry it to the patio table, set his plate down, sit down, and eat comfortably, why would it be any able-bodied person’s business as to how he will do it? If he cannot do it, he will decline. Instead of withholding *pun intended* an opportunity, why not make it available and let THAT person decide based on their needs and abilities (which they know far better than anyone else) what they want to use to enjoy the food, setting, and gathering.

I think many able-bodied folks try so hard to mean well, to the point of reiterating that they mean well, but they miss the mark. Let people choose. Let choices be made available to them (unless it’s in-your-face obvious that they’re unable to do it). This one is less obvious and that’s simply because the general public isn’t aware.

In solidarity,

- A

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spandexbutterfly4lyfe:

Quick shoutout to everyone whose disability directly conflicts with their passion.

People who love light and color and photography but have extremely sensitive eyes. People who love food but have digestive disorders and intolerances. People who would play every instrument they could get their hands on but lack dexterity and muscle strength to play. People who can’t make themselves focus long enough to study the field they want to be in. People who want to paint and draw and sculpt but can’t coordinate their hands well enough, or cramp up every time they hold a brush/pencil/tool. People across all passions who face a massive barrier to learning because following a set of instructions is difficult when they don’t feel specific enough.

There’s nothing more frustrating than knowing you’d be good at something and that it’s not your fault you can’t prove it. Especially in a world that seems to only recognize top level picture perfect talent at all times. Your passion isn’t negated by not being able to follow it, and neither is your potential. You’re not lazy. Do what you can and fuck ‘em if they think it’s not good enough.

Blind artists and readers, you are all wonderful ♡

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Something that makes me so so happy is everyone who pays attention to visual accessibility outside of image descriptions. If you are someone who:

  • Uses dyslexia friendly fonts
  • Uses large font sizes on your posts/websites/about me pages/etc
  • Chooses high contrast blog themes
  • Makes a conscious effort to make images you create/edit clearly defined
  • Uses primary colours (especially yellow) more than other colours in infographics

You’re AWESOME and everyone who has low vision, learning disabilities, or even the slightest amount of visual fatigue thanks you!

e-b-reads:

Screenshot from an article (citation below) reading:  "DisCrit acknowledges the need for activism and the reasons behind it, but recognizes that some of the activities traditionally thought of as activism (e.g. marches, sit-ins, and some forms of civil disobedience) may be based on ableist norms, which may not be accessible for those with corporeal differences. Those with admirable equity-based goals can inadvertently maintain and perpetuate inequity for other groups. In other words, to suggest that activism cannot occur from behind a desk may be missing a larger point about what it means to resist forms of domination. If theory can be violent, that is if theory can erase large portions of the population by ignoring their needs and realities, we also believe that theory can be emancipatory, offering oppressed groups a language of critique and resistance (Leonardo 2004). DisCrit supports diverse expressions of resistance that are linked to and informed by the community, whether that be academic or theoretical, pedagogical, or activist."ALT

Annamma, S. A., Connor, D., & Ferri, B. (2013). Dis/ability critical race studies (DisCrit): Theorizing at the intersections of race and dis/ability. Race Ethnicity and Education, 16(1), 1-31.

evilwriter37:

A disabled person being forced to not use their mobility aid is not something to be proud of. A disabled person pushing themselves past their limits is not something to be proud of. Stop pushing disabled people with your “pride” of them, and shaming others when they stay within their body’s boundaries.

Pain is not something to be proud of.

featheredadora:

Digital art of a happy pearl cockatiel, against a pink background. The bird has a speech bubble with a heart, coloured to look like the disability pride flag. Pink and white text next to the bird reads: 'You don't owe anyone "inspirational"'.ALT

It isn’t your job as a disabled person to be ‘inspirational’ to others. Your life has depth and complexity, and you are valuable and important no matter what you can/can’t do!

hussyknee:

my disabled ass, after (1)good day: “obviously I am cured. in fact it may have all been in my head. who can say? now to rejoin society!”

me, the next day: “it has come to my attention that i may be chronically ill.”

autisticadvocacy:

“Autism and most mental health disorders present differently in Black women…Because autism is looked at through such a White and male lens, people don’t recognize similar behaviors with traditionally feminine or Black interests.”