goth-ginger-witch

[goth-ginger-witch]

Obvs not all access is wheelchair access I'm just a wheelchair user so hence it centring around wheelchair access

(Inspired by Ruth Martin on Insta go check them out they're super cool and amazing)

ID in Alt Text

[goth-ginger-witch]

But the way we perceive health and ability is truly problematic. No, eating protein shakes, avoiding ultra processed food, training everyday, running on the treadmill, etc. don’t put you out of the “dangers” of disability and illness (if we want to call it that).

No one is immune to illness, bad genes, accidents or old age. And becoming disabled or ill isn’t synonym of failure or “bad behaviours”.

Our bodies are fragile. Human beings are fragile. That’s why disability needs to be taken into account more seriously and considered as a social issue. For you, your loved ones and all the people you don’t know of but who deserve to be treated with dignity and respect no matter the state of their health and abilities.

I didn’t get sick at one year of age because I deserved it or because I was morally corrupt. How could I be? I was 1. It just happened. It was an autoimmune disease. That’s it.

[goth-ginger-witch]

if you didn’t realize, ableism is actually bigotry and systemic ableism and inaccessibility are really oppression and it’s not something disabled people brought on ourselves by having bodies&minds that you think are inferior and therefore not worth fighting for. disabled people’s lives and wellbeing matter. we don’t have to earn our worthiness by doing “enough” to deserve a good life. nobody does.

[goth-ginger-witch]

Transgender Day of Remembrance: 25th Anniversary

Since 1999, the 20th of November has been observed as the Transgender Day of Remembrance, on which we remember those lives that were lost along the way—almost all of them murdered by transphobes; and sometimes, suicide as an escape from a hateful environment.

Here's a list of our trans siblings whose lives were cut short this year.

Of course, it will be underreported, and there will be many more not known.

But, to every last one of them, known or unknown, I say: You Were Known To Us, in our hearts.

The truth is, they can never kill us all. They can try, but if every trans person on Earth died today, another one would be born almost immediately. We've always been here, and we always will.

And yet, as individuals, we must do our part. We must survive, and when possible, we must thrive, and live this precious, beautiful, transgender life of possibility and flowering hope.

We owe it to those who went before, and we owe it to those who will come after us.

Take my hand—we'll get there.

[goth-ginger-witch]

Begging on my hands and knees for ambulatory wheelchair users to change the narrative from "not all wheelchair users are paralyzed" to "disability is a spectrum and not everyone uses a wheelchair for the same reasons"

[goth-ginger-witch]

I’m so tired that disabled people are always told that “at least we have that”, “at least this”, “at least there’s something”.

I’m so tired that we have the minimum (and sometimes not even that).

Something is not better than nothing. It shouldn’t be in this time.

[goth-ginger-witch]

REBLOG IF YOU’RE A WITCH THAT THINKS IT’S MORE THAN OKAY TO PUNCH NAZIS

[goth-ginger-witch]

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

[goth-ginger-witch]

[goth-ginger-witch]

Alternatives to Harmful Crisis Lines

What’s the issue with mainstream crisis lines? 

In January 2022, an article came out that exposed the fact that the Crisis Text Line was selling personal data to for-profit companies. The Trevor Project also was mentioned in this article for sharing data with Google and Meta. 

They aren’t the only crisis lines with issues: this article that also came out in January 2022 talks about how the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is ignoring the testimony from their Lived Experience Committee about stopping involvment with cops, and is working with the Federal Communications Comission to try to get permission to use a newer type of mass surveillence technology during their calls. 

Quote from the article: “Basically, Vibrant/NSPL argued that everyone who calls, texts, or chats through the new 988 number should have their personal information and exact current geolocation to within three meters exposed to NSPL call centers automatically, immediately, and by default.” 

Beyond these ethical issues around data collection, a huge problem with almost every single crisis line is their policies of “active rescue”: basically, what this means is that crisis lines will track your location and send police to your location if they think you’re at risk of harming yourself. This happens hundreds of thousands of times every single year. This is extremely dangerous, especially for Black people using these lines. There are examples of people being shot because of calls made to hotlines where police showed up. Police showing up also leads to forced psychiatric incarceration. I personally have had the police called on me twice through a crisis line that I thought was anonymous; they showed up, entered my room without my consent, and searched me without my consent. They literally made everything in that moment worse. 

If people want to learn more about the history of police involvment and crisis lines, here’s an article.

Avoid hotlines that call the cops: 

Crisis Text Line

Trevor Project 

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline

NAMI helpline

LGBT National Hotline

SAMHSA National Hotline

List of State Crisis Lines that all call cops 

Alternatives that do not share data or call the cops 

Pretty much every national and mainstream crisis line calls the cops. A general rule of thumb is that unless it specifically mentions that it doesn’t call the cops on their website, it does. I also haven’t done a ton of research on the data sharing side for the lines I’m listing below, but if anyone has any more info please let me know and I’ll update the list.

National: 

Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860, 24/7

THRIVE: text message line at 313-662-8209, 24/7

Promise Resource Network: (833) 390-7728, 24/7

Project Return Peer Support Network: (888) 448-9777 English or (888) 448-4055 Spanish, hours are Monday through Friday 2:30 PM to 10:00 PM and Saturday and Sunday 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM

Wildflower Alliance Peer Support Line: 888-407-4515, hours are 7pm to 9pm Monday through Thursday and 7pm-10pm Friday through Sunday

Key Consumer Organization: 800-933-5397, hours are 8am - 4:30pm, Monday - Friday.

MBRLC Peer Support Line:  877-733-7563, hours are 4 pm-7:45 pm every day. 

Check out this page for a directory of warmlines by state. These are much less likely to call the cops, but it’s good to check with each individual one about specific policies.

If anyone has more info, please add on!

[goth-ginger-witch]

I have wanted a breast reduction for many years for medical reasons. My upper body muscles are completely fucked because of the size of my breasts. I have my doctor's approval so I started looking for a surgeon.

The only plastic surgeons in my area that take insurance for breast reductions are with Providence medical group. Providence apparently has a policy that they won't even consult with you if your BMI is over 35.

How is that acceptable? You just....don't talk to people if they're fat? Based on a very arbitrary and outdated measure that we all know is scientifically inaccurate?

[goth-ginger-witch]

All disabled people deserve safe, stable, accessible housing.

[goth-ginger-witch]

[goth-ginger-witch]

Call now to recieve help with the inability to make phone calls!

Fill out this forum to receive assistance with your difficulty filling out forms

Come on down to our center thats two hours away so we can give assistance with your inability to walk or drive

There's help out there! You're just not trying hard enough!

[goth-ginger-witch]

Words that help me get by.

[goth-ginger-witch]

hey, if you're poor, disabled, homeless or in any other type of disadvantage and need resources, i seriously recommend you check out your local library. i just found out that the library i can walk to does distributions from the food bank every friday, and they have tons of other programs as well. they can help you sign up for government benefits like food stamps and medicaid, and can help you access resources for homeless folk. my local library even has a free menstrual product drive where you can donate menstrual products for people to take for free in case they need them. it also has a safe sharps disposal.

i literally felt like crying when they told me i can pick up a food box every friday, that will literally save me so much money on food. there are so many other resources to utilize as well, such as cheap printing services and access to language learning courses and programs. hell, my local library literally hosts DnD sessions. public libraries offer so much more than i can possibly describe here, and utilizing their services is exactly what keeps them going, so please consider checking out your local library if you're in need of help, or just want to find out what's going on in your local community.

[goth-ginger-witch]

Don't ever confuse "I wish I could stay at home when I want to" with "I wish I couldn't leave my home."