#i am visibly autistic/disabled

[big-boah]

The only thing I have to say about the autism support needs & masking discourse:

There are people who haven't been talked to like a baby by a stranger in real life, and it shows.

[aroaceleovaldez]

what do you think about the charters (Nico, Percy and others) using mobility aids? (Especially after all the wars, fights, and other general injures they've probably got over the years)

I may be biased as someone who uses mobility aids, but I definitely think more demigods should have mobility aids in general. Nico in particular definitely could use it with how often he collapses and with how he generally exhibits some symptoms of low blood pressure at the very least if not POTS or EDS. I'm particularly biased to drawing him with my own crutches, lol (they have knee rests!!!!).

Also I always love seeing Grover with crutches. He was introduced as having a muscular disease - i know that's implied to be just cause he's actually a satyr, but also he's the only satyr to be described as "walking like every step hurt." So give him crutches!!!! He needs them!!!

I dont have any particularly strong opinions for other characters, except maybe usually giving Leo a prosthetic leg so he can thematically match his dad and sometimes crutches alongside that, and my friends and I have talked about Jason using a rollator before, particularly in Jason Lives!AUs. But regardless I always love discussing comorbidity between various other conditions and disabilities with ADHD and dyslexia and a not insignificant number of those comorbidities may require mobility aids. Functionally demigods are kind of more like intensive athletes with magic healthcare, and very few are on the level of like Nico where they've been through the wringer so much that it has lasting effects on them - actually very few in general seem to get a lot of physical damage that doesn't get healed quickly (i think in part cause most campers don't actually go on quests). mostly just psychological damage - so i don't think every demigod would need mobility aids, but like statistically there should probably be more just given the comorbidity stuff to begin with. Everybody who's come back from the dead should probably have more going on with them though imo.

[whinyvents]

It's 2024 and those of us who were actually diagnosed in childhood are still having to remind those who often dominate the online autistic community that diagnosis is not a privilege.

[thevoidshere88]

So....

Today my mother my big sister n her bf were making ableist jokes....

And I called them out for it but got ignored.

Then after a bath confronted my mother about her ableist language and jokes she made.

Of course ableists get defensive when called out.

YOU ARE NOT A ALLY OR SUPPORTER OF SPECIAL NEEDS / DISABLED PEOPLE IF YOU MAKE JOKES ABOUT RUNNING YOUR CHILD OVER IF BORN VISUALLY DISABLED YOU ARE NOT!!!! 🚫👎🏻❌

[a-5-m-0-d-3-u-5]

Please don't read this

[patch-is-disabled]

IDK man I know I just lost (not dead just out of my life) two of my closest friends this week but maybe this right now is what 3 year old, and 5 year old, and 8 year old, and 11 year old, 12 year old, and 13 year old, and 15 year old me was waiting for.

I’m in a dorm room I paid for with a merit scholarship, getting a degree in my favorite subject in the whole world, snuggling my cat under a heated and weighted blanket, reading and listening to music.

My room is clean, I’m on medication that works, I have mobility aids that help, my parents drove to visit me because they believe when I need help and can help me, I have food I feel comfortable eating, my comfort items are here, I’m fucking excited for a Monday, I’m excited to go to class, I have plans with a friend. Knitting club is Wednesday and tomorrow there’s an event at the GSA. I have time for naps, I’m not overwhelmed by homework, I get to go see one of my favorite internet D&D people live soon.

Like idk I still have a highly complex dissociative disorder, I can’t live independently, and some days are so hard but I’m so happy right now. I’m so sorry tiny me went through that and I’m so proud of them. I’m so grateful they got me here.

There’s media I like coming, my dorm room is decorated exactly as I want, my sister and I get along, my grandparents try really hard to use my pronouns, I never could’ve imagined this and I’m so happy. I’m so happy to be here right now and I’m so grateful.

[mythicalcoolkid]

One of my autism benefits is that I don't get social embarrassment from Public Autism Events because I simply cannot notice other people looking at me. I sat on the floor in stores until my 20s (still do actually), I rock in place, my partner will be like "I don't like going out because people there stare at me/us judgmentally because looking goth isn't common there, didn't you see that family giving us dirty looks...?" No. No I didn't. I am focused on my task (waiting in line, shopping, doing laundry) someone could be staring daggers at me and I will not notice. <3

[anaquariusfox]

I spent the evening looking into this AI shit and made a wee informative post of the information I found and thought all artists would be interested and maybe help yall?

edit: forgot to mention Glaze and Nightshade to alter/disrupt AI from taking your work into their machines. You can use these and post and it will apparently mess up the AI and it wont take your content into it's machine!

edit: ArtStation is not AI free! So make sure to read that when signing up if you do! (this post is also on twt)

[Image descriptions: A series of infographics titled: “Opt Out AI: [Social Media] and what I found.” The title image shows a drawing of a person holding up a stack of papers where the first says, ‘Terms of Service’ and the rest have logos for various social media sites and are falling onto the floor. Long transcriptions follow.

Instagram/Meta (I have to assume Facebook).

Hard for all users to locate the “opt out” options. The option has been known to move locations.

You have to click the opt out link to submit a request to opt out of the AI scraping. *You have to submit screenshots of your work/face/content you posted to the app, is curretnly being used in AI. If you do not have this, they will deny you.

Users are saying after being rejected, are being “meta blocked”

People’s requests are being accepted but they still have doubts that their content won’t be taken anyways.

Twitter/X

As of August 2023, Twitter’s ToS update:

“Twitter has the right to use any content that users post on its platform to train its AI models, and that users grant Twitter a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to do so.”

There isn’t much to say. They’re doing the same thing Instagram is doing (to my understanding) and we can’t even opt out.

Tumblr

They also take your data and content and sell it to AI models.

But you’re in luck!

It is very simply to opt out (Wow. Thank Gods)

Opt out on Desktop: click on your blog > blog settings > scroll til you see visibility options and it’ll be the last option to toggle

Out out of Mobile: click your blog > scroll then click visibility > toggle opt out option

TikTok

I took time skim their ToS and under “How We Use Your Information” and towards the end of the long list: “To train and improve our technology, such as our machine learning models and algorithms.”

Regarding data collected; they will only not sell your data when “where restricted by applicable law”. That is not many countries. You can refuse/disable some cookies by going into settings > ads > turn off targeted ads.

I couldn’t find much in AI besides “our machine learning models” which I think is the same thing.

What to do?

In this age of the internet, it’s scary! But you have options and can pick which are best for you!

Accepting these platforms collection of not only your artwork, but your face! And not only your faces but the faces of those in your photos. Your friends and family. Some of those family members are children! Some of those faces are minors! I shudder to think what darker purposes those faces could be used for.

Opt out where you can! Be mindful and know the content you are posting is at risk of being loaded to AI if unable to opt out.

Fully delete (not archive) your content/accounts with these platforms. I know it takes up to 90 days for instagram to “delete” your information. And even keep it for “legal” purposes like legal prevention.

Use lesser known social media platforms! Some examples are; Signal, Mastodon, Diaspora, et. As well as art platforms: Artfol, Cara, ArtStation, etc.

The last drawing shows the same person as the title saying, ‘I am, by no means, a ToS autistic! So feel free to share any relatable information to these topics via reply or qrt!

I just wanted to share the information I found while searching for my own answers cause I’m sure people have the same questions as me.’ \End description] (thank you @a-captions-blog!)

[rooford13]

Hot take, one's going to piss a lot of you off, but I am just as unsafe around white cishet women, as I am around white cishet men.

I'm an autistic, visibly disabled, visibly intersex/transgender, full flagging queer who is also fat. The only thing that I have ever had "going" for me, is the fact that I'm white. But other white people do not give a fuck and will throw you to the fucking wolves if there are enough things to outbalance your whiteness. Women are not safer than men to me. The only time that I feel safe around cishet women, is when they're women of color. I am just as likely to be assaulted, sexually or otherwise, by Men or women.

I am just as likely to be followed, conjoled, leered at, harassed, have slurs slung at me, by white women as I am by white men.

[five-thousand-loaves-of-bread]

US food & drug administration (FDA) proposing ban on electric shock devices (like ones used by places like judge rotenberg center [JRC]) for self injurious behaviors or behaviors deemed aggressive.

was banned before, then was overturned. now propose new ban.

can submit formal comment here:

which. if can, please do. show FDA that there public support for ban.

not see if say only US people can comment.

edit to add: open until may 28th 2024

put under cut, some trigger warning about badly summarized info abt these devices & JRC

readmore

these devices different from modern ECT. modern ECT done under general anesthesia. these devices. ECT not without faults but these devices not same as ECT.

while there truly are behaviors in disabilities like autism that genuine cause harm to self or others, 1) using this shock device for those behaviors without consent or try other methods or think about underlying why, still issue, 2) many times used for behaviors that. staff just don’t like. like saying no. or refuse take off coat.

there videos online.

but let just say. GED-4, used by JRC (at very minimum used, past tense. not sure what model use now, but definitely still used. & still being defended on JRC website), shock for 2 seconds, lowest setting, shock at 45mA, highest at 90. don’t know what means? me neither, but to compare, tasers 3-4 mA. n frequently see survivors say they get more than 1 shocks. people shocked by these scream. put it lightly

old stuff wrote by survivor:

often see people only talk abt autism when talk abt JRC & these devices. not just autism. those diagnosed w conduct disorders, psychiatric disorders, autism, intellectual disability, & imagine other developmental disorders too.

though. need lower support needs autistic people & late diagnose autistic people decenter themselves on this. you all not typical target demographic for this. you not most affected here.

because. going be early diagnosed & visibly disabled & higher support needs people most affected.

also. majority people in JRC BIPOC. one old statistic say 50% Black people.

majority of these. are children.

& most these ugly facts & statistics not going be on JRC website. they going make everything pretty & appealing & downplay. & defend use of shock device on website

had to look through JRC website for this. just for my sacrifice please go fill out comment for FDA. link again: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2024/03/26/2024-06037/banned-devices-proposal-to-ban-electrical-stimulation-devices-for-self-injurious-or-aggressive

[azaleasautism]

“Autism is an invisible disability”

I am visibly autistic. Not invisible for everyone. It’s invisible for lsn people usually, not for everyone.

[actual-changeling]

I hope it turns out that Maggie is "just" a human. I hope it turns out that there is absolutely nothing supernatural or occult or celestial or whatnot about her, fuck, I hope it turns out it's NINA instead.

Fuck, I'm trying very hard not to be frustrated and upset, but I am. I am because it's been over a month and people are still taking Maggie's clearly neurodivergent, and more specifically autistic, behaviour and twist it into "oh look no normal human is like this she's so creepy she must be a demon or an angel" like are you LISTENING to yourselves?

YES she talks differently sometimes, yes she's emotional, yes she did ONE FUCKING SPELLING MISTAKE while she was literally sobbing her eyes out. People are like that, you know. People that don't drink and that didn't go to parties and don't socialize well exist. I'm that person.

I had absolutely ZERO thoughts about Maggie being a celestial because to me, she isn't weird. There is nothing off about her. She's like me, I felt SEEN, I felt recognized and acknowledged.

The worst part is that people LOVE headcanoning Muriel or Aziraphale or Crowley as autistic but as soon as it's not something people can either infantilize or twist into something else, they hate it. Muriel gets praised for the same traits that have people calling Maggie a villain.

Can we stop doing that? Can we stop taking people who are weird or visibly disabled or different and shoving them into the non-human box? Do you have any idea how dehumanizing that is for people who are like those characters?

We had canonically non-binary characters this season that are human, so why, and please fucking tell me WHY, is it impossible in your minds to have disabled humans around? Why does anyone slightly weird have to be a supernatural being?

Just because Maggie's behaviour isn't played off as a joke? Because she is allowed to be a middle-aged, lesbian autistic woman? Because you cannot infantilize her like you can with Muriel?

Please tell me because I don't fucking know.

[sunstonez]

FUNDRAISING BILLS AND GROCERIES

Hello my name is Valentine. I am a physically disabled, visibly autistic nonbinary lesbian. I really need help with paying my bills this month.

I have spent the last two years going through Canadian provincial courts to put my pedophile biological father in jail. I have succeeded and his sentencing date is set for mid June, but this has come with a huge financial cost to me. I had to go on long term disability leave due to the stress. I had to pay for travel between provinces over several years. I have been living off of 60% of my income while I am on leave from work, supporting not only myself but my spouse as well, a disabled trans woman. I have maxed out our credit card, and have several thousand dollars owed in a consumer proposal.

I was supposed to return to work in May (which would have added to our monthly income), but my employer literally forgot I was disabled, and did not properly prepare for me to return to work, delaying my return until July.

Right now are behind on our phone bill, power bill, and internet bill. The consumer proposal payment is coming up on the 16th. Not to mention the cost of groceries, laundry money, bus tickets, medication, etc.

My goal is to raise $650.00 CAD.

Pictured below are the outstanding bills. $97.29 for the phone bill, $216.11 for our power, and $201. 59 for the internet.

The remaining amount of 135.00 would go towards groceries, laundry money, bus fair, etc.

If you have questions please feel free to DM me or comment here. I can provide receipts and other documentation as proof.

Updates will be provided in the replies of this post.

P*yp*l: p*ypal.me/hepelva

E-tr*nsfer (if you're Canadian): salsamanders@gmail.com

Thanks so much for reading. If you can't help that's okay! Reblogs are beyond appreciated 🙏💕

[pixierainbows]

Hello Pixie

Sorry if this is too personal, if uncomfortable with my question just ignore or delete it 😊

I have level 2 autism and am trans

In one of your posts, you said you are trans too! It made me so so happy to see another trans autistic person with higher support needs

I rarely see level 2 or 3 autistic people who are trans!! I'm so happy to know I'm not alone.

BTW, Sunshine is a very cute dog, I love the pictures you post

Many many many people think Pixie very too disabled to understand gender . Them not really wrong . is complicated ...

birth family said pixie just bad bad bad kid . so pixie had no idea what trans was . did not know about anything like that even exist . until came to seattle .

pixie Okay now , mostly . Still have bad days . doctors not can fix everything . and . Even in Seattle not everybody is kind understanding , especially pixie so visible disabled . But . Pixie happy be alive almost always now . guardians and choice family love trans-pixie very much .

is not all fixed ! but , is much better now . is good enough .

[ineffectualdemon]

The levels you get judged as autistic are weird

Because they are based on how well you communicate with neurotypicals (as I understand it, please correct me if I'm wrong) and don't actually cover the autistic persons level of need

Like I got level 1 because I am fairly articulate on a good day and as my husband puts it "you can seem human for roughly the first 15 minutes" (note he is allowed to say this, i find this humor funny and he's also on the spectrum)

I am educated, fairly well spoken, and can fake social niceties if I don't talk or if it's over text. This does not make me better able to take care of myself nor does it make me better than any autistic person who cant do that. I can talk good sometimes. Its just a fact not a judgement on my worth or anyone else's

But it sure is treated that way

I am not able to live independently. I can't handle if I'm asked to change the side of the road from my usual routine much less anything more disruptive. I can't manage my own finances. I have loud meltdowns in public. I visibly stim. Once my timer of being able to human breaks I will invariably say something wildly inappropriate and not understand why it's inappropriate. I can't arrange things for myself because I get flustered and confused. I need support on a daily basis

I cannot take care of myself even if you remove my chronic pain and fatigue.

Sure I could run an errand or go some place by myself before when I was still mobile but there was an over 50% chance of me having a meltdown on the way or once I'm there and needing help

And sure in the past I could go to new places alone ..if my husband took me the day before and walked the route with me and helped me write down very specific instructions and directions and be on the other end of the phone when i break down

Sure was once able to go to new places and events and then immediately get overwhelmed and lose my words and have a meltdown or dissociate in order to cope

And the after affects would mean I'm stressed out and physically ill for days after

Like I'm not saying I need anything like the support of high support needs autistic people

I am able to communicate my thoughts accurately through text most of the time

(not so much out loud. There I vary wildly between considered articulate and screaming with anger because I can't get the words! I know they are there but I can't access them and it makes me angry and no one else understands what's going on or why I'm suddenly angry)

I am aware that is a massive privilege and skill in my possession that allows me to advocate myself in way that is impossible for non verbal members of the communicate

You can advocate for yourself

But not same as me

And that's in my favour and I am sorry

So I try to advocate for you when I can

To have your back

Being non verbal, having intellectual disabilities, any number of factors could mean someone needs more support than me

And I am not saying we are exactly the same

But the fact that I am highly dependent on my husband to survive is just written off as not important because "I speak well"

And that's just a really weird way to weigh it in my opinion

Like yeah I don't seem to them like I should need to be dependent on others to survive but I fucking well am

Idk

The system just seems fucked to me

[mariacallous]

hi i'm sorry to ask you this, i know it's not really your job but i was hoping maybe you or your followers had some ideas. i want to get involved with local activism at the grassroots level. however i am autistic and, crucially, i look like it. people can tell there's something visibly "off" about me before i even speak. and when i say "off" i mean, i'm not just weird-looking or different, but that even though i am not intellectually disabled, i do kind of look like i am. i am also just not good at wording myself or explaining myself, especially around issues important to me. this is not just something that happens with magas or conservatives; even a lot of liberals/leftists who agree with me on 90% of issues often don't take me seriously or brush me aside when i try to make suggestions, and i worry about turning people off of causes important to me because i explain myself so badly or because i'm just an [r-slur] and can't know what i'm talking about. i am doing what i can to build better communication skills so i can talk to people about things better by watching and studying how people around me speak to each other, watching and studying how politicians speak to normal people on youtube/the news, taking public speaking classes at my local community college, and practicing talking to people in low-risk situations like small talk. but realistically i think building these kind of skills will probably take months or even years. i was wondering if there's any kind of role in outreach or grassroots-level activism for someone who is REALLY bad at communicating, to the point they can turn off people who already mostly agree with them? i feel isolated from a lot of other openly autistic people in my area because they're the kind of "bernie should have won and now since he didn't i'm not going to do anything" doomers i find annoying so i'd prefer suggestions that aren't autism-specific/ideas for ways to build communities with people who aren't necessarily autistic. who do i talk to and how do i go about finding them? are there any websites i can check for volunteer groups/opportunities? i do already donate to the aclu and planned parenthood each once a month so id prefer some non-donation ideas that would get me involved with real people near me. i'm not an introvert, i actually love talking to people, but i'm just not good at it. anyway i'm sorry this is so long. thank you for running a great blog.

I think, if you've got the skills for it, that a lot of the logistics and organizing of organizing and activism is always needing people. A lot of people don't want to do the quiet and sometimes "backroom" work involved, but it is so crucial and always appreciated. And you can interact with a lot of people, surprisingly. Things like handling data entry and creating reports, working to make lists of needed items and handling purchasing trips, creating maps and setting up teams for outreach. Sorting and prepping materials for mailout and handout. A lot of times these lead to bigger roles, and people appreciate it a lot. And it involves a lot of constant, sometimes low-level, communication and engagement but also helps establish connection and comfort.

I hope this was helpful, and I hope my mutuals and followers definitely add on to this, because I feel like it may not be that good of a response.

I will say that I definitely appreciate how much you want to be involved and active - we're going to need that a lot in the coming months and years.