#non visible mobility aid

[theatrekidenergy]

Shout out to all of the people who use a mobility aid, stability device or pain relieving aid that’s hidden. The people who use knee braces, wrist braces, scoliosis and spine braces, ankle braces, ring and finger splints, neck braces, and otherwise hidden aids to help themself. You deserve a place in this community like anyone else, if you are disabled, or even if you just need these things to live a better quality of life, even if no one can see you using them because they’re inconspicuous or under clothing, you’re allowed to use what you need to help yourself and you have a place in this community.

[five-thousand-loaves-of-bread]

when people look at some wheelchair user who can move legs / stand / walk / ambulatory / etc, n they respond with “not all wheelchair user paralyzed,” then if do “educational” post, often go on explain how don’t have (traumatic) spinal cord injury / SCI

often with attitude “paralysis / SCI (to them same thing) so well known well understood accommodated accepted visible”

which. in isolation, “not all wheelchair user paralyzed” & “not all wheelchair user have (traumatic) SCI” objectively true.

but it’s like. the utter confidence in their complete ignorance of paralysis and SCI, & ignorance of their ignorance, conflating paralysis always = SCI, & that both always mean cannot move leg at all. all while treating paralysis & SCI as this most understood disability / wheelchair using reason they a victim of.

as in like. if someone give you shit about be in wheelchair but move leg & you want educate. tell them some wheelchair user can move leg. not “not all wheelchair user paralyzed” because some people paralyzed can also move leg. saying latter only show your ignorance about paralysis, while throw ppl w paralysis under bus

don’t have any kind paralysis so maybe worst person make this post but

did you know SCI & paralysis not the same. did you know can have leg paralysis without traumatic SCI through some sort physical injury. multiple sclerosis, ALS, FND, tumor, paraneoplastic syndrome, cerebral palsy etc can all cause paralysis. n many more

did you know paralysis can be monoplegia (one limb), paraplegia (both legs), diplegia (same area both side of body), hemiplegia (one side of body), & quadriplegia (all limbs). as in, yes, some people may have paralysis but still can move legs because at least one leg not affected.

n

did you know (depending on how categorize) there two types of spinal cord injury. complete & incomplete. people w incomplete SCI, brain can still send some signals below SCI site & so have some feeling and/or function.

did you know some people w SCI can move legs, including involuntary spasms (tho sometimes can be on purpose triggered by doing certain things if learn trigger).

did you know some w incomplete SCI can voluntarily move legs. can walk with mobility aids. can walk without mobility aids. can be ambulatory wheelchair user. some use their spasm to stand. n they still considered have (incomplete) SCI & paralysis.

if you didn’t know these then maybe SCI & paralysis not as well understood well accepted disorder as you think & treat it as.

(also did you know, can be non ambulatory wheelchair user without have paralysis. suprise)

(tried double triple confirm facts, but, people w paralysis, if say anything wrong please do kindly correct. cognitive + language communication disability often mix up things)

[pro-crastinate17]

hello!! so im going to try to make a disability inclusive picrew and id like some help making sure i include as much as i can!

the person would be seated and pretty much all of the body would be visible. ill post it when im done!

its mostly focused on phys disabilities, bc i so rarely can find picrews w good diverse mobility aid options, but ofc im including non phys disabilities as well! (sorry for clunky phrasing, im unclear on the preferred term for non phys disabilities so thats the term ive been using)

what i have so far is below the read more. be warned it is a very long list! (every option/category of option i could think of)

if you think i missed something, please recommend it!!! (related note: id much rather get recommended something that is already on the list than miss something!)

category: head

various jaw shapes 

missing jaw 

crooked/misaligned jaw

category: skin

wide range of skin tones, including white/extremely pale (albino) 

freckles, lots of scar variation (including burns), vitiligo, acne, facial hair, eye bags, other skin conditions (trying to make a list)

breathing tubes, masks, bandages 

bindis 

category: eyes 

blue, grey, green, hazel, medium brown, dark brown, black, red 

heterochromia options 

lazy eye options 

clouded eye options 

closed eyes that look like winking and closed eyes that don't 

missing eyes

category: mouth 

general expressions 

variations for color 

variations for cleft lip, scars, facial paralysis 

category: ears 

ear size, shape, missing ears, deformed ears

category: eye/ear accessories 

earrings, earplugs, hearing aids, bone anchored hearing aids, headphones, earmuffs (modifications for missing/deformed ears), cochlear implant

glasses, sunglasses, blue light glasses, eye patches, eye masks/bandages 

category: nose 

various shapes & sizes, bumpy noses, deformed noses  

category: eyebrows 

lots of expression options, thickness options, color options (including white) 

one missing, scarring, eyebrow slits 

category: body 

body types: very skinny, skinny, fat, very fat (options for muscularity too if i can figure out how)

body hair, scarring, freckles, tattoos   

range of missing limbs, deformed limbs, prosthetics   

diabetes patch 

category: hair 

wide range of hairstyles, bangs, and colors 

patchy hair, scalp scarring, receding hairline 

category: head coverings

range of hats, hair accessories, headbands, bandanas    

range of hijabs, turbans, kippot (+ more variation in cultural headwear if theres space)

head bandages 

category: clothes

range of styles and colors 

adaptable to body types (+ breasts), missing/deformed limbs 

category: shoes 

range of styles 

adaptable to body types, missing foot/feet 

category: hand accessories  

gloves, bracelets, rings, nails, wrist braces, splint rings

range of types, adaptable to missing/deformed hands 

category: pins 

range of queer pride flags 

pronoun pins 

animals, fandoms/characters (def muppets, feel free to recommend characters and i'll try to include some of the most popular ones) 

general disability pride, cripplepunk, madpunk, sign union flag, & pin (for systems), specific disabilities (need some help with these, send me specific flags and i’ll include them!) 

category: seat 

chair, manual wheelchair, power chair, spinny chair, throne, rollator, electric scooter 

category: mobility aids 

cane, white cane, crutches (underarm/axillary and forearm), rollator, walker (with and without wheels), electric scooter  

joint braces (shoulder, elbow, knee, ankle, back, others?), joint tape, compression garments 

category: other disability aids

AAC tablets, word cards, glucose monitor, sunflower lanyard, inhaler, medical id bracelet

stoma bag, central line catheter, picc line catheter, heart monitor, breathing tube, feeding tube (nasal and abdominal), tracheostomy 

stim toys/chewelry, stuffed animals, phone 

service animals

[ladyknightellen]

It's a Mobility Aid...Not a Fucking Prop!!!

I guess it's just my brand at this point to go mia for a few weeks, then come back with a rant about some new, mildly infuriating realization I've had.

This particular realization is one that's kind of been buzzing in the back of my head as something that was kind of off, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was until now. The 'aha' moment came when I was looking for pictures of Kaz Brekker to add to my collection of stickers on my binder for school. As I scrolled through, I began to notice a frustrating trend in the fan art...

Kaz Brekker, a canonically disabled character, who uses a cane to walk is consistently being drawn holding his cane as if it's just a prop, or a weapon, rather than what it actually is A GODDAMN MOBILITY AID!!!!

And before you start with 'but he hits people with it' I'm going to stop you right there. Yes, he does use it as a weapon sometimes, and it's even described in canon as being designed with the intention of using it as a club if needed, but it's still a cane. It is still a mobility aid that he needs TO WALK, and when you treat it like nothing more than a prop or a weapon, you erase a very important aspect of who Kaz is as a character, and honestly, as a cane user with chronic pain myself, it feels almost violent to see how often it happens.

Whenever I see art of Kaz standing with his cane in his hands like a billy club, or holding it across one or both shoulders, all I can think about is how much pain he would be in to hold a position like that without using the cane for support. At numerous points in the books during Kaz's pov chapters, we get several very detail descriptions of what it feels like for him on a daily basis as a result of his chronic pain. We also get several instances of how it feels when he has his cane taken from him, when he uses it to fight, or when he's disguised and doesn't want to give himself away. We see the toll it takes on his body to do this, and he always pays for it later.

Kaz does not swagger around Ketterdam with his cane over his shoulder, occasionally taking a swing at rival gang members. If this is the image you have in your head of him, please, I beg you to get rid of that image. Kaz is DISABLED. He has severe chronic pain and walks with a heavy limp and that cane is making contact with the ground on every step. Based on the kind of injury he had, I would imagine that his injured leg might even be a bit shorter than the other, which would possibly be evident in a visible lack of symmetry in the height of his shoulders. And that's just one possible way it could affect his body beyond just his leg that would be outwardly visible.

There are many more, but the point is that injuries like the one Kaz experienced can affect the entire body even with the best care and therapy, and Kaz didn't have any of that. I'm not asking you to be a medical expert just to draw fanart, but I am begging you think about things like this and at the very least, PLEASE draw the mobility aid being used as a mobility aid, not a prop. Stop erasing and sanitizing what little representation we have. If you think it makes him 'look more badass' or whatever to have his cane over his shoulder, I kind of don't really care.

P.S. And don't use the tv show as a reference because Freddy Carter is yet another example of a non disabled actor playing a disabled character.

[aftonsparv-bugzz]

this disability pride month, include anosmics and ageusics.

this disability pride month, stop using the s slur, saying "delulu" "delusional" "deluled" ect when you disagree with someone, stop using "sch*zoposting" and just overall treat schizospecs better.

this disability pride month, stop saying "psychopath" "sociopath" and "narcissistic".

this disability pride month, be kinder to people who hallucinate and experience delusions.

this disability pride month, stop stupidifying those who have trouble with "basic skills", people with learning disabilities, ect.

this disability pride month, stop villanising cluster b's.

this disability pride month, stop saying youre such a "pyromaniac" for lighting something on fire or saying youre "a kelpto" because you stole something.

this disability pride month, stop fakeclaiming did/osdd systems.

this disability pride month, stop saying "im so ocd" after cleaning something up.

this disability pride month, stop being rude and impatient with people with intellectual disabilities.

this disability pride month, stop infantilising non verbal people.

this disability pride month, stop treating autism and adhd as the cutesy disorders.

this disability pride month, stop excusing yourself by lying that youhave adhd when youdont. people need those recourses, youdo not get to take them away.

this disability pride month, normalise people with little to no empathy.

this disability pride month, stop using "attention seekers" (especially on your fellow hpds and npds).

this disability pride month, stop reality checking those who dont consent to it.

this disability pride month, stop bullying those who "smell bad" or "look weird" or whatever. (you never know what someones going through)

this disability pride month, stop giving weird looks to those who have bald spots, or cant stop picking their nose, or cracking their knuckles or whatever. (this is mainly focused on bfrbs)

this disability pride month, stop saying "everyone has anxiety" to those with anxiety/panic disorders.

this disability pride month, be normal about zoocanthropes/lycanthropes.

this disability pride month, treat those with personality disorders like youwould any other person.

this disability pride month, just stop bullying little people. just acknowledge people with dwarfism.

this disability pride month, dont stare at that mobility aid user so much. eyes off of them, they dont need to be in the spotlight for a physical disability. (unless they want to xoD /silly)

this disability pride month, stop judging those with facial/body deformities

this disability pride month, be normal about those with physical disabilities, and stop silently judging them.

this disability pride month, stop saying "pride month 2" or "wrath month". we dont even acknowledge disability pride month at all.

this disability pride month, stop differentiating "queer pride month" and "disability pride month" as "pride month" and "disability pride month". they are both pride months so call them by their full names.

this disability pride month, acknowledge not all disabilities are visible.

this disability pride month, give up your seat to someone who needs it.

this disability pride month, actually treat disabled people with rights and respect.

disabled people are people to. you failing to acknowledge that is your abelism. treat us like youd treat any other normal human being. and maybe, just maybe, after this disability pride month, youcan start treating disabled folks like living beings of society and not like your little pity pets/scary monsters/silly cutesy babies.

[suzukiblu]

Ko-fi thank-you sentences for Jan behind the cut; mistaken identities and interdimensional refugees. ( + non-chrono link for mobile users )

The hour goes pretty quick, either way, and Kon mostly keeps the kids distracted, and even a little bit entertained. He’s a performer at heart anyway, so he figures it’s his responsibility. 

If it's not, he's gonna make it his responsibility, at least for the next hour. 

A lot of people clear out of the camp in that hour in erratic fits and spurts, with alternate versions of their families or friends or just themselves, and Kon feels a little better about the idea of clearing out himself. He'll keep an ear on the camp until it's all cleared out, for sure, but at least he thinks it should be okay to leave it. 

Jon needs–somebody, yeah, before something happens. Something always happens, when you're wearing the “S”. 

Or you just find something that you have to happen to. Like, ethically speaking or whatever.

Kon figures he can keep an eye on Jon until either they all get home or this reality's Superman notices he's got an extra kid around. Assuming he's got a Jon here to recognize the heartbeat of, anyway. He probably does, if Kon's around and recognizable in the tabloids. Like, the timeline should be to that point, is all. And obviously Lois is gonna be a thing, so–yeah, he's gotta have a Jon by now. Maybe actually an older one than this one, come to think, but it's not like Clark wouldn't recognize his heartbeat anyway. Perfect recall and all, and he's had Jon's heartbeat memorized all his life. 

Kon's pretty sure Clark still doesn't know his, but . . . 

Never mind. Not important. Stupid thing to think about. 

To care about. 

Kon swallows. Keeps grinning for the kids, keeps coming up with new games for them to play, and waves goodbye to each one who gets collected by an aid worker and taken to whoever’s come to take care of them. 

He wonders, again, if Ma and Pa would've come for him, if . . . 

Stupid. Really, really stupid. 

He wouldn't bother them with something that stupid anyway. He's a superhero. And he can take care of himself. He always has, hasn't he? 

He'll take care of himself here too, even if . . . 

Even if . . . 

Kon tries not to think about . . . Kara. About Karen. Or “Paige”, or whatever she's going by now. 

If she's still alive to be going by it, anyway. 

If he isn't currently following in her footsteps, and won't ever see his reality again. Or her. Or . . . anyone he knows. 

People who look like them, sure. People who came from the same concept of a person as them. 

But not his own versions of them. 

Not the versions who he belongs to. 

He doesn't know what he'll do, if he can't get home this time. 

He doesn’t . . . 

He feels Rita approaching with his TTK–recognizes the shape of her body and the cut of her hair and the specific chip in the corner of her clipboard–and glances towards her, and is mildly surprised by who she’s with. It’s someone he definitely recognizes, but it’s not anyone he expected. At least not here and now, anyway. 

“Your ride’s here, sir!” Rita says, looking as relieved as every aid worker who’s come up with a local host for somebody. Well–understandably, he figures. 

“Hey, Rita. Hey, Alfie! No rest for the wicked, or just too many cooks in the kitchen again?” Kon greets with a grin, which is the easiest code phrase to use here that Tim gave him to start off with if he ever ran into an interdimensional Bat and the local Tim’s obviously gotta be the one who sent him, and Jon grabs onto his sleeve and blurts: “It’s dark this morning!” 

Okay, Kon doesn’t recognize that one, but it’s definitely a Bat-phrase too. Jon was not particularly smooth about making it smooth, for one thing. 

Alfred–impeccable as always in the full buttling uniform that Kon has maybe only seen him out of twice, and both of those times were blood-drenched emergency situations–smiles at them both without visibly reacting past that, though Kon hears his heartbeat spike in recognition. Since he was presumably expecting to see the pair of them, or at least him, Kon can only assume that’s code-phrase-related.

“Hello, Master Bruce,” Alfred says, smooth and pleasant, and Kon . . . blinks. “Please allow me to escort you and your young charge to the manor.” 

Wait.

What? 

“Uh,” Kon says slowly. “O . . . kay? Uh–thanks, Alfie.” 

“Of course, sir,” Alfred says, and his pleasant smile turns just a little less polite and a little more sincere. “Interdimensionally displaced or not, we’d hate to leave you out in the cold. No matter what time of night it is.” 

Well, “out in the cold” is what Tim told him to look for in response to “no rest for the wicked”, and he’s betting the “time of night” comment is meant for Jon from the way the kid perked up at hearing it, so . . . yeah, alright then. This is apparently just what’s happening now. 

[chobbleblog]

A quick message to Goodtimeswithscar fanartists!

If you tend to draw/portray Scar in fanart with zero mobility/disability aides (wheelchair, cane, cannula, etc), or with them but in a way that pretty much disregards their existence (keeping the cane on his back at all times, making the cane purely aesthetic and not functional, treating the wheelchair like it's as light as a feather and can go anywhere, drawing cannulas but no oxygen tank, etc), I just want you to take a second and ask yourself why you portray it that way.

Scar has stated that he is ok being drawn with or without being visibly disabled, but he sees the wheelchair as a big part of himself ([LINK]). I'm not here to force anybody to do anything. But I just want you to seriously consider why you minimize or completely erase his disability. Is it just because he's a minecrafter and therefore he's not disabled in-game (debatable because when making fanart, the medium and therefore many universal constants are 100% malleable, not to mention how his disability does indeed affect his content such as when he is forced to take breaks, falls out of his chair, etc)? Or could it be that you are uncomfortable with the fact that he's disabled, or at least uncomfortable portraying/acknowledging that in your art? Could it be that you're afraid to get it wrong, don't know how, or simply don't feel like it? Please don't take this as an attack, but a small ask to consider the reasoning behind this design choice.

I do not use mobility aides as my physical disabilities would not be benefitted from them, but I am quite active in the online disabled community, and please believe me when I tell you that physical disabilities are erased enough. They are ignored and minimized enough. If you look in the comments of Scar's videos, if you look at the donations that were read during the charity event a couple of months ago, you will see so many people using mobility/disability aides (or not because they can't get them for many reasons, but need them very much) who are so encouraged by Scar doing what he does, by seeing a representation of their experience and community that they very, very rarely see (and even when they do it's in a pitying, infantilizing, or degrading way). When you draw fanart of Scar, please consider this. Please consider why you are erasing or minimizing his disability, and if you find it in your heart, please consider a design change.

There are aesthetically pleasing ways to include mobility aides. Some great ones I have seen are linked below if you want design inspiration. And plus, if nothing else, it will help you become a better artist by diversifying your experience:

[LINK] - An example animatic with a cane. While it is sometimes on his back, it's usually when he's flying (how would he use it? It makes sense for it to be put away). While he's walking it is being used properly. We don't see him walking around much since it's an animatic, but if I animated it more thoroughly, I would show that he had a clear limp, fatigue, or other difficulty walking, to avoid the "cane solely for aesthetic" interpretation.

[LINK] - An example animatic with a wheelchair, which is coincidentally the same scene. There was a fantastic one where his wheelchair transforms into a flying machine but I searched for 30 minutes and can't find it, so if someone knows the one please link it!

[LINK] [LINK] [LINK] [LINK] [LINK] - Great example drawings with wheelchairs.

[LINK] [LINK] - Drawings with canes.

P.S. all of this goes for writing and other non-visual forms of fanart too!! I see him written disabled even less often than I see him drawn disabled.

Thank you for reading all of this. I hope it helps somebody.

[tiffbaxter]

Can finally show off my full lesbian piece for Classics But Make It Gay III!

And for some context about my piece, it's a reimagining of this illumination from the Codex Manesse (13th C) The lead couple are butch/femme lesbians and their two friends are both non-binary, as shown with their clothing which mixes masculine & feminine styles. Also as you can see I wanted to make one of the lead figures visibly disabled and so she uses mobility aids based on those i’ve seen in other manuscript evidence from the medieval period.

Thank you @novaandmali for including me in this lovely project; if you want to preorder a copy you still can here.

[vanillabat99]

I am preparing for a Big Trip in a few months, and one of my concerns is navigating airport security as a disabled transgender person. I do not have my name and gender marker legally changed, I am many years into HRT, and to the average person I am visibly transgender but not in any identifiable "direction". I am physically disabled and use mobility aids. I will be flying to America, if that makes any difference.

What should I expect from airport security as a transgender person?

Should I try to present as closely as possible to what my government paperwork says?

What should I expect from airport security if I am getting disability assistance through the airport?

The name printed on my prescriptions is not my legal name, will that be an issue with security?

I will likely be transported in a wheelchair through the airport, what will they do with my walker/other mobility aids?

Will I have to take out any piercings/change to non-metal jewellery beforehand?

I am working with my doctor and my therapist on my other concerns for the trip, but these are things we haven't been able to sort out (or that I simply forgot to ask about at my last appointment). However, any additional advice and information is greatly appreciated!! I want to be as prepared as possible and I am determined to make this trip happen :3

[theatrekidenergy]

GUYS MY ANKLE BRACE CAME IN TODAY AND OML I DONT FEEL LIKE IM ABOUT TO FALL OVER EVERY 3 MINUTES AND MY ANKLE JOINTS AREN’T DYING AS MUCH AS USUAL

[five-thousand-loaves-of-bread]

let’s not forget that yeah, sure, disability aids certainly can make you visibly disabled, like mobility aids, AAC, etc.

and some disability aids are more associated with disability than others. a wheelchair or AAC undeniably screams disability, while (non custom) braces are more associated with sports injury even if you use it for disability. even many fidget toys, even though associated with autism and other developmental disorders and/or neurodivergencies, don’t have same association as like, clear medical devices.

disability aids can make you visibly disabled, but being visibly disabled is not limited to having disability aids.

for some people, even if they don’t use any external aid, still very much visibly disabled. and no, don’t just mean like, seen as “just a little weird” or “off,” but fully mean “there is something (medically) wrong with them,” because the two have different connotations. (although yes, it not strict binary, and yes, the “there is something wrong with you” group can still face very disability ignorant people who think do you thing on purpose, and yes, race gender sex often intersect and complicate these).

i focus on I/DD on here. some people are visibly I/DD. either by the way they look, act, or move. think visibly autistic people who cannot mask. think some people with down syndrome with a distinct facial feature. and many other genetic syndromes. some people with cerebral palsy walking/moving through space. some people with tourette’s & tic disorders.

but people can be visibly disabled without aid because of things that not I/DD. am less knowledgeable about these so don’t want to speak things wrong.

for some, can switch between visibly or invisibly disabled by bringing your disability aid or leaving it at home. others can’t, either because they are still visibly disabled without aid, and or they literally cannot physically survive without said aid (like full time wheelchair users who can’t move without it, people who need oxygen 24/7), and or they can’t remove said aid (like if you have permanent trach or a long term feeding tube), etc.

think in disability community, when talk about visibly disabled, often only hear about cane users and ambulatory wheelchair users who otherwise look like they have “normative” body. but often visibly disabled experiences extend beyond that.

[llyfrenfys]

This disability pride month can we remember that people with invisible disabilities exist? Just saw a rancid post in my For You which was needlessly judgemental of people using disabled toilets who don't have an obvious disability or a mobility aid.

I know that post is from someone who is probably bitter about ableism in society and has sadly turned that against their fellow disabled people, but as someone who has numerous invisible disabilities can we not make it harder for non-visibly disabled people to access toilets please? My IBS isn't particularly noticeable unless you happen to have X-Ray vision.

Anyway, happy disability pride month to my fellow (normally) invisibly disabled people. I shouldn't be accommodated only on days when I have my cane with me. I should be accommodated all year round.

Radical opinion but disabled loos are also for the use of neurodivergent people. Instead of bickering with other disabled folks, turn that energy to lobbying for greater disabled loo provision. Rights aren't pie etc.

Other invisibly disabled people ily

[dirtybg3confessions]

Help! I Can't See the Confessions! My Mornings are Ruined!

Hiya! To paraphrase a hero not-at-all related to this franchise "With great internet fame, comes great internet responsibility". (But like, Wyll probably could've come up with that phrase too.)

Here's what happened and how to fix it:

What happened?

With the drastically increased popularity of this blog, our dirty confessions can end up pretty high on the character tags, which leads to a frustrating experience for the non-rabid horndogs (affectionate) of the BG3 community. We've received a few asks now politely asking us to use the mature content label on our posts, both for the tumblr experience of others and to keep us from the hellsite trying to do it itself as a censorship measure. So, for the comfort of all, it has been done!

But now I can't see anything!

Here's how to fix it!

You're going to have to log on to tumblr on web (ugh, I know) then go to your settings. As far as I've been able to see, this setting page doesn't exist on mobile, but please correct me if I'm wrong.

On the Account tab, scroll down to Content you see. You will see a section for Community Labels. I believe the default for mature is set to Hide, so make sure that the Mature label is set to Show or Blur based on your preference.

Under that, there is a toggle that reads "Hide additional potentially mature content". Set this toggle to OFF and restart your app.

My roomie noticed the issue right after the labels were adjusted, and this is the fix we were able to find, so can confirm it works for the iOS app! Content is once again visible on the dash AND on the blog itself on desktop and mobile.

Thanks for your patience as this community continues to grow and we experience some growing pains. We look forward to continue to aid your thirst. As Daddy Halsin says- There are a lot of thirsty people around here.

[crip-writing-shit]

my thoughts on the queer relationship between Cripples, sex and society. Heads up for my accounts of street harassment and mentions of abuse. also this is fairly long

I am physically and developmentally disabled but I have low support needs and most people do not read me as developmentally disabled, I am ambulatory with some trouble and very fem presenting. So to a stranger I look like a neurotypical girl using a rollator.

the first time I got catcalled in the city I attend school was when I had injured my tailbone on a hike as well as overworked my knee, at the time I didn’t use any mobility aids but I was wearing a knee brace over my legging. I was limping severely when a car of college age boys stopped beside me at a red light. The called to me saying I dropped somthing and after a minute of me looking behind me and back to them confused as to what I dropped one of them told me to smile, another told me to drop my ass to which the driver (who had been doing most of the talking) said he was sorry. I flipped them off and told him to keep his dog on a shorter leash but I walked home a little more scared. The second time I was catcalled in my city I was walking to the library I volunteer at, I was trying out a new three wheel walker and couldn’t get a steady gait. A man walked down the side walk and paused next to me, he called me beutiful and asked for my number, he walked a few steps with me before going back the way he was headed. In the moment all I could say was thank you because he was inches away from me and I could not run. In society at large there are two main ways disabled people’s sexuality is thought of, one is impossible, disabled people especially mentally disabled people are de sexualized frequently often along with infantilization. On the other hand some disabled people (namely women) are hypersexulized and fetishized. I fear I have figured out that disabled people are seen as having no want or desire for sex AND as being sexual objects for able bodied people (typically men) We cannot be sexual for ourselves but especially when we struggle to move independently we are easy pickings how many disability fetishists just like “helpless” women? How many like the infantilized image of disabled people society projects? How disabled people feel safe on the streets when we are often physically financially and socially trapped in abusive situations.

and all of that happened to a white non visibly queer person. I cannot imagine what it is like for my non white siblings, for my unhoused siblings, for my higher support need siblings. It is scary out here yall.

[monachopsis-11]

I introduce you all to first major bad wheelchair situation I encountered. My first time flying with my chair (the second time I’d ever used a mobility aid) went really well, other than one TSA agent being shocked I could stand.

Second time flying with my wheelchair on American Airlines was a totally different experience. When I went up to the employees at the gate and asked to stow my wheelchair on board they had no idea what I was talking about and were so confused. First they outright told me it didn’t exist and it might be because I flew on a different airline last time etc. I had to explain to them that it’s law for all planes in the US with over 100 passengers and eventually they checked and were able to figure it out but the experience wasn’t great and they even asked multiple times if I meant the flight attendants closet which is actually a priority wheelchair storage closet but in the end I got everything worked out. Although my little sister did say she heard staff complaining about having to move stuff because I insisted on storing my chair on board as if that’s not literally the purpose of the wheelchair closet.

On the second flight however we were in Charlotte NC and they had somebody there to help me with boarding and this man was awful. I know this type of ableism exists but as someone who usually doesn’t have a visible marker of disability it’s not what I usually experience. But this man talked to me like I was two years old, told me his name then pointed to his badge and explained that it said his name, asked multiple times who I was traveling with and made me go get them to board which meant that I was no longer the first to board and made my life harder trying to navigate boarding. I was still trying to give him the benefit of the doubt then when we got to the bottom of the ramp he wouldn’t listen to a word I said about showing my wheelchair on board and kept repeating that they’d gate check it for me and even asked me outright if I could understand him. I was so furious and when I asked if someone else was already storing a wheelchair in the priority closet he told me I wasn’t the only one who had needs. It was such a non answer but I was done and assumed someone else might already be using the wheelchair closet but when I got on the plane it was open and full of flight attendants luggage.

That whole situation has literally made me livid but I also feel really guilty for not continuing to stand up for myself when this happened and not going up to someone different to try and get the situation figured out. I still have to go home from the trip and I’m so worried about going through that again although I’m hoping if stuff comes up I’ll be more prepared to deal with it this time.

[couchie]

as an on-and-off elbow crutch user, lemme tell yall abt my experiences

it got kinda long so im putting it in the read-more

it slows you down

especially in stairs, you have to put both your feet in one step to go to the next. that means it takes me twice the time to go up or down stairs than an abled bodied person, and that is when they're not speeding

you really cant speed much, be it on flat road or on stairs. it doesnt speed u up much and the only thing that happens is you get tired from using so much effort

people having to wait for you makes you self-conscious, even if they are understanding about it

carrying anything is a nightmare. backpacks can throw your balance off. you cannot hang a bag on the handles of your crutches cause you have to LIFT those bitches. and if you're only using one crutch, carrying the bag in the empty hand also throws you off balance

you only have a maximum of one hand available at all times

you need people to get out of the way. you need more moving space and standing space for moving with crutches

the crutches make your hands sore. you're carrying your weight with them after all. you can need to take a moment to rest only to soothe your palms, even if your legs arent tired

sitting is always a hassle with leg injuries, and that becomes a bigger mess when you need to also find a non-obstructive place to put your crutches to. they need to be easily accessible to you

standing up is also very hard. it depends on what your disabilities are but the faster you find a way to comfortably stand up, the better

people *will* try and take your crutches. Do Not do that. i dont care if you're fascinated by them or if you wanna play around and swing urself or if u wanna hold onto them while i sit. unless i explicitly ask you to, do Not take my crutches. and if you do, don't set it down anywhere, hand it off to somebody else, or leave it somewhere i cant get to. wait for further instructions. do i want you to put them at somewhere specific? do i want you to give them back to me? do what i want you to with them, nothing more and nothing less

people get curious and it gets really tiring to answer the same questions. i dont owe you an explanation and i dont want your curiosity or your pity

yes it's real sad that your distant relative also had one accident so they had to use crutches too. yeah there are canes and underarm crutches and wheelchairs but this is what i am using. yes people may need them for different reasons and it's not your place to judge or question it. can i please keep walking?

crutches get dirty from being used everywhere and the handles sweaty from your palms and they need cleaning

you will get looks no matter what aid you are using

idk if it's just me but going downhill is very hard with crutches. uphill too but when it's downhill i'm also afraid of falling and rolling downhill 😭

getting in and out of cars is a hassle. btw, for safety, you should put your crutches on the ground under your feet

acquiring a shower stool might just be what you need. also get non-slip plastic rugs to lay on the bathtub/shower floor. getting someone to help you shower isnt shameful

if you drop something, woe is you. where do you put your crutches? how do you crouch to get them? the best thing to do, in that case, is to ask for help. people wont mind, believe me. and if you're alone, be careful and take your time

creaky crutches are the worst💔💔

being able to walk without crutches doesnt mean ur faking. not having more pain without crutches doesnt mean ur faking. stop being so hard on yourself

it's not our duty to educate people. if you're so curious go do a basic google search before questioning me. because, consider how many times i get the same questions in the same day

seeing another mobility aid user brings a sense of belonging and you bring the same feeling to people without visible disabilities

be unapologetically yourself. take up space. dont be sorry for needing aid

take care. i love you 🫶