#so if hearing aids are for that and glasses are seeing aids then having impaired vision is just as much a disability as impaired hearing

[vampni]

Hey @elenorasweet can you pls tell your daughter that that’s genius and I’m 100% going to refer to my glasses as seeing aids from now on?

Funnily for me it’s the other way around: it’s easier to accept “yes your glasses are a disability aid and you’re thus disabled” when seeing it compared to hearing aids. Cause for me hearing aids are such a normal disability aid that it normalizes needing glasses as having a disability.

Made the mistake of bringing up that needing glasses is a disability on tiktok and people got real mad.

“You can fix it with glasses” yeah, cuz they’re a disability aid? But like, I still have to pay 160 bucks to use my own fucking eyes?

Like, by definition, if your eyes do not work without aid, you have a disability to see.

Having a disability doesn’t automatically put you in what people consider the “disabled” category, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is in fact, a disability.

[tinydefector]

Halloo, can you do Ratchet with gn!Reader where they have a high pain tolerance? Reader kept getting themselves hurt that it worries the old Ratchet bcuz most of the time they didn't show any reaction of being in pain

Medical Questions

Warnings: doctors' trip, description of stitching, past medical neglect

Word count: 2.4k

Request and ask open, read pinned post

Ratchet masterlist

Before I start this, I just wish to say thank you. This is actually something I struggle with and recently learnt stuff on. Before I continue, these are the medical charts you should be using to determine your pain and symptoms.

For a very long time, I believed dislocated joints were in the 4-5 until I ended up back in hospital due to knee dislocations and doctors telling me how the scale works and that my stuff was more in the 7 to 8 range.

Also added another little thing local anaesthetics doesn't work on me so most of the time when i get stitches it's rather annoying, i've gotten quite used to it but i thought these would be some great ideas to add in and also for educational purposes.

_____________

Soft steps are barely heard as they quietly make their way into the medical bay, eyes lingering on Ratchet's back. they bite their lip debating if it was better to see Ratchet or hope they could find First-Aid. "Ratchet," they call out nervously.

Ratchet's shoulders stiffen slightly when he hears his name called out, but he doesn't turn around immediately. Putting down the tool in his hand, the medic lets out a small huff before turning to face the visitor with a stern look.

"What is it? I'm rather busy at the moment so please keep it quick" he states gruffly, optics scanning over them with practised ease. Though his bedside manner left much to be desired, Ratchet was never one to turn away someone in need of medical assistance.

His gaze pauses when he notices their nervous expression and the way they seem to fidget under his scrutiny. After a moment, his features soften just a fraction. With a shaky breath they unwrap their arm where blood drips onto the ground "i... i think i need stitches" they state, their adrenaline level was out of the roof and they could barely feel it.

Ratchet's optics widen slightly at the sight of the freely bleeding injury. He quickly moves over to examine it closer, tutting under his breath. "Foolish human. What did you do to yourself this time?" Though his words are chiding, his touch is gentle as he inspects the wound. Carefully lifting them up onto his medical bench. He is quick with moving this so that he could make a somewhat soft seat for his patient.

"Have a seat over there, please" Ratchet states while. Retrieving saline, gauze and other medical equipment, Ratchet settles down beside them in his chair. Despite the late hour, he shows no hurry or impatience. His full attention is on them, blue optics focused on the injury.

They move to take a seat and wait patiently for Ratchet. They clench their teeth from the feeling but other than that they don't show much of a reaction to the pain.

"Was in the bar, sliced My arm on one of the broken glasses I was trying to help Swerve clean up after a rowdy night, ripped my arm right open, swerve dropped me off." They mumble ble, looking away from Ratchet as he begins washing the blood away to determine how many stitches would be needed.

Ratchet nods as he listens to their explanation, making a mental note to have a talk with Swerve about being more careful with breakable objects around humans.

"You're fortunate it isn't worse," he advises as he works.

"You're handling this remarkably well," he comments. "Either you have an unusually high pain tolerance, or your judgement is impaired in some way. I do hope you weren't overindulging at Swerve's," he says pointedly.

"Not the first injury won't be the last, it hurts, hurts alot. But yea high pain tolerance" they state, their eyes watching as Ratchet sorts through the small needles and clamps. "Don't bother with trying to numb it, it doesn't work." They call out to the medic.

Ratchet pauses in surprise at their words. "It...doesn't work? That's highly unusual." He frowns pensively. "Have you had issues with local anaesthetics failing before?"

"Nothing you can do about it Ratchet, it's the main reason my pain tolerance is so high. I learnt at a young age local anaesthetics have no effect, some sort of genetic thing."

The medic considers for a moment before shaking his head. "Regardless, it would be unethical of me not to at least attempt to minimise your discomfort." He searches through his supplies until he finds an injectable anaesthetic suitable for humans.

Ratchet administers a dose near the wound site, working slowly and carefully. He watches their face, looking for any signs of relief, however small.

A small hiss leaves their lips as they clench their teeth, breathing in slowly through their nose as they feel Ratchet slowly starting to stitch up the wound. Each time the needle pericers their skin their body twitches against their will. "Shit sorry, didn't mean to twitch" they call out.

When it seems the medication has had no effect, Ratchet's frown deepens. He runs a quick scan, checking for anything that could be interfering with the anaesthetic. Finding nothing amiss, he lets out a small huff.

"Remarkable...and concerning," Ratchet murmurs. He meets their eyes, his own filled with a mix of curiosity and worry. "We should look into this resistance further. For now,though, all I can do is apologise and promise to be as gentle as possible."

True to his word, the medic's movements are precise but tender as he begins suturing the gash. His gaze frequently flickers up, monitoring them for any additional signs of pain. Though the lack of anaesthesia troubles him, Ratchet remains dedicated to providing the best care he can.

A small hiss leaves their lips as they clench their teeth, breathing in slowly through their nose as they feel Ratchet slowly starting to stitch up the wound. Each time the needle pericers their skin their body twitches against their will. "Shit sorry, didn't mean to twitch" they call out.

Ratchet nods slowly as he continues stitching, "No need to apologise," he murmurs, pausing briefly when they twitch involuntarily. "Just try to stay still. I know it's difficult."

The medic works methodically, keeping one hand resting lightly on their arm to both stabilise and comfort. He can feel the tension in their muscles as they struggle not to flinch away from the pain.

"Almost done," Ratchet soothes. "You're doing well." He keeps his voice low and even, providing a calming presence despite the circumstances.

In short order he ties off the last suture. Cleansing the area one final time, Ratchet smoothes a protective bandage over the neat row of stitches.

"There we are. All finished." The medic steps back, gaze soft with sympathy. "You handled that admirably. " They sit there for a little while trying to let their vision return from the near blackness that haze over their eyes.

He begins tidying up, giving them a chance to breathe and recenter themselves after the ordeal. Ratchet watches carefully as they sit there quietly for a few moments. He can see the lingering strain in their features and posture as the adrenaline begins to fade.

"On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your pain level right now?" he asks gently.

"This feels like about a 5 maybe a 6" they reply.

Ratchet's optics widened in surprise and concern at their rating. A 5-6 indicated moderate pain that would have most beings seeking aid. The fact that they considered this injury manageable was troubling.

The medic leans down to be closer to their level, meeting their eyes with a serious but kind gaze. "I appreciate you trying to downplay it, but a wound requiring suturing should be far above a 5. Has your sense of pain become...skewed somehow?"

He pauses, considering how best to explain. "The pain scale is meant to reflect severity. A 10 being the worst pain imaginable. For an untreated laceration like this, most would rate it an 8 or higher." Ratchet's voice is gentle,

Ratchet places a reassuring hand on their uninjured shoulder. "I know you're strong. But you don't have to be strong all the time. Not when we're alone here." His voice is a deep rumble, simultaneously stern and kind. "So please, be honest with me. How are you really feeling?"

"Umm I mean it's not killing me so it's not that bad, yea it hurts, it's gonna be a pain to do stuff with for the next while which is annoying" they reply as they open their eyes, pupils dilating in disorientation.

Ratchet's spark sinks as he realises they are being truthful in their belief of level of pain. The medic vents a soft sigh, helm shaking sadly.

"I was afraid you'd say as much," he murmurs. Seeing the disorientation in their eyes, another question comes to mind. "Did you lose consciousness at all while I was stitching? Any lapses in awareness?"

"Umm kinda get this light haze over my eyes but didn't pass out" they state telling him the exact symptom of blacking out. And ratchet realises this human doesn't even understand the basics. Ratchet asks a list of medical questions.

Ratchet's concern only grows as they describe symptoms of blacking out, yet don't seem to realise the gravity of that. It was clear there were major gaps in their medical knowledge that urgently needed addressing.

The medic pulls up a stool and takes a seat facing them. In a gentle but intent tone, he begins asking questions:

"How often have you experienced loss of vision or awareness from pain?" He scans them again, just to be sure no complications have arisen. Finding nothing of note, Ratchet gives their shoulder a light, reassuring squeeze.

"Um.. sometimes when I stand up I get lightheaded for a few seconds and when I hurt myself it can cause it to happen alot too." They explain, it makes Ratchet vent softly as he tries not to lose his composure.

"Has anyone explained why that's dangerous?"

"no... it's dangerous?"

"Rather dangerous the hazing you're referring to is you blacking out, and it can result in you passing out" Ratchet explains, he can see the gears turning in their brain. "Um.. I thought blacking out was passing out" they explain sheepishly. It makes Ratchet pinch his nasal ridge.

"What is your experience with receiving medical care in the past? Were you taught to minimise or ignore pain?" He asked rather angry, not at his patient but over the fact that they hadn't been informed correctly on how to deal with these things.

"I know this seems manageable to you, but in truth the pain scale works in this order.What is your understanding of pain levels and when to seek treatment?"

0 - I have no pain

1 -my pain is hardly noticeable

2 - I have a low level of pain, I am aware of my pain only when I pay attention to it

3- My pain bothers me but I can ignore it most of the time.

4- I am constantly aware of my pain but can continue most activities

5- I think about my pain most of the time, I can't do some activities I need to do each day. Because of the pain.

6- I think about my pain all of the time, I give up many activities because of my pain.

7- I am in pain all of the time. It keeps me from doing most activities

8- my pain is so severe that it is hard to think of anything else, talking and listening is difficult

9- My pain is all I can think about. I can barely talk or move due to the pain.

10- I need emergency room help.

The pain is your body's way of saying 'stop'." The old bot's voice takes on a pleading tone. "Promise me you'll heed that warning in the coming days. The work can wait."

Rising slowly, Ratchet gathers a mild pain reliever and subspaces it. "Take this three times a day with food and water. And please, come to me if you need anything at all. Day or night." He helps them stand, staying close should they stumble.

" So now I ask what pain scale you should be saying over bleeding wounds" Ratchet asked while looking down at them waiting for their answer.

"A ten..?" They ask sheepishly, the medic gives a nod.

" Have you ever hesitated to come to me for injuries you considered"minor "? Please be honest." He asked hoping they hadn't but their silence was almost deafening. "Please if you get hurt or sick come to me straight away"

"I see...it seems there is much I need to teach you," he says gravely. "Let's start simply - anytime you feel close to losing consciousness from pain or other causes, it indicates a serious problem. Dizziness, blurry vision, these are your body's alarm signals to stop and get help. Please alert someone or get here as soon as you can"

Ratchet meets their eyes, willing them to grasp the urgency of this. "And you must always come to me or another medic if an injury is causing significant, constant pain. Or if it impairs function at all. You should never endure that unaided, it is extremely dangerous."

He places a gentle hand on their uninjured shoulder. "I know past experience may have taught you otherwise. But you are under my care now. Please trust that I want to help, no matter how 'minor' you think an issue may be."

The old bot's voice takes on a pleading tone. "Will you make me this promise? That you will not downplay or ignore symptoms that could indicate something dangerous. Your health is far too important."

They give a soft nod. "Umm if anything starts playing up I'll come straight back" they state softly. "Umm thank you for stitching my arm up ratchet" they reply softly.

Ratchet visibly relaxes at their promise, relieved that his plea seems to have gotten through. There was still much to teach them, but this was a good start.

"Thank you," the medic replies sincerely. "You ease an old bot's worries with that."

He gives their shoulder a final pat before withdrawing his hand. "Now then, you should get some rest. Doctor's orders," Ratchet adds with a hint of his usual gruffness. But there's warmth in his optics as he looks them over.

"Take it slow moving about and don't tax yourself. I'll check on the stitches in a few days." He stands, moving to put away the last of his supplies. "And remember, have your pain killers and do not get it infected"

Ratchet walks them to the medbay doors before bidding goodnight. But he makes sure to watch until they are safely out of sight, wanting to be sure the disorientation has passed. Though still concerned about their skewed pain perceptions, the medic feels bolstered knowing they took his words to spark.

He would make certain this human learned when and how to seek help. "Primus take me" he mumbles to himself, releasing that he was going to need to sit the whole crew down for medical advice and how to handle a human who doesn't understand a pain scale.

[ranticore]

how Sirenians deal with disability?

Depends on the culture, and there are hundreds if not thousands of cultures in Siren. To give specific examples -

I've drawn a "shortstrider" harpy wearing assistive devices on his feet - this type is relatively widespread in the coastal regions of the East continent, flightless but without the thick plantar padding that lets them walk easily for long periods on the ground. On earth we call those assistive devices "shoes". While technically a disability anywhere else in the continent, it's common enough in these coastal fishing village regions that it is not remarked upon and getting the right footwear is a simple process. The same harpy in the Spire would be pretty disadvantaged as the place is set up to privilege flight and perching, and a shortstrider's feet are not setup to perch either. In this case the disability is completely relative in the extent to which it disables.

Qedivar can't fly. In the Spire it's not much of a locomotive issue as there are rope ladders everywhere and he can perch (like I said the infrastructure is designed for perching and flying). There aren't any assistive devices he could use to make him fly, and once it becomes clear that his reluctance to fly isn't just because he doesn't like exercise (which was his original cover story), the others treated him with at best pity and at worst contempt. The culture of extreme open emotions & communication in the Spire meant that if people thought less of him, they would tell him right out. Nothing is swept under the rug at the Spire and often times people find it refreshing and freeing, even if what's 'refreshing' is people saying to your face that you suck and not whispering it behind your back (neurodivergent people with trouble reading social situations loooove the communication culture here). He also wears glasses, which, like the shoes in coastal regions, are nbd. Bad eyesight is common among scholars anyway (all that reading)

In pelagic villages south of the Western continent (Huarva's home), the culture of communication is the extreme opposite. It is indirect to the point where you should simply assume that every word out of someone's mouth has at least ten different hidden meanings. Nobody ever says what they mean (and it is considered crass to do so), which is a nightmare for anyone who struggles to read social cues. Life in this region is harsh and risky, and villages might struggle to survive year on year if the currents don't bring enough food or seeds for their crops. A physical disability that limits one's ability to contribute (whether by hunting, farming, fishing, etc) will be punished. Your daily contributions measure how much food you can eat from their big eternal stew pot, so sub-par contributions have the effect of slowly starving out people who don't work. Due to the communication culture, there's never anything as dramatic as a "we don't want you here, leave". You're just supposed to get it. You're supposed to infer that you should leave, that you're not wanted. And if you can't, tough lol.

Finally I guess i should talk about the longwing visors. These make wonderful assistive tools, particularly for harpies who are hard of hearing or visually impaired (it's why Terwyef wears one, he can't see well without it due to his albinism. for deaf harpies the automatic transcription feature is a great help). Any longwing harpy can interview at the hall of faces to get a chance to claim a visor. Whether or not it's being used to aid a disability is not considered during the interview process; you get a visor if you can match a character. But there have been occasions where the guardian of the hall of faces intentionally tipped the scales in favour of a disabled candidate, recognising that a visor would be a significant improvement to their quality of life.

[astercontrol]

In regard to that previous reblog-- and other notes in that thread discussing just how much hearing aids actually can or can't do, and vision problems that can't be corrected to 20/20, and other not-correctable disabilities--

...my thoughts are running off now into the fuzzy areas, which are places I... really tend to get uncomfortable.

Especially now, because I'm currently in a fuzzy place myself -- a state of health where I do not know if my impairments can be fully corrected -- and whether or not they can? may depend a lot on things like, will I find a doctor good enough to know what's going on? and, how bad will this new job be for my body?

and it stresses me out a lot to think about how I can't know the answers to any of that right now-- and that's about all I can handle, even without the added stress of trying to determine whether this makes me "legitimately" physically disabled.

Eyesight is only one small part of it. My main worry right now is that I have hardly any sensation or muscle control in my right calf and foot. With good shoes I can walk, without cane or crutches-- pretty far before my limp becomes noticeable-- but it does.

My legs are visibly different sizes, with my left calf taking on all the muscle, while my right is atrophying. And my foot "drops," noticeably, the outer side dragging to the point that I had to learn how to avoid tripping on my own foot. The PT says I'll likely need an orthotic brace called AFO to support it.

He doesn't know the cause. I won't know the cause until at the very least a couple weeks from now, when I get to see the spine specialist who'll look for causes further up in my muscular and nervous system.

I have a new job. It's gonna be mostly at a desk, but since this problem started while I was working a desk job, I wonder if sedentary life makes it worse. I haven't ever been able to drive (that was a different neurological issue in my teens) so I have to walk to work. If I stop being able to walk that far, I won't be able to keep doing this job. But for now I can. For now, for that distance, my walking almost passes as normal.

I don't know how close to normal that orthotic brace will get me. Or whether the exercises the PT is having me do, or anything the spine specialist can do, will restore any of that sensation or muscle. I don't know if there's any kind of correction that's gonna get my leg back into a range comparable to eyes that see 20/20.

And the eyesight part, at the moment, feels pretty much the same to me.

I just got new glasses. They help a lot, but they don't fix my problem focusing on close-up things-- I keep having to take them off and back on when reading, but my eye doctor said I didn't need bifocals, and none of the available prescriptions of reading glasses help either, and it seems to be getting steadily worse.

And I don't know if this is all just something I can get back up to 20/20 by finding a better eye doctor, or by getting better about my reading and screen use habits, or if it's something more serious that is never gonna get better.

And I have no idea if all the data entry im going to do at my new job is going to exacerbate it, or maybe it's just going to get worse for whatever other reason, until I can't get any glasses that'll make it good enough to do a job like that?

I don't know.

I don't want to call my eye problem, or my leg problem, a disability on the level of needing hearing aids or crutches. Because I want to think it can be fixed to the point I can forget about it.

But is "not wanting" a good enough reason to say this doesn't count as disability? Is it just denial?

Which is why I am kind of regretting even reading that previous post I reblogged. Because where even do you draw that line? And that's just for physical disability. I'm not even getting into my neurodivergence, and all the places that fuzzily shades into what's considered normal.

*sigh*

[t4sqa]

Making Web Content Accessible

Content accessibility is a property that allows users of different physical abilities to access it in one way or another. Simply put, if a blind user cannot view a graph posted on a page, he should be able to listen to a textual description of this graph. Why Make Content Accessible? So, accessibility allows people with disabilities to get the information they need or perform specific actions: send a letter, place an order in an online store, fill out an application, get training, or even play games. Easily performing these actions in everyday life, we do not even think that they can be an insurmountable barrier for someone. At the same time, accessibility is not only about caring for people with physical impairments of vision, hearing, or motor skills. In different life situations, the possibilities of a completely healthy person can be limited for various reasons. Let's see what aspects of accessibility can be useful to users in a variety of life situations: SituationAspect of accessibilityAn elderly man trying to register on the websiteAdjusting the size and contrast of text on a page Clean and clear designA specialist with poor eyesight does not have glasses with himLarge and visible buttons, links, controlsBroken computer mouseKeyboard navigationThe employee cannot watch the training video on the way to work because it is noisy in the subwayVideo subtitlesIn bright daylight, the text on the monitor screen is unreadableAbility to adjust color and contrast The bottom line is simple: content accessibility is critical for some users and convenient for others. A logical question arises: why are there so few projects that meet the accessibility requirements? The fact is that the implementation of accessibility takes time, and in real life, companies tend to launch the project as early as possible in order to quickly test their hypotheses.

How to work with WCAG - Web Content Accessibility Guide

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) have several levels to keep in mind when working with it. First level: Principles The first level of leadership consists of four fundamental principles: - Perceivable: The user must be able to perceive information with any of the senses. Those. the unseeing must hear, and the unhearing must read. - Operable: There should be no action that the user cannot take. - Understandable: The information conveyed and the way the interface is controlled must be understandable to the user. - Robust: The transmitted information must be capable of being interpreted by a large number of aids. 4 Principles of WCAG - Perceivable - Operable - Understandable - Robust Second level: Guidelines Each accessibility principle outlined at the first level is defined by guidelines - specific recommendations on what content should be in order to comply with one or another principle. For example, the “Clarity” principle includes such guidelines as “Readability”, “Predictability”, “Typing assistance”, etc. Third level: Evaluation Criteria Each guideline, in turn, is decomposed into evaluation criteria - specific mechanisms for the operation of the interface and content. WCAG provides three accessibility compliance levels: A, AA, and AAA. Accordingly, the set of criteria for each level is different. Level Four: Sufficient and Advisory Techniques Techniques are tips on how and what to do in order to achieve the desired level of compliance. They are not required, but they can help you meet a particular accessibility principle. For example, according to the “Perceptibility” principle, there is such a criterion: 1.1.1. All non-text content presented to the user has an equivalent text version. In practice, this is often implemented through the alt attribute, and there is a corresponding technique: “H37: Using alt attributes on img elements”

How to test web content for accessibility

The WCAG Web Content Accessibility Guidelines have 5 requirements for implementing web content. Therefore, in order to test accessibility, we need to check that the web content satisfies all 5 requirements. Requirement 1: Web content must conform to one of the accessibility levels: A, AA, or AAA To fulfill this requirement, you need to evaluate the content against the criteria we talked about above. At the same time, the content must meet all the criteria of a particular level - or its alternative version must be presented that meets all the criteria. Requirement 2: The entire page must conform to the claimed accessibility If a piece of content does not meet all of your accessibility requirements, you cannot claim that page-level accessibility. Requirement 3: Declared accessibility is maintained throughout the process (chains of pages) All pages in an interconnected series of web pages must meet the stated accessibility level. Let's consider this requirement in the example of an online store. In order to make a purchase, the user needs to find the product, view it, add it to the cart and pay. If at least one page in this chain (for example, the checkout page) does not meet the accessibility criteria of the level you have chosen, you cannot claim that the site complies with this level. Requirement 4: The page only uses technologies that are supported by accessibility devices A technology is considered supported if it is supported by both the user agent (i.e., browser) and assistive technology (i.e., screen reader) at the same time. Supported technologies include the use of alt text in pictures, the use of roles, landmarks, subtitles, etc. If the user agent and assistive technology are using supported technologies, and the author is using the right technique, then the user with a disability will have no problem getting the information they need. Let's take the dialog tag as an example, which is not supported by IE. This means that if we build our message boxes and dialogs with this tag, the IE client will not support this content. Therefore, a page containing the dialog tag cannot be considered accessible. Requirement 5: Non-intervention Content with unsupported technology can be placed on a page, and such a page can even be recognized as meeting a certain level of accessibility, but on one condition: unsupported content must be secondary and not block access to other parts of the page. Let's take the same dialog tag. If it contains secondary information, and we can simply hide it for IE browser users, then such a page can be considered accessible. In fact, this case is an exception to the second requirement, which says that the entire page must comply with a certain level of accessibility. However, there are a number of mandatory content requirements in the context of non-intervention: 1.4.2. Audio Control: If the media plays automatically for more than 3 seconds, it should have controls. 2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap: Keyboard navigation should not contain traps. 2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below Threshold: there should be no objects on the page that flash and flicker more than 3 times per second. Usability testing In practice, it may happen that your web content meets all the WCAG criteria, but due to the specifics of its work (or the specifics of the work of assistive technologies), it may end up being inaccessible to people with disabilities. Therefore, usability testing plays an important role in accessibility testing. For testing, you need to collect a group of people with disabilities who will try to work with the content and provide feedback. Be sure to talk to these people, and see how they work. If you're having trouble inviting people with disabilities, then try changing your own perception of the content. For example, when working with screen readers, you can turn off the monitor and try to work with web content, perceiving information by ear. In addition, there are special programs for accessibility testing. The W3C offers a set of tools with which to test: - eligibility criteria - page contrast, - size of text and controls, - css styles etc So, to test the accessibility of web content, you need: - Conduct functional testing. If the content does not work properly, it will be inaccessible not only to people with disabilities but to all users in general. - Check content for compliance with 5 WCAG requirements. - Conduct usability testing of available content, taking into account different life situations. If after usability testing it became clear that the web content does not meet the requirements of WCAG, then the first thing to do is to collect all the information about it, study it, and decide on the possibility of improvement. Employ the services of a QA company that performs Accessibility Testing Read the full article

[harleyhua]

A guide to Harley’s deafness

I was thinking earlier today about how I haven’t really explained things like cochlear implants, how Harley uses his voice, or other smaller nuances of his Deaf identity (or the Deaf community as a whole). Of course every d/Deaf character is different so what works for Harley might not work for another character who’s deaf.

basic terminology

deaf - cannot hear, or can hear very little hard of hearing (HoH) - has hearing loss, but is still able to hear some sound Deaf (capital D) - someone who is Deaf is culturally deaf. they are a member of the deaf community.

terms to avoid - hearing impaired, mute, deaf and dumb 

harley’s identity

so when harley was born, he was hearing. during most of elementary school he was hard of hearing, and slowly he became fully deaf. he wasn’t exposed to asl or the Deaf community until he went off to college, so he’s only started to consider himself Deaf in the last few years

hearing devices

hearing aids are exactly what they sound like; they’re technology that helps amplify sound. they come in all shapes and sizes but they go inside the ear and help it hear better. they’re similar to how glasses help people see better; but if you’re completely blind, they won’t help you. 

cochlear implants are a little bit different. the way they work is much more invasive, because it’s literally brain surgery! to keep the explanation short and simple; the cochlear implant uses a mic to pic up sound and then translates that into data it sends directly to the deaf person’s brain. the ear is completely skipped over in the process. it’s worth noting that (1) cochlear implants don’t work for everyone....harley was a perfect candidate for it tho, and (2) they’re extremely controversial in the Deaf community but that’s a whole can of worms I don’t want to open in this guide. If you’d like to know more, hit me up on discord!

speech, pronunciation and the decision to use his voice

harley learned to talk before he started to lose his hearing, so he speaks just as clearly as his hearing counterparts. he does not have any major trace of a deaf accent. however, he does not have good volume control. it’s often hard for him to judge the appropriate volume level, especially in loud environments. he’s almost always comfortable using his voice and there’s only very specific situations in which he’d decide to ‘turn his voice off’

asl

harley is fluent in american sign language. his preferred method of communication is simcom (signing and talking at the same time), followed by asl and then spoken english. if you can sign even somewhat with him, you’re probably one of his favorite people on in aurora bay. despite preferring asl, he didn’t have access to it until he was an adult so he’s english is still his strongest language (and usually the one he thinks in)

I could talk about this stuff for ages but I want to keep the post short enough that people will read it. So if you have any questions or just wanna discuss any of this more, please message me on discord and I’d be happy to explain things further and also maybe tell you why deaf people hate alexander graham bell

[caught-tumbling]

My vision is abysmal without glasses. With glasses it's fine, so many people don't think twice about the level of impairment I have. But if I were born in a different time, location, or economic status I could be debilitated by my poor vision.

If I don't have glasses custom made for me then I can't drive, I can't work, I can't cook, I can't get around town, I can't get around my own house, I can't do any hobbies, and I'm a genuine risk to my own personal safety because I can't see shit.

I can't participate in certain activities (anything with safety glasses/goggles), or I can only participate with severe limitations (anything in water). My school only had a certain number of glasses-friendly goggles for labs, so if your class had too many people who needed them you literally had to sit on the side and not participate. My body and needed aid stopped me from participating normally in academic activities. That's not something able bodied people experience.

If I break or lose my glasses I am Fucked. Like call out sick, cancel all plans, sit at home and pray I don't accidentally fall and kill myself level fucked. I'm more disabled in that case than I am by any other condition I have.

Becoming disabled in other ways really opened my eyes (hehe) to how similar it is being visually impaired. The only differences between my other disabilities and my vision is normalization and access. People understand bad eyesight because its common and those in developed countries can commonly access corrective lenses, whereas other disabilities are less well understood by the general population and our aids are often less easily accessible.

If hearing aids are a disability aid then so are glasses.

Not even to get into the whole *remove glasses to instantly become hot* trope and how fucking absurd it is when you think of glasses as a legitimate disability aid rather than an accessory. Like imagine a scene where a girl removes her leg brace, she falls to the ground in helpless agony, but she's now ✨ beautiful! ✨

"Visual impairment is when you can't see even with glasses or contacts!" No, that's blindness that's legal blindness people who have to use glasses and corrective contacts still have impaired vision and you don't get to move the goalposts on what actually counts as a visual disability. Just because glasses and contacts are a more normalized disability aid doesn't mean all those who use them are suddenly not disabled. Having to shell out extra money to regularly have specific doctor appointments as well as buy, upkeep, and replace my aid isn't something ableds go through. Having safety goggles, 3-D glasses, swim goggles, etcetera not be made to work with my aid (glasses specifically) isn't something ableds go through. Having to deal with a stereotype about my aid meaning I must be nerdy, ugly, and undatable for using it is not something ableds go through. Having to deal with comments and questions about my aid (yes, despite what you may think, we also get invasive questions every once in a while, especially if we need these aids while still in school) is not something ableds go through. Having a more common aid than many disabled people doesn't mean we're not disabled.

What do you think a visual impairment is?! It's when your vision is impaired. Just because glasses are a more normalized type of aid doesn't mean I'm suddenly abled. If I were suddenly abled, I'd be able to see without my visual aid.

I can't read, recognize things, drive, etcetera without my aid – and even with my aid, I still struggle from time to time. Many activities are blocked off from me because they clash with my aid or aren't designed with accommodations for me. Taking off my glasses makes typing this very post extremely difficult and uncomfortable. Does that sound "abled" to you?!

I'm sick of people not realizing that deteriorating vision is a disability. Hell, I'm sick of people reducing visual disabilities to blindness – there's many other kinds of visual disabilities out there that I'm not even touching upon in this post! If I have to read one more post about disabilities that reduces all visual impairments and disabilities to legal blindness, I'm going to beat someone up with my glasses case.

Tl;dr: there's more to visual impairment and disability than blindness. Stop leaving out visually impaired people when you talk about disability. Glasses and corrective contacts are still aids for a disability even if they're a more common type of them, stop acting like they're not.

[madeforkids]

What is prosthetic and sensory aids?

How can you improve your life by using prosthetic and sensory aids? The greatest barrier to independent living for people with disabilities is their inability to complete daily tasks. Prosthetic and sensory aids can help people accomplish more in their daily lives and make it easier for them to live independently. For example, people with missing limbs can achieve more independence by using powered exoskeletons to replace the function of their lost limbs. People who cannot see may use visual prosthetics to help them see again.   You can live a fuller life with prosthetic and sensory aids. Our technology can make that happen.   The more people with physical disabilities use assistive technology, the more independent they become. People with vision loss use digital visual aids to read email and text messages. This saves them valuable time so they can focus on more important things in their lives.   3. Is there a difference between sensory aid and prosthetic aid?   A prosthetic aids an impaired body part. A sensory aid allows one to function with a missing or deficient part.   Prosthetic and sensory aids are usually used for individuals who cannot see. They are generally used for patients that have had partial or total blindness.   A sensory aid is meant to compensate for some part of your sensory system. An example would be a low vision device which compensates for your eyesight. A prosthetic aid replaces some kind of functionality or capacity of your body. An example would be a hearing aid which replaces hearing.   A sensory aid provides feedback to the user by using audio, visual, tactile, or some combination thereof. An example of a sensory aid would be a dog whistle. A prosthetic aid does not have any sensory feedback but rather replaces a lost limb. For example, a prosthetic leg is a prosthetic aid because it replaces a missing limb.   How to use prosthetic and sensory aids service 2. Types of sensory aids 3. Sensory aid usage 4. How to make your life more comfortable with sensory aids   Some of these sensory aids are more common than others. Others are very new or not available yet. If you have specific needs or want to know more about certain sensory aids, please feel free to ask! Sensory aids are used to improve the senses in people with disabilities. They can improve hearing, sight, taste, smell and touch. Types of sensory aids Sensory aids can be divided into two types: auditory and visual. Auditory aids include hearing aids, cochlear implants, hearing aids, and devices that allow someone to hear normally while being hard of hearing. Visual aids include optical lenses such as bifocals and glasses, as well as devices such as corrective eyewear, contact lenses, or a headmounted display. Some people use both auditory and visual aids at the same time. How to make your life more comfortable with   Accessible and affordable assistive technologies enable people with disabilities to live independently and achieve their personal goals. But despite a growing market of people with disabilities, there are still barriers that prevent many people from getting the right assistive devices.         Read the full article

[day-at-rhodes-island]

Eyjafalla, she's going deaf and blind someone please save my goat child

The reason Eyjafjalla’s condition is so bad is because she didn’t receive proper treatment for a long time after becoming infected. Assuming Rhodes Island is able to stabilize it, her sensory issues won’t get any worse at the very least.

Her hearing isn’t good, but it is good enough that she can go without her hearing aid sometimes, and they can surely do better than the hearing aid she has currently (even she says it needs to be recalibrated). The damage to her vision seems to be blurring, with her peripheral vision being the most seriously impaired. She can still read well enough though, so it’s not too bad right now.

The damage to her eyes is probably to the cornea, which means surgery might be able to make it better. It would take a while for her to be able to see at all afterwards though, and she certainly wouldn’t be getting her vision back to 100%, which is probably why she hasn’t gone through with it. This type of damage isn’t fixable with glasses either, but it shouldn’t ever progress to the point where she’s fully blind.

She has a lot of people helping her but it seems to me like the reason she is still dealing with a lot of her problems is that she hasn’t asked for help. Maybe she doesn’t want to bother people or doesn’t feel like she really needs it, but eventually someone (probably Earthspirit) will convince her to work on improving her situation.

She is already a skilled originium researcher with a talent for arts. Rhodes Island needs people like her and I can’t think of any real reason that she would have to go anywhere else.

Older Eyja is still an earnest and kind person. I expect she gets a bit more assertive (probably just being able to be certain of what other people are saying would help with that). She is also deceptively stubborn and will not be stopped if she sets her mind to something.

I also wouldn’t be surprised if she picked up some sign language, in case she ends up ever needing it.

[peach-scented-chupacabra]

30 Day Disability Drawing Challenge

Day 1 : Wheelchair

Day 2 : Self love with disability(doesn't have to be yourself, but it can be)

Day 3 : Spoons

Day 4 : The parts that aren't pretty to ableds (bladder bags, surgery scars, etc.)

Day 5 : Cane

Day 6 : Things that make life easier (but not mobility aids)

Day 7 : Favorite character that has a disability

Day 8 : Immunocompromised

Day 9 : Forearm crutches

Day 10 : Mental disability

Day 11 : Disabled headcannon of a character

Day 12 : Underarm crutches

Day 13 : Disability allies

Day 14 : Medication

Day 15 : A “bad day”

Day 16 : White cane

Day 17 : Physical disability

Day 18 : A “good day”

Day 19 : Invisible disability

Day 20 : People forget it's a disability (I.e. asthma, needing glasses, etc.)

Day 21 : Amputee

Day 22 : Service animal

Day 23 : Intersectionality between disability and anything else

Day 24 : Inaccessibility

Day 25 : Awareness

Day 26 : Hearing impairment

Day 27 : “This shouldn't be used as a mobility aid but it is now”

Day 28 : More than one disability

Day 29 : Disability accessories

Day 30 : Free space (draw what you want)

Please use the hashtag (#disability drawing challenge) and/or tag me so I can see it!!

No, you don't have to do one every day.

No, you don't have to do it in order.

No, you don't have to finish it.

Don't beat yourself up if you can't do everything, take care of yourself (mental and physical) before trying to challenge yourself

[rotblume]

Well, it definitively tells me, that society hasn't understood the concept of disabiltiy. I have heard and read it explained like this only rarely, but fact is there are cases when it goes like this:

Menschen sind nicht behindert. = People are not disabled.

Menschen werden behindert. = People are being disabled.

... cases, where people, once they get the support, the treatment & resources they need, can still lead a life they actually want to live, where the good may even outweigh the bad, where they feel as content as possible (- at least much happier than they would without having this, because then they would struggle much more (with the most intentionally simplistic example I can think of for this being glasses .. like I can see maybe 15-20 cm without mine, that's about 7 inches, and everything beyond that is a blur).

Now, of course I get that society obviously isn't the only problem if your body &/ mind can't do certain things you need them to or will do certain things you don't want them to. I am not saying that any and all sorts of help would completely compensate for that or would be equal to a healthy body &/ mind. There are things disabled people simply cannot do or are suffering from, which would probably the case even with the technology and medicine from 2050 or 2100, despite all the progress there is and hopefully will be.

However, I'm talking about awareness and acceptance first and foremost, about the fact there should be much more actual thinking and doing when it comes to inclusion, because most barriers are created by society, by humans not planning ahead (or really simply not knowing better, because no one is all-knowing and some things you can never understand unless you have gone through them and even then every experience is different), and there are in fact lots of accomodations that would provide accessibilty for many disabled people, but which are just not implemented &/ need to be fought for with tooth and nail by those people already suffering and oftentimes lacking the energy (or money) to do so.

If you have difficulty walking, how about there were options where you wouldn't have to, such as elevators at least to public buildings and the darn doctors offices and such? If you are visually / hearing impaired, how about you'd get visual & hearing aids.

Also, how about, additionally to having at least one free first-aid course at some point in school, there were courses offered for learning Sign language and the like. Usually there's a shit ton of other more useless after-school activities available, though I recognize that there might be the problem of getting something like that organized and the ressources for it.

But in so many cases, it'd be so easy to just tear down the barriers disabling people and include them into society, make them matter. So many more jobs could be done with flexible working hours or from home (if both parties agree) or in shorter shifts, a bit more spread over the day, making work less taxing for the disabled, offering a job at all for more people, and making the service provided available for longer hours, so even people like single-parents raising their children or family member caring for relatives would have more flexibility.

Society is inhumane, it always has been, it always will be, because humans are inhumane. There are so many solutions for so many problems availble but humanity refuses to implement them.

In my case, it also definitively doesn't help that I've seen society treat my Ma awful because of her Multiple Sclerosis when I was growing up, nor does it help that I myself am having an invisible disabiltiy as well, only having been diagnosed after years of suffering from it and living with being mis-diagnosed and non-diagnosed (because I'm so young, I couldn't possible have anything truly serious, and if it doesn't show on the first blood works and pictures it must obviously all be in my head - not for the first time either, there were similar situations beforehand where I had to insist and still wait months for special appointments and examinations) and getting the looks and whispers and wondering what the hell was wrong with me, because there was something horribly wrong but no one could sufficiently tell me what it was and towards the end of the whole process, just before my diagnosis, I did start to doubt myself and feel terribly hopeless. Even now, living with that diagnosis for a handful years and even more confident in trusting my body when it tells me there's something wrong (though I do hate that it happens so often), I still get hardly any accomodation at all.

so... if most of the disabled community experience some sort of imposter syndrome or doubt about their disability, i wonder what that says about society?

[insert some deep meaning i don't have the spoons to write out]

[jadedpen]

Welcomed with open arms

Sibling!Half phantom!GN!Reader x Sbi family (+ Tubbo)

Summary: You are stuck in the cold snow as a small toddler in a basket. As the snowstorm roared, Phantoms circle around you, letting out wails of woe and sorrow. Suddenly, you hear the flapping of big feathery wings and see the Phantoms fly away. You then see a mysterious man with a white and green striped hat and welcoming blue eyes.

For context: Wilbur and Techno are twins, the reader is the youngest of the family with Tubbo being 1 year older than Tommy. The twins are 11 years old, Tommy is 4 and Tubbo is 5.

TW: There is a small part in the beginning where the reader almost dies from hypothermia, so be mindful of that, please!

Also, don’t worry, this work will have multiple chapters, so stay tuned!

Sorry if this is kinda bad. This is my first time writing a reader fanfic.

Ao3 link here

___________________________________________________________________________________________

The bitter cold touched your skin as your breath came out slow and steady. Your fingertips glowed blue and your thin wings weren’t much help to warm you up. The basket you were placed in by your unknown parents barely kept you alive all these hours, the thin blanket wrapped around you.

Phantoms circled you, seeing you as one of their own. You could sense the distraught and worry in their cries and their wails. As they swooped down, they tried to pick up the basket that carried you, but to no avail. Your tiny toddler hands tried to reach out to them, wanting nothing more but to be carried somewhere where you won’t freeze in the storm. You let out small wails and cries, those very much akin to a Phantom, until you heard a caw.

One caw became ten, and suddenly there was a whole murder of them, so many that the amount started to block the storm. Some even tried to attack the phantoms, but they wouldn’t leave you alone. They’d rather die than let the crows have their way with you.

But, there came a large beating of wings. Ones way more than the huge murder swirling around you. As the beating wings died down, you could hear the thumps of footsteps coming towards you, and feel something or someone pick you up. The hands were the warmest thing you’ve ever felt, and your eyes met the mysterious person’s bright welcoming blue. The eyes could convey so much; uneasiness, pity, curiosity.

They wore a large hat, one that was green and white striped. Medium blond hair came out of the sides with a small braid in the front and little knickknacks hanging from the strange hat. Huge black wings stood behind them, making them seem larger than the storm from your view. Even though your vision was impaired from the cold, you could see a small bit of what they was wearing aside from their head; a green opened kimono with a black turtleneck and a strange red heart in the middle.

The person looked up at the phantoms, not noticing that their wails were of worry. They pulled out a bow and a sharp arrow, aiming it at the phantoms. You could tell that the person meant harm, and so you wailed at them to make them stop. The person looked at you, and then the phantoms. They finally noticed the roars of the Phantoms were wails and cries, meaning only woe. The person seemed to call to the crows, and the crows obeyed. Birds swooped down to the ground where you and the person were set, no longer focusing on the Phantoms.

The snowstorm got worse, cold even colder. It became harder and harder to breathe or keep your eyelids open. Eyes barely open, you could see the person holding you have panic in their eyes, looking up ahead and wings wide open. Your tiny hands clutched the cloth on their chest, trying to find even the slightest bit of warmth you could feel as the person held you and carried the basket in hand.

You felt the person run, and then take flight. Wind blew on your head as your eyes closed all the way, hearing the caws of crows seem to follow this mysterious person.

A few minutes later, you hear the storm dying down, becoming only a midnight breeze. The person carrying you descended down to the ground, walking towards something warm. Despite the storm now over, you couldn’t open your eyes, seeming to be iced shut.

A huge wave of warmth filled the air as the person opened the door to what you assumed to be their house. You heard childlike voices, 3 to be exact. You weren’t able to understand them, but you were happy to know that you weren’t the only person anymore.

“Who’s that?” A small voice said; you could feel their beady eyes staring at you. ”It’s a baby. I found them freezing in the cold. I’m happy I saved them; any longer and they might’ve been left to die. Poor thing.” The deeper voice came from above you, seeming to come from the person who saved you. The person then sat on something soft and held you in their lap.

“Are you seriously considering adopting another sibling? We already have to deal with Tommy-” “HEY!” Two voices argued, one being slightly deeper and older but still young, and the other being loud and boisterous, being the same small voice you first heard.

“Both of you shut up. Who cares if we have another sibling, this ones adorable.” A separate voice spoke up, setting a warm hand on your tiny toddler one. You lightly grabbed the person’s bigger hands, warming your seemingly frozen hand even more.

“So… do we have a new sibling now?” “Seems like it.” The two older voices continued, “Well, I just hope they don’t turn out like Tommy- “GOD DAMMIT TECHNO-“ Loud arguing could be heard while you continued to hold the mysterious boy’s hand. Opposite to the loudness, the mysterious man from before spoke, “Would you like to hold them Wil?”

You assumed he nodded his head as the striped hat man handed you to ‘Wil’. The boy held you in his arms while the striped hat man softly caressed your head lovingly. You climbed onto the Wil’s sweater, burying your face into the soft material.

“Boys, could you stop arguing before you upset the baby.” “But Techno is being a bitch!” “Tommy! Where did you hear that word?” “Nowhere!” “Shut up Tommy. Before you cause Phil to finally get those hearing aids.”

The three continue bickering while you and Wil just vibe with Wil patting your head and you snuggling into his warmth. After a few minutes of arguing, they finally calm down and crowd around you.

“Alright. I’m going to go and fix up some proper clothes for them. In the meantime, try not to make the child cry, okay?” The striped hat man said, walking out of the room.

You could feel their eyes on you, with Wil still patting your head while a hand held yours. You slowly opened your eyes for the first time in the house and finally saw your new family.

The boy named Wil had curly brown hair with bangs to right of his face, pointed ears, and brown eyes; big round glasses adorned his face and a red beanie upon his head, with a big yellow sweater. The person holding your hand looked almost exactly like him. His hair was the same as Wil’s, though it was to the right, with square glasses and the same pointed ears, with his sweater being pink. A small tusk grew out of each of their mouths, being on opposite sides.,

Wilbur swooned to you, “Hi there. I’m Wilbur.”, smiling at you with a big smile. “This here is my twin, Technoblade, but just call him Techno or Tech.” He looked over to said twin, with Techno staring at you and then patting your head.

The smaller one, who had blonde hair and blue eyes wearing a white shirt with the sleeves being red, looked just as boisterous and loud as he acted. He looked at you curiously as you turned your head to look at him, and to your surprise started poking you in the cheek rather annoyingly with you groaning out of annoyance and snuggling up to Wilbur.

“Tommy, stop poking them you’re gonna make them hate you.” “Shut it Wil, you know I will be the favorite brother. Better than you or Techno or even Tubbo.”

Speaking of the devil, the one you assumed was ‘Tubbo’, due to his name only now being said and the rest having said their names, walked down the creaky stairs; a blanket over his shoulders. The boy had messy brown hair and goat pupils in his blue eyes.

Tubbo walked towards the couch, rubbing his eyes in tiredness. “Phil told me that we apparently have a new sibling.” He walked towards you and sat in front of Wilbur, staring into your (e/c) eyes. “What’s their name? Have you guys even figured out a name?” “I think we should wait until Phil gets back. We don’t want Tommy to try and name them ‘Big Man’.” Saying this, Techno squeezes your hand. “But anyway, I had this super weird dream-“

As Tubbo started ranting about various dreams he’s had over the week, Wilbur nudges Techno and hands you to him. Reluctantly, Techno holds you, with you snuggling into his sweater, which was made of the same material as Wilbur’s.

A few minutes pass and Tubbo is still talking about his dreams when Phil comes in. “Alright. I’ve set up a room for the little one. Considering they seem to be half Phantom, there aren’t any windows since I don’t know if they are affected by the sun or not.”

“Great. Speaking of, what are we going to name them?” “I say we name them Big Man!” “That’s a horrible idea Tommy!” Wilbur and Tommy continue to argue while Phil, Techno, and Tubbo all crowd around you on the couch. “So… what should we name them?” Tubbo started. “Well, what about something nice? Something… simple but fitting.” Tubbo and Phil listed off possible names, seeing if anything would stick.

“What about… y/n?” The rest of the family looked at Techno, the person who suggested the name. “Y/n?” Wilbur stated, thinking over the name. “Y/n. A lovely name.” Phil smiled, looking at you.

“Welcome to the family, Y/n.”

[bookofmirth]

How is Lucien disabled?

"A disability is any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them (participation restrictions)."

His golden eye actually improves his vision, doesn't it?

About Lucien being POC, yes, he is mixed, and white passing since no one, not even himself, ever questioned he was Beron's son. But despite all that, is racism even a thing in Prythian? Half of the highlords are POC, and to my understanding there's oppression towards lesser fae, regardless of their skin color. And Lucien is high fae and a highlord's son.

Also, wouldn't Azriel be a disabled POC as well? He is most definitely not described as white or white passing, on top of that he is Illyrian, and a bastard as well. His hands got burned and are now full of scars, and I can't speak about his mental health because I don't have enough canon content yet, but it looks like he's still dealing with his childhood trauma and trust issues.

So yes, Lucien's eye could be argued to improve his vision, but he can't be without it and not suffer the consequences. For example, my brother has diabetes and that is considered a disability, but taking insulin or other meds doesn't negate the fact that he has diabetes. It is just being managed. He would suffer if he lost access to that aid. Another example, depression and anxiety are also often seen as disabilities (from a legal perspective, I know that they are protected as disabilities in the workplace in the US), but the fact that people can effectively manage those with medication doesn't make those disabilities non-existent.

A good way to think of it is - does this person need an aid to interact and participate in the world around them in the way that others do (using the key words from the definition you provided)? Do they need a ramp to get into a building? Do they need extra time on a test? Do they need glasses? A hearing aid? Etc. Even if those things are provided, that doesn't negate someone's disability.

Azriel could definitely also be considered disabled if he has PTSD or unresolved trauma. So yes, there is potential for him to suffer an invisible disability.

There is an important distinction between invisible and visible disabilities here, but I can't speak on it too much because (dis)ability is one of my weak points when it comes to social justice and equity issues. If someone else would like to jump in, please do!!!

Whether these characters are POC or disabled isn't necessarily the issue in the original post. None of this conversation has ever been about pitting characters against each other, or seeing who would win in the Oppression Olympics. In fact, claims that we are pitting characters against each other or trying to prove who has the most trauma were two of the points that OP used to explain how we participate in white feminism.

Instead, the entire conversation is about the way that the fandom talks about these characters, and how that conversation is influenced by the racism, ableism, and white feminism in our society. Because while that stuff may or may not exist in Prythian, it does exist IRL, and the fans are people living in the real world and being influenced and/or using these ideas to dubious ends.

In fact, that original post wasn't even about Azriel or Lucien - it was about how we discuss Elain. All of her examples were about how Elain's white womanhood is used to support very problematic arguments in the fandom. I know that it was a long post, and my addition didn't make it any shorter, but we are losing sight of the point:

The fandom tends to use white feminist tools, tools which yes, are frequently racist and can be ableist, in order to support arguments about a ship war. The fandom uses Elain's white womanhood to further this narrative. That was it. That was the tl;dr of the entire post.

I am 100% sure that someone, somewhere, is wondering "but Leslie, how is it different when you talk about Azriel being toxic, compared to talking about Lucien hovering over Elain?" I can answer that question, because it is complex and nuanced and requires understanding context and history. So yeah if someone wants to know more feel free to ask, but I have to teach a class and grade some stuff first. :D

[endfought]

                                    7 SENSES

BASICS. Thought I’d make a megapost here of Alex’s abilities and superhuman traits since he is a shark in human form. You can find this information on his page too!

SIGHT. Alex’s vision is very impaired on land as his eyes are rather adapted for water. He is very farsighted and needs glasses or contacts to see, however he does not need these when he is under water. In water, Alex can see just as well as a person can on land, however, he is colorblind, so his eyes catch mostly light instead of color. He also has Tapetum Lucidum tissue, which allows him to see in the dark and can make his eyes appear to glow if caught in the right lighting. See this headcanon for more info.

SMELL. Alex’s sense of smell is greater than that of a normal human. Certain aromas are stronger to him and he is more sensitive to iron or metallic smells, especially blood. He can smell blood from miles away, as well as food or smoke.

TASTE. Alex’s sense of taste is actually about the same as an average person’s. It is not enhanced in any way that is known to him, though he does have some preferences. He is sensitive to spicy foods; even the smallest amount of spice will make his eyes water. Seafood is a no-go for him as he “can’t stand the taste of fish” and he’s fearful that it will trigger a shift. He enjoys sweet tasting foods!

TOUCH. Sharks’ bodies are actually very rough, like sand paper. Similarly, Alex’s skin is calloused and hardened from scarring. He is sensitive to being touched, especially on his face. He will react as if it tickles; if he is punched in the face it can stun him. Alex relies on his hands like a shark relies on its mouth; he has a compulsive need to touch things to understand what it is. His touch is very gentle and careful and soft; especially if he is around someone he cares about. See this headcanon for more info.

HEARING. Alex’s hearing is very acute and he is able to hear low frequency sounds that regular people cannot. He can hear sounds within 10-800 Hertz (humans can hear within 25-16,000 Hertz) and like sight, this is amplified in the water. He is able to hear a person’s heartbeat from 5 miles away and the sounds of struggling fish.

ELECTRO-RECEPTION. Ampullae of Lorenzini aid in a shark’s hearing, allowing it to detect the electric current of struggling prey. They are found underneath the nose, making Alex’s nose one of the most sensitive places on his face. This ability allows him to detect hidden people or animals by their electric currents they emit.

PRESSURE CHANGE. For humans, we fail to detect a change in pressure since the air around is is not dense enough. Sharks have a lateral line that runs from their snout to their tail that helps them detect such changes in the waters they swim in, as well as helping them navigate by putting together a pressure map of their surroundings. Alex can do this in water only, not on land, but he’s not in water enough to know exactly how.

[cotccotc]

♡ 4:25 pm ; feel better

set in the domus amoris universe !

genre/s: fluff, comfort, suggestive (heH), established relationship/domestic au, hyunjin x gn reader

wc: ~2k MWAHAHAHAHA

warnings: descriptions of pain i guess? kinda? lol

a/n: i’m super excited to see what y’all think of this one! it’s based on a suggestion from @chogiwow hehe thank u ivy ♡♡ if you ever have a suggestion for the series feel free to check out the suggestion box !!

hyunjin always hates bothering you with trivial things. or at least things he would deem so. he knows you’d go to the ends of the earth to support him and provide aid for whatever might be troubling him - and he for you. you share the same home, the same heart, and the same devotion to each other. what’s yours is his, and vice versa. yet, even on a day like today, he feels it unnecessary to burden you with his troubles. he doesn’t want them to become yours.

and yet, he underestimates the bond you share. he should know by now that no matter what, there’s no way to hide from you. whenever you’re upset, troubled, in pain, or in conflict, verbal confirmation isn’t necessary. he just knows. it’ll be the way you breathe; sighing with every exhale, furrowing your brow as you breath in. or the way you look at him; your soft smile laced with a twinge of pitiable sorrow, eyes drinking in his features as a means of momentary distraction before you avert them somewhere else. or even the way you touch him; slower, fluidly, with a soft sense of urgency that you might not even realize.

but that’s exactly how you can tell there’s something wrong today. he’s been quiet with his voice but his actions speak volumes. you sit next to him on the couch, offering him his cup of tea. he holds the cup in both of his hands for a bit, one through the handle and one on the outside. he neglects to thank you in favor of letting out a deep, sighing breath. you glance at him with concern, taking a sip from your own drink. the hot liquid, dulled only slightly by smooth creaminess, creates a great deal of warmth inside you despite the subtle chill in the room. it’s chamomile, just as he likes it.

“you okay?” you ask, setting your cup down onto a coaster on the table. he nods to you, a passive smile spread across his face. he looks at you with a palpable longing in his eyes; one he can’t control even if he tried. “are you sure?” you shift closer to him, placing a comforting hand on his thigh, right above the knee. you rub back and forth with your thumb, a gesture you know he’s always found both endearing and soothing. maybe he’s cold, you think. it could explain his tight grip on the warm cup. “i can grab a blanket if you need-”

“no. it’s-” he starts. however, he hesitates. he stops. barely opening his mouth, he lets out an “i’m… fine.”

you know he’s lying. not out of spite or with malicious intent, but because he feels the same way you do whenever something’s wrong. one would think that after all this time, it’d be easier to confide in each other about superficial things without having to worry. but it’s not in either of your nature. “really?” you question, lifting your legs onto the sofa. you cross them, turning to fully face the boy you love; the boy you want to protect and provide for at all costs.

he nods again with a long, hard blink. he looks pained. it makes your heart twitch a little.

he leans over to set his teacup down onto the table before placing a hand on your waist. “c’mere,” he breathes out, once again opening his mouth only as far as he must to get a word in. you oblige, letting his hands guide your hips until you’re straddling his. he then wraps his arms around your center, looking up at you affectionately. for a brief moment, you forget your partnerly duties as you self-indulgently survey the shimmering vastness contained within his eyes. your focus lies within the chocolatey depths of his irises; cavernous pupils lit by the streaming sunlight from the living room window… what’s more, his widened, yearning eyes are further proof that he needs you right now, for reasons he’s somehow unable to tell you.

“what’s wrong, baby?” you ask, the softness of your tone fluttering across his heart like a feather on the skin; gentle, fleeting, and goosebump-inducing. he wants to tell you. you lull him further into relaxation, however, with your fingers combing themselves through his ebony locks and massaging his head in the tenderest fashion you can muster. you know how much he enjoys it. you can see it in his face when he lets his eyes close and head fall back onto the top of the sofa. and you can hear it in the way he hums in response. temporary relief. but you know you could be doing more. you glance down at his strawberry pink lips, slightly chapped from lack of use. you lean in, cupping his face with your hands and pulling your faces closer. but then, he lets out a small gasp.

his eyes shoot open, making immediate and urgent contact with yours. he’s in pain.

“i’m so sorry,” you say, taking your hands off his face.

“no! no…” he mutters. his hands travel to your sides, giving your hips a gentle squeeze.

“where does it hurt?”

he lifts a hand to the left side of his jaw, lightly rubbing back and forth. “tooth,” he says, simply.

you let out an “aw, baby,” under your breath, looking at him with concern. you hate it when he’s hurting. he hates it when you feel guilty.

“i’m okay,” he mumbles, mouth still partially closed. “i promise.”

“i know that’s not true. don’t lie.” you lift yourself off of his lap, receiving a bit of protest from your lover-made-patient.

“don’t go,” he whimpers through gritted teeth. this is just as he’d dreaded; you’re going to do everything you can to help him. and while he appreciates it, he doesn’t want you to worry. he never wants you to worry.

but you don’t want him to be feeling as bad as he does. as much as you’d love to stay here in his loving embrace, tending to him by simply being near to him, you know he’ll remain in pain. and you can’t let that go.

“i’ll only be a minute. i’m going to get you something cold to hold on it and an aspirin to take, okay?” your hands lay flat against his shoulders as you gently push yourself off the couch and onto your feet. he takes a hold of one of your hands, bringing it to his lips to place a faint kiss on the back of it. 

“thank you,” he adds with a half-smile. you rub his hand with your thumb before making haste into the bathroom to grab a washcloth. you soak it in cold water, then quickly ring it out and walk back into the living room to see hyunjin in the same state you left him. however, when you enter, the brightness returns to his face. you hand him the cloth, guiding his hand up to his jaw to lightly press the coldness against the affected area. his glassy eyes never leave yours. he lets out a slight hiss at the temperature of the cloth, but quickly adjusts. you smile down upon him, a loving hand placed against his other cheek, thumb stroking back and forth against it. he smiles back at you; at least, he tries.

then, you make your way to the kitchen cabinet where all the medicine is stored. you haven’t much room to keep them in the bathroom, but you made do with what you had when you bought the apartment. besides, it’s right near the faucet, which comes in handy in instances such as these. you grab an aspirin and fill up a glass of lukewarm water. however, just as you shut off the faucet, you hear him calling.

“baby!” he whines, loud enough to be heard from the other room despite his impaired oral function. you rush back to him, medication in tow, worried for what may have happened to him while you were away. though, you were only away for a few moments. after you arrive, his expression quickly transforms from agony to relief. the cold compress is squished against his cheek. he’s adorable.

“i’m cold without you,” he murmurs with a cheeky pout. 

you chuckle, letting out the breath you didn’t even realize you’d held when you heard him and came running. “do you need the blanket?”

“no,” he replies. “just need you.” squinting, he adjusts the washcloth. you really do hate seeing him like this, no matter cute he can never cease to be. so, of course, you comply.

as you approach him, he sits up, eager to be close once again. “here,” you say, handing him the cup and pill. you then settle back upon his lap, rubbing his stomach and gently holding the washcloth in place as he swallows. he hands back the empty glass, which you place on the floor beside the sofa. “good.”

he takes a deep breath while slowly snaking his hands up the back of your hoodie, pulling you closer to him. the contact between his cold fingertips and your back sends a shiver through you. “kiss?” he asks. every word that escapes his aching mouth is as light as a feather. you take a moment for this image of his face to seep into your unconscious. you’ll keep it there in case he’s ever far from you. it’s funny how memory works. some things will take temporary leave of the mind at a moment’s notice, but pictures such as this will linger for a long while.

“are you sure? i don’t want to hurt you,” you reply. you dab his jaw with the washcloth, trying to find the coldest spot to use. looking up at you with umber earnestness, he nods. you glance at his lips as they part, exposing his front teeth. they’re still clamped shut. you lay a singular, hushed peck upon his lips, still holding the compress against his cheek. you press a second kiss on the corner of his mouth, then his opposite cheek. you gaze at him once again, threading your fingers through his hair as he relaxes against the sofa for a second time.

he wraps himself further around you underneath the fabric of your sweatshirt, kneading the skin on your waist. as his eyes open, lashes fluttering and brows relaxing, he whispers, “more.”

you giggle. “is this just an excuse for kisses?” you ask, pecking his nose and cheek.

“no~,” he drawls. he leans toward you, fingers grazing over your skin and leaving your back in favor of gripping onto your hips. he swiftly latches his lips onto yours, drawing you in to deepen the kiss, as he’s unable to. and so, you do. he exhales into it, audibly relieved by the feeling. it’s almost as if the mellow, chamomile-infused sweetness of your lips provides a temporary numbness for the pain with which he’s been afflicted.

“is it feeling any better?” you ask. he looks up at you, nods, and smiles - as much as he’s able to - while his hands roam around your hips and thighs.

“thank you, baby,” he whispers. “you didn’t have to…” he trails off, squinting again. you take the washcloth off his jaw, noticing the rosy tint his skin has taken on due to the chill. gently, you drag the tip of your finger against his jawline. you then place a tender peck against it, trailing down to his neck as well.

“does this hurt?” you ask against his neck, your lips moseying back up to the point of affliction.

he lets out a deep sigh. “not at all…”

later, you’ll ask him what might have caused his pain. later, you’ll clean up the cups and drink the tea you would have otherwise forgotten about. later, in fact, you’ll keep tending to hyunjin’s toothache, ensuring that he gets some form of nourishment and some rest. but for now, you’ll stay seated on the lap of your lover; peppering kisses over his face, letting his hands roam around your form… whatever’s going to make him feel better, right?

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What is prosthetic and sensory aids?

How can you improve your life by using prosthetic and sensory aids? The greatest barrier to independent living for people with disabilities is their inability to complete daily tasks. Prosthetic and sensory aids can help people accomplish more in their daily lives and make it easier for them to live independently. For example, people with missing limbs can achieve more independence by using powered exoskeletons to replace the function of their lost limbs. People who cannot see may use visual prosthetics to help them see again.   You can live a fuller life with prosthetic and sensory aids. Our technology can make that happen.   The more people with physical disabilities use assistive technology, the more independent they become. People with vision loss use digital visual aids to read email and text messages. This saves them valuable time so they can focus on more important things in their lives.   3. Is there a difference between sensory aid and prosthetic aid?   A prosthetic aids an impaired body part. A sensory aid allows one to function with a missing or deficient part.   Prosthetic and sensory aids are usually used for individuals who cannot see. They are generally used for patients that have had partial or total blindness.   A sensory aid is meant to compensate for some part of your sensory system. An example would be a low vision device which compensates for your eyesight. A prosthetic aid replaces some kind of functionality or capacity of your body. An example would be a hearing aid which replaces hearing.   A sensory aid provides feedback to the user by using audio, visual, tactile, or some combination thereof. An example of a sensory aid would be a dog whistle. A prosthetic aid does not have any sensory feedback but rather replaces a lost limb. For example, a prosthetic leg is a prosthetic aid because it replaces a missing limb.   How to use prosthetic and sensory aids service 2. Types of sensory aids 3. Sensory aid usage 4. How to make your life more comfortable with sensory aids   Some of these sensory aids are more common than others. Others are very new or not available yet. If you have specific needs or want to know more about certain sensory aids, please feel free to ask! Sensory aids are used to improve the senses in people with disabilities. They can improve hearing, sight, taste, smell and touch. Types of sensory aids Sensory aids can be divided into two types: auditory and visual. Auditory aids include hearing aids, cochlear implants, hearing aids, and devices that allow someone to hear normally while being hard of hearing. Visual aids include optical lenses such as bifocals and glasses, as well as devices such as corrective eyewear, contact lenses, or a headmounted display. Some people use both auditory and visual aids at the same time. How to make your life more comfortable with   Accessible and affordable assistive technologies enable people with disabilities to live independently and achieve their personal goals. But despite a growing market of people with disabilities, there are still barriers that prevent many people from getting the right assistive devices.         Read the full article