#this is about physical disabilities please don't derail this post

[spookietrex]

I hate the look on able-bodied people's faces when you can't do a thing that you could do the day before. The look of disappointment, confusion, the "Oh but you could do it before. Are you SURE you can't do it?" Like yes, Brenda, I'm sure that I am in too much pain to function/move from my bed right now so going for a walk when I could move 50 feet yesterday without my cane IS too much.

[midnight-soulless-system]

Sometimes being disabled means you can't go to college, can't get a job, have to live with your parents and that's ok. For a lot of us it means not being able to go outside most days, not being able to get up or move at all. It can mean needing someone to wash us or feed us or help us with the bathroom and that is ok. It doesn't mean that we're less than or that we aren't worth anything.

And it's valid for us to be mad about it. Even if we can overcome some of these things with accomodations we're allowed to be mad that we're in this situation, and wish that we weren't disabled because I sure as hell hate this shit.

[thatgaydemigodnerd]

Happy disability pride month to all my physically disabled people! Wether you:

Are chronically ill

Are in chronic pain

Have reduced mobility

Need a wheelchair for whatever reason

Wish you had a wheelchair but can't get one

Have a tremor

Are a spoonie

Have reduced visibility or are blind

Have reduced hearing or are deaf/Deaf

Have an autoimmune disorder

Have a skin condition

Have something else physically wrong with you but you just can't figure out what

Have some other kind of physical disability that I didn't think of/add here (feel free to put in the tags if you are comfortable doing so)

Don't let the world forget about us this July! We are here, we aren't going away any time soon!

[image ID: the updated disability pride flag. A dark grey background with 5 stripes on it, going diagonally from the top left corner to the bottom right corner. From top to bottom the stripes are coloured: green, blue, white, yellow, red. End ID]

(yes, mentally disabled people also fall under disability pride month but this post is meant to celebrate physically disabled people, please don't derail)

[thedisablednaturalist]

How to not derail a physically disabled person's post -guide for abled neurodivergents

Hey this is a huge problem and a ton of my and other peoples posts about physical disabilities have been getting overrun with comments making it about mental illness and completely derailing the post.

Here's some things to think about before adding a comment/reply onto a physically disabled person's post:

Is the person talking about disabilities in general? Or are they only talking about physical disabilities?

Do they say specifically that neurodivergent people are welcome to comment? Or do they have a banner or tag that says DO NOT DERAIL

Check the comments and reblogs that are currently there. Are they already overrun with people making the same points you are? Are physically disabled voices getting drowned out?

Is the post tagged with cripplepunk only? (Aka not neuropunk or madpunk)

What is your addition adding to the conversation? How is it related to the original post? Is it shifting the conversation or generalizing it?

Did you actually read and internalize the post or did you only focus on adding your point of view.

Who is the intended audience for the post? Is it you? Are you listening or arguing?

Are you using their language for yourself?

Could the addition stand on its own as a separate post? (If so it probably should)

Think about how you would feel if someone did that to your post and everyone only talked about their problems and ignored your original statement. Think about how angry you'd be if they then said "you're not allowed to get mad cuz I said I wasn't derailing! I love you people!"

Also these questions can and should apply to other posts made by people who are frequently talked over (people of color, fat people, etc.) No your adhd autism does not count. There is a long history on this site of neurodivergent people talking over and taking over entire disability spaces and the problem persists today. This problem is why cripplepunk was created in the first place.

Yes mental illness deserves to be talked about. I'm proudly neurodivergent and often reblog posts from neurodivergent blogs. But you are able to make your own posts, you don't need to take over ours, especially when we are specifically pointing out how our physical disabilities differ from mental disabilities.

Also respect when someone asks you to please delete your addition. Mistakes happen what matters is how you respond to them. Learn from it and move on. Don't cry about the meanie cripples "censoring" you.

[normal-with-adhd-is-a-joke]

hey ablebodied people please teach your children not to swerve in front of mobility aid users. We might accidentally hurt them (my power wheelchair does not stop quickly and the bones in your child's foot are small and breakable) or they might accidentally hurt us (someone who's already having trouble balancing is likely to fall if they have to stop short). You don't have to teach them everything about physically disabled people but these are basic safety things that can make the difference between a cordial interaction and 1-2 very injured people. This also goes for touching mobility aids without permission, we may not notice the child or they may do something harmful before we can stop them.

[image ID: a banner that says "this post is about physical disability, don't derail" on the first line and "physically ableds don't speak including talking in tags" on the second line].

[noagskryf]

It's really frustrating talking about my experiences as someone who's grown up very obviously neurodivergent (since birth) and mentally ill (from age 8), became chronically ill in their childhood (ages 10-11) and physically disabled in their early teens (ages 12-13).

I know a lot of people only realise they're ND or become disabled in their adulthood or late teens but i don't think some of them realise how having your entire childhood and teenage years shaped by stuff out of your control but directly affecting you every minute of every day changes you. And how people will not always help or believe children. And how people will hurt disabled children. And how growing up with everyone knowing there's "something wrong" with you doesn't always bring compassion and understanding.

School can be absolute hell and other children can be disgusting. It doesn't matter if a child doesn't know better, when someone's making fun of you because of how you walk and talk, it really fucking affects you. I'm probably not as sympathetic to bullies as i should be because i'm still self conscious about how i walk and talk because of bullying from when i was 5 YEARS OLD (it lasted until i was 16.)

I know a lot of adult disabled people have a fantasy about if they were just diagnosed as a kid and i do get that growing up undiagnosed is really hard! But pls don't think that being a diagnosed kid is any easier

Mandatory i know not everyone feels this way etc etc etc, i know growing up undiagnosed sucks etc etc etc, but please don't derail this post into how horrible it was being undiagnosed or only dxed as a grown up. Go make your own post.

Happy to answer questions in the comments about what it was like. Spoiler alert: it wasn't great but there were genuinely good or fun parts and i do like talking about the good parts!

[vaspider]

when a post is talking about access to public spaces and then halfway through stops to scold people about 'not derailing' if you are 'physically abled' like "non-physical" (lol no such thing) disabilities don't have physical access needs too

please suck my cock, i am so sick of people playing division in the disability community

[pechaberriesandsoju]

Okay, I have some gripes about the self ship community. I need to get off my chest. This is a long one. Do not derail this, I will block you. Pro.ship and com.ship DO NOT try to interact with this post, I will block you too. I do not have the patience for this today.

Rant/gripes under the read more.

I'm probably going to get shit for this or something, but I'm getting exhausted over this. The self ship community didn't used to be so scary and hateful. What the hell happened?? What happened to being understanding and kind to others who didn't feel comfortable sharing f/os or having doubles? Why the fuck are we dealing with people spreading lies, causing drama and pulling shit because they're mad someone doesn't want to share? Or causing shit because you end up finding out you share with someone, but instead of blocking them and moving on, you start shti instead? You go out of your way to attack them, harass them, give them trauma and make them feel unwelcome all because you couldn't stand the thought of someone else sharing an f/o instead of using the block button and the black list function that are right there. All because you couldn't respect someone's boundaries.

Why the hell are we being racist or ableist to each other for no other reason besides "I don't like them"? That doesn't give you the right to be cruel to someone because they're a different race or have a mental or physical disability they can not control. There's never an excuse to be out here being so hateful to someone because you feel like you're allowed to say a word or term that you have no right saying or reclaiming just because you want to drag someone down.

And then there are people who question if others' sexualites are valid or not because of the gender of fictional characters they're interested in??? When the hell did we decide that was a "good" idea to do any of this?? Then you have the audacity to claim they aren't valid enough to be considered their own sexuality or gender because they're not good enough for you? Why the hell would you think this is okay?? Does it make you feel better about yourself?? Because it shouldn't. And if it does? You need to take a moment and ask yourself why.

And don't even get me started on the fact that we have to deal with so many pro.shippers and com.shippers in this community. Especially ones that try to lie about it, hide it, and disrespect other's boundaries. We already have to deal with enough toxic bullshit in this community enough as it is, and now we have to deal with these people as well.

It's already hard enough to thrive and grow in this community enough as it is due to the whole fact that unless you're popular or ship with a popular character or have a more appealing and attractive art style compared to others, you don't get much interactions at all. It's a struggle enough in this community for small blogs. We don't need to add on all of this hate to it.

All of this is exhausting and frustrating. I remember when it used to be fun and welcoming, and when we tried to uplift each other, give each other a boost and respected other people's wishes and boundaries. What the hell happened?? When did this all change?? If you're uncomfortable sharing, you're valid, but please don't be so rude and disrespectful to others over it. The block button and the black list function are available to us. It applies to basically everything. Someone rubs you the wrong way, or you don't want to interact with them? Block them. You don't like a person? Block them. Don't like a ship that involves a character you don't like? Black list the tag. It's that simple. I really wish we didn't have all of this hatred happening right now. I really wish this community wasn't so scary and cause so much anxiety for people. Self shipping is supposed to be about having fun and for your own comfort. What happened? What happened to this community?? We need to fix this. People have left the community because of all of this or have been driven out by others over this. This has to stop. We have to do something. I know I myself am just one person, and I'm just a small blog, but it doesn't mean I can't use my voice to an extent.

Thank you for reading. Thank you for taking a moment to listen. Hopefully, this community will improve soon.

Have a good day.

[winterandwords]

For the writers living with chronic illness and physical disability

I'm going to get into writing and posting this while my brain is still half asleep and before I change my mind because it feels too personal and I don't do that online. Please excuse any typos.

Comments on a recent post of mine about wanting to write but not being able to got me thinking. I'm chronically ill and physically disabled. I have been for most of my adult life (I'm 42 now). It's been progressing slowly throughout that time and more rapidly over the last few years. It is what it is.

I don't talk about it in detail on the internet because it's impossible for me (not saying other people can't do this) to accurately represent the full experience in a way I feel comfortable with while still engaging enjoyably with an interest-based community, which is what I'd rather be doing here.

Also, people get fucking weird about it. I have no patience for *pat on the head* "well done for existing" consolation-prize pity bullshit or inspirational cripple bullshit. Equally, I have no patience for being dragged into a who-has-it-worse competition that I'm never going to take part in because I don't see the world that way or a what-about-me-ism-fuelled derailment session.

This shit is complicated. I'm on Tumblr to write and to talk about writing. But if I'm also quietly dealing with all that other stuff alongside making up some guys (gender non-specific) in my head and putting them in situations, I know some of you are too.

And you know what? It's hard. I know it is. We live in an inaccessible world and so many parts of that world and so many people in it can be brutally hostile towards chronic illness and physical disability in ways that still shake me to my core when I encounter them. It no longer surprises me, but it still fucks me up on the regular.

But listen. YOU ARE CREATING. You're doing something huge and worthy and valuable and fucking difficult. You're carrying the weight of all that other shit and YOU ARE STILL CREATING. It might take you longer than you'd like and you might be doing it in ways that are far from ideal, but you are still doing it.

You might feel excluded from communities and events and conversations, not necessarily because anyone is intentionally excluding you, but because you have no option other than to do the sick-person version of things and it's impossible not to feel like you're on the outside looking in sometimes when that's your experience.

The point of all this is that I want you to know with my whole heart that YOU ARE SEEN. Your strength and your determination and your sadness and your rage and your pain and your more-able days and your rock-bottom days are all seen.

Your challenges and your messiness and your perfectionism and your complexity and your dichotomies and the unrealistic standards and demands you have internalised from existing in an ableist society are witnessed and felt, widely and deeply, and with a solidarity unshakable enough to hang bridges from.

I'm not going to tell you that you're good enough, because it should go without saying. I am going to tell you that you're not alone, because that does need to be said. You are so much more than a conditionally-acceptable exception and you deserve to reach and exist beyond the boundaries of the small boxes you get shoved into without your consent or permission. YOU ARE SO MUCH MORE.

Alright? Alright. Keep going 💜

In case this gains any sort of traction and people start replying to it or reblogging it, I want to make something very clear. I am also neurodivergent. That is not what this post is about. I also have lifelong experience of mental illness and trauma. That is not what this post is about. This post is about chronic illness and physical disability and it's for people who are living with those specific things, whether or not they're also living with the other things.

So, in the most loving way, if you have something to say that isn't about that, this isn't the place to say it. Thanks.

[havent-thought-of-a-name-lmao]

i actually had a really good session w S (my therapist) just talking about how all of my medical stuff is affecting me, esp with this pain flare (?) affecting my back and neck. and like. kind of whatever else it wants whenever it wants. and the thing is she Gets It. like she GETS it. and i'm just like "thank god" bc when able-bodied people give me advice abt what to do with my physical disability it just pisses me off but she was so willing to listen and give ACTUALLY HELPFUL suggestions to temporarily help with the pain and it was just nice to be fucking listened to for once

sorry for the run-on i just. i'm so thankful for her. having a therapist that i can talk to about this stuff and have them really get it is so refreshing. it feels so fucking isolating so just knowing i wasn't alone was like. nice. it's nice to not be told "i'm not doing enough" or that i need to push through despite.

it's funny bc i was like. wow this conversation is going really well. that's weird. and then she was like "i Get It" and i was like "AH that explains it" lmao.

so now i know that i can talk to her about this stuff in session and be heard and understood and it makes me feel like 50 times safer (she's also just generally really cool and understanding and we vibe which is a plus).

[ID: A banner image with text reading "This is a physical disability post! Please don't derail!" The words "physical disability" are emphasized with capital letters. /.End ID]

[oblivious-flesh]

hey in case anyone needs this:

your pain doesn't have to be at high levels constantly to be valid. Chronic pain is classified as "pain lasting over three months." I don't fully agree with this definition, but it supports the fact that your pain doesn't always have to be super bad to be chronic!!!

Any level of pain, if long-term, is considered chronic pain!!! For example, I have chronic pain, but most days it's at like a 1-3 when sitting or laying down and not moving my joints, and like a 3-5 when standing or walking!! You don't always have to be in like level 7-10 pain for your pain to be valid!!!

Obviously, I'm not trying to say that people who are always in extremely high levels of pain aren't valid, or that they don't need support. I'm just saying that it's ok to not be in super high levels of pain constantly and that it doesn't mean you aren't 'disabled enough'!!

this post is about physical disability, please don't derail it

[cripple-punk-dad]

I smell bad. I don't shower that often. My breath stinks. My hair is greasy and crunchy and I definitely have dandruff. I have a hard time putting deodorant on. I can't wash my clothes that often. I get really sweaty sitting in a wheelchair all day and I do not look clean or put together or sophisticated and frankly I wouldn't have it any other way. I don't owe a world that wants me dead, a world that prevents me from entering a building just by forgetting about me, a world that points and laughs at me, I don't owe that world a damn thing and if that world loved me at all then it wouldn't ask me to hide my struggle and my identity from it.

This post is about physical disability please don't derail it.

[yrfemmehusband]

This post is about physical illness physical disability please don't derail

Me vs being consistently retraumatized in literally every single fucking appointment i go to me vs getting literally one singular fucking doctor to listen to me oh my god I cannot stand doctors. Literally every single doctor I've been to with maybe two exceptions has done nothing but gaslit me and made it difficult for me to get care. It doesn't matter who they are what practice it does not matter if they're a man or woman cishet or LGBT with pronouns on their website, it doesn't matter if they're "trauma informed" or have never heard of the term. They are all the same. They all make it their goal to be as much of an obstacle to receiving care as possible. They refuse to listen because they're so much smarter than any patient that walks through the door and simultaneously expect you to have googled your symptoms and to have an idea of what tests you want and also if you've done that then you're Malingering or you're called doctor Google or made fun of for thinking you could possibly do their job (diagnosing you.) If you have any issue worse than the common cold they'll slap you with an anxiety diagnosis or a "we don't know what causes it" disorder. If you ask for more tests than one singular blood panel they'll laugh and ask why. If you ask what your options for treatment are they'll tell you to lose weight and exercise, and also here are some antidepressants. They'll tell you to come back if symptoms continue or worsen and act surprised when you do, because the symptoms continued and worsened. It doesn't matter how you look, how nice you are, how sick you feel, how much pain you're in. Their goal is to get your money and get you out. I have never met a doctor who wasn't blinded by their own ego and most people who think doctors are there to help you have never been sick with anything long term.

[lightlyteal]

tired of people regarding mental illness related disability as something you can fix if you just have enough willpower. like it's my own fault i'm too mentally ill to go to therapy (not that i could afford it), like it's my own fault my ocd is treatment-resistant, like it's my own fault mental health professionals (therapists, psych wards, social work, since i was 12 years old) have all reached a point of "i don't know how to help you" and that is if they've helped me instead of abusing me to begin with.

tired of people regarding mental illness as disability lite

when i've been on disability benefits since i was 18 and am currently 31, when i have never been able to work a day in my life, when i am a high school dropout, when i am unable to live with people, when i am barely able to leave the house to take out the trash, all due to ocd,

I AM DISABLED.

[frankiensteinsmonster]

I made a poll for blind and low sighted people and some abled folks wanted to talk about how some people who use alt texts aren't/might not be disabled and still benefit. And it's fine that they do but I. Did not ask them and will not be catering to them. My blog is not the space to talk about how abled people might/also benefit from anything regarding disabled people. My priority is always the disabled people who need the function. Those are the people who matter most here! (But now I'm just a little curious.)

They have to deal with shit like screen readers. Y'all don't. I want Them to have a better time navigating my blog.

This post is about, by, and for disabled people, do not derail, and if you are abled please just vote and/or reblog. Don't make this about yourself or other able bodied people. You do not know better than the people who are affected by this.

[rachedurst]

Shout-out to those of us who use disability aids that ARENT easily visible, that are hidden underneath hair or clothes and have people demand you need to show them your devices else they claim you're lying! That want you to take off your devices because Theyre Not Necessary Right and electronic devices Aren't Allowed In Here or whatever else. Those of us with physical disabilities who just get told we're lying because our devices Aren't clearly visible or smth they know. (Don't worry I know bigots do fakeclaiming with visible disability devices too. Please do not derail or act like visibly disabled people have it easier bcs they don't)

There's a lot of focus on visible disability aids getting negative attention and thats important as well, but heres this post for the not noticeable ones that don't get talked about a lot :) we are out here....