You Dont Have To Be On The Brink Of Collapse To Use Your Mobility Aids.

You don’t have to be on the brink of collapse to use your mobility aids.

You don’t need to be limping to use your cane. You don’t need to be staggering to use your crutches. You don’t need to be falling over to use your rollater. You don’t need to be too weak to stand to use your wheelchair.

They’re there to help you and you are never too “strong” to be using something that helps you.

Something that really sucks about being disabled is places say that they’re accessible but they aren’t.

I’ve been to places that claim to be accessible where

the ramp’s too steep

there are steps they didn’t mention because “it’s only two or three”

the doorways are too small

there aren’t any elevators to the top floor

the floor is too rough to easily push on

exhibits are displayed in ways that are impossible to see from a wheelchair

the doors don’t have a push button

tables/exhibits are put way too close together

the surrounding paths have no curbs

Without those things, it isn’t accessible. You can’t put a sloped piece of metal on your doorway and call that wheelchair friendly.

People need to learn the difference between tired and fatigued.

Every so often I have the strong urge to drop the act and collapse of exhaustion and start crying about how much pain I’m in just to prove to people that this is my everyday and my illness is agonisingly real so stop accusing me of ignoring your texts or not caring enough to go to your event.

I’m trying really really hard.

If I could talk to myself four years ago I’d say it’s okay. It’s okay that you’re disabled. It’s okay that you’re going to need mobility aids for the rest of your life. It’s okay that you can’t do things other people can. It’s okay to be angry. It’s okay to call out ableism. It’s okay that you’ll never be “acceptable” as a disabled person. It’s okay to be a cripple.

Accepting your disability takes time. It’s okay.

From the very depths of my soul and the bottom of my heart I tell you this:

OW