phantom of this bitch

but focused on my disabilities ||Jackal||they/them||25||cane user||autistic||

[lupusbaby]

Say it with me! Wheelchairs aren’t sad! Mobility aids aren’t sad! Mobility aids are instruments of freedom!

[lectern-fullcauldron]

I know we talk a lot about keep jumping on boxes, but I'm honestly so grateful for Joe hills' knife theory; a variation on spoon theory that says once you're out of spoons, you can choose to take knives instead in the knowledge that it will hurt later. and the number of times I've told myself 'ok let's take the knives' is so high that I've found it really helps to acknowledge it. Thanks, Joe

[bogwitchgirl]

I think there is a message here that a lot of people don’t get: there is a cost when you do not have the spoons for something and some force compels you to do it regardless

this is the first I’ve ever heard of “knives” in the context of disability, but I’m disabled and retired entirely because I took more knives than I can even begin to count at my old job, and was never given a chance to recover from all the stabs and slices

so i feel like “knives” could do for being more widespread, so that people better understand the choice they’re making and the toll it can take if they do things that they don’t have the spoons for

[shitaintworkingright-blog]

Things they don't tell you about being a first time wheelchair user in highschool

Literally everyone will ask if you broke your leg(s). Everyone. Even people you don’t know. Theyll ask a lot and think you’re extremely fragile.

bruises show up within the first day of rolling around, and they can really suck

people will try to grab your chair if they think you’re struggling and it can be hard not to snap at them for it

static electricity is a huge issue. You will probably either continuously shock your leg when you’re rolling around or do what I did today and zap someone so hard as you pass that both of you nearly keel over

people will call you out as a faker if you do anything even remotely fun ever on your wheelchair. Wheelies? Obviously your legs are fine lol not like you have to go down fucking curbs /s

puddles are the worst and if there’s a curb with a puddle all around and you have some ability to walk its a better idea to just stand up and navigate the chair than to fall backwards into said puddle

weird looks from people are inevitable, especially from people who don’t like you

bus drivers will often push your chair and give you advise you don’t want to hear, even if you tell them nicely you can push yourself. Its really hard not to get mad at them for it

no wheelies in school. Though if you do it in the elevator when no one else is with you you can’t really get caught.

speaking of wheelies, always be ready to throw at least one arm behind you in case you fall. They say tuck your chin in but its easier and more reliable to throw your hands back and keep your neck up so you don’t hit the floor. Sore arms are way easier to put up with than head injuries

don’t even bother to try and roll back up curbs. You will either be there for an hour or fall backwards. I managed to do both.

90% of classrooms that aren’t special ed are not very wheelchair accessible.

people will automatically assume you’re faking something if you’re not considered dumb enough in their standards to fit in with disabled students (aka high class ableism at its finest)

people are going to give you weird looks if you don’t suddenly start sitting with the other disabled kids

standard backpacks usually dangle way too much to keep on you easily, so try to pack light

built in storage on wheelchairs cannot sufficiently carry books

don’t try to hold an umbrella. Period. Especially not with your teeth. It doesn’t work.

don’t try to give the bus driver your ticket while you’re stuck on the ramp. And speaking of, its easy to start falling down the bus ramp so be careful, and when in doubt throw on the breaks

and finally if you’re like me pray to god you don’t go nonverbal when someone is trying to push you and you don’t want them to because it is hard to get them to stop if you can’t speak

able-bodied people can and should 1000% reblog this, some of these things I’ve seen on tips about using a wheelchair but a lot of these weren’t things I’ve seen

[leolaroot]

time of year i remind every cane user to get an ice pick so you dont fall and die

[leolaroot]

almost biffed it in a fucking parking lot so time for me to repeat this. if you are a cane user in the northern hemisphere its time to get an ice spike coming in the mail BEFORE the ice forms.

[leolaroot]

@phantomwinds and @strawbebbynya asked in the tags if anyone had advice for winterizing a rollator walker, i dont use a rollator very often but I'd suggest using zip ties around the wheels as improv tire chains. disclaimer that ive never done this before personally but its advice ive seen wheelchair users share.

[leolaroot]

i appreciate that this is still in circulation and i can see the pre-autumn wave of reblogs picking up lol. ice pick is not a gimmick its genuinely useful and can be a life saver. every year winter reaches further towards the equator and new people are finding themselves at risk of ice with no experience for how to keep safe

[disabledavocado]

maybe harsh take. but. shitting on people who can't care about selves. who live with parents. who rely on partners in 'basic' tasks. (yes even body care tasks). who got chores done for them. who don't work. is ableist. even if clarify 'this specific person isn't disabled.' it still perpetuates stigma. it still ableist.

say exactly what wrong. have they overstepped someone's boundaries? have they pressured someone into care? have they manipulated abused etc.? something else? point wrong behavior. n critique this behavior.

'they're 30 n live with parents' not bad behavior. 'their parent cut their nails' not bad behavior. 'they don't work' not bad behavior.

'but they're abled!' 1) you don't know for sure. can't know for sure. undiagnosed n invisible disabilities exist. not every undiagnosed individual able to take care of self. recognize undiagnosed n invisible disabilities existence not only when they look 'nice' for you. 2) it still contributes to stigma around needing care. disabled people often not seen as disabled. even if visibly disabled. every individual presumed abled because ableism. so disabled individuals will be shitted on because need care. because presumed abled.

to destigmatize needing care. have to destigmatize getting care. even if not see as 'reasonable' n 'justified.' can't destigmatize needing care if say 'getting care depending on others living with parents etc. is bad but disabled is exception.' because still stigmatize process of getting cared.

people don't need allowance n approval of society to get care.

(not say not call out bad behavior. ask call out bad behavior specifically. not stigmatized neutral things).

[chullidhbutch]

able bodied people will freak out when they see an ambulatory mobility aid user not using their aids but won't question it when a hiker only uses a walking stick or trekking poles when they're hiking. they're the same thing.

[chullidhbutch]

post got too big and is leaving the target audience. petrifying.

[chullidhbutch]

i feel like people don't understand this post so i'm gonna break it down for you:

trekking poles are devices that improve your ability to go where you wanna go, but you don't use them all the time

mobility aids are devices that improve your ability to go where you wanna go, but some people don't use them all the time

i use my crutches the exact same way a hiker uses their trekking poles and walking sticks. Walking around can be hard for me because of balance issues, and if i stand for too long it begins to hurt, the crutches help make that less so.

hikers use trekking poles to keep their balance and help them move up steep hills, they'll use a walking stick to take some of the pressure off of their legs.

are we all caught up now?

[cripplepunk-phantom]

I need to start using my cane regularly again and I'm angry about it. I'm angry that I'm in pain every day again. I'm angry that it's been a week of pain and I haven't let myself use my cane because I was still able to walk easily. I'm angry because I know that as soon as I get home from work and use my cane to get around my house I won't be in as much pain.

I guess I'm not really angry about having to use my cane again, but rather that I worked myself to this point knowing that I lost my job because of it when it was my ankle 4 years ago. It's the same damn leg too, my right side is just especially weak I guess.

[exitwound]

the number of jobs that disabled people could do with no problems if it weren’t for the way they would need to do it being deemed unprofessional is sooooo. 😐

[exitwound]

like the things that keep disabled people out of a lot of jobs frequently have nothing to do with the actual requirements of the job

[cpunkhobie]

"disability only exists because the world isnt accessible" idk how to tell you this but chronic pain still hurts

[cpunkhobie]

i like the sentiment and i think its true in many ways, but people with mobility issues will still have mobility issues in an accommodating world, people with sensory disabilities will still have those disabilities in an accommodating world. and thats not including neurodiversity where two people with the exact same disorder will have very different experiences with them. like there's not a world where someone with agoraphobia wont be scared to leave the house just cause outside is more accessible

i dont think it accounts for the wide range of disability experience and caters more to low-support needs people. i think life would be so much easier if being disabled was less stigmatized, but disability wont just go away once it is

[cpunkhobie]

you can't autism proof a bright summer day, but you can normalize stimming and using sensory aids in public

[youngchronicpain]

Say it with me, kids, "I do not deserve this pain. I am in chronic pain due to forces outside of my control. I should not have to earn pain relief. I am good. I do not deserve to be shamed for my pain. It is not my fault."

[cripplepunk-phantom]

Reminding myself that the reason my ankle hurts less when I use my cane is because it's SUPPOSED TO and not because I'm faking being in pain somehow

[disastersafe]

Protect yourself during earthquakes!

If possible, DROP! COVER! HOLD ON!

Using cane, DROP! COVER! HOLD ON!

Using walker, LOCK! COVER! HOLD ON!

Using wheelchair LOCK! COVER! HOLD ON!

[thatdisasterauthor]

Oh, this is good! Very good! Must look into this organization more to see what else they might have.

[zinjanthropusboisei]

Earthquake Country Alliance is fantastic! I use this image all the time in my classes as an example of efficacy and accessibility in disaster info. They helped create the Great Shakeout drill as well!

[warptimeandspace-deactivated202]

why when able bodied fans draw canonically disabled chair-user characters do they have the abled partner sitting on their lap? i would kill someone if they touched my cane or sat on me in my chair

[warptimeandspace-deactivated202]

THIS SHIT IS INFINITELY MORE ROMANTIC THAN SITTING ON TOP OF YOUR DISABLED PARTNER. THE TENDERNESS INVOLVED IN HOLDING YOUR PARTNERS HAND, IN BEING CONSIDERATE OF THEIR SPACE, IN MAKING SURE THEY FEEL SAFE AND LOVED. i’m not going to go as far as saying stop having able bodied people sit on top of their disabled partners but know i’m disabled and would never consider it. i would absolutely get hurt

[warptimeandspace-deactivated202]

i hold the same viewpoint on able bodied partners carrying their disabled partner for no reason. my body is a fragile thing, easily broken. it has to be protected even from people with the best intentions. meet me at my level instead of taking me to yours

[warptimeandspace-deactivated202]

abled allies can and should reblog this

[deadshrike-deactivated20210930]

My friend has asked me to sit on her lap in her wheelchair just to fuck around, but NEVER just assume you can sit on/touch her in her wheelchair unless she asks you too. Leaning over the back of her medical chair to kiss her cheek? Infinitely more romantic than fricken. sitting on her lap. like no bitch she's in that chair for a reason and it's her hip.

[urbancripple]

A Guide To Buying a Wheelchair Without Insurance

I’ve gotten a lot of questions about how to buy a wheelchair without insurance so I’ve put together a small guide. Please keep in mind that

The guide is now live. Thank you to everyone who provided feedback and offered improvements on the original draft.

If you like what I do and want to support me, you have a bunch of cool options:

Stop scrolling, click on the link and actually read what I’ve written on my site. This helps improve my Google rankings and grow my audience. Tumblr does nothing but steal my content and traffic.

Reblog this article (after you’ve read it) and help spread the word.

Become a Patron on my Patreon Page

Make a purchase (of any kind) using one of my Amazon Associate links

Follow me on Twitter

[urbancripple]

For the new folks.

[lynayru]

@staff

OUR CONTENT SHOULD BE OPTED OUT OF AI TRAINING BY DEFAULT!

[chthonic-pain]

put spikes on your wheelchair's handles. wrap barbed wire around your cane or crutch so it'll hurt like a motherfucker if someone kicks or grabs it from under your hand. wear a personal alarm and pull the pin every time someone moves you without your consent, leans on your chair, takes a seat on your rollator, taps your hearing aid, steals your AAC device. scream for help when you're abducted. wail like you're in agony when people trip you up or knock into you. take pepper spray to the grocery store. take a knife to the club. leave cards that say "fuck you" under the wipers of inconsiderately parked cars and scratch access codes for bathrooms on the outside of the door. we are not begging for mercy, we're fighting dirty. we have to.

[chthonic-pain]

someone grabbed my wheelchair today and then shouted "ouch! there's spikes!"

YEAH!! GET FUCKED !!!!!!

[anotherdayforchaosfay]

I witnesses someone trying to shove a wheelchair user because they felt the wheelchair wasn't going fast enough, I guess. Not even a second later, this asshole is screaming in pain because the handles had razor wire on them the back of the wheelchair had a sign saying "do not touch."

NGL, I was laughing and gave the wheelchair user a nod. They just kept on going after a nod and wink at me. Fucking amazing.

When I was in hs, I had to use crutches a few times. Classmates though it was funny to kick them while I'm standing. Soooo I glues nails on the bottom 18 inches or so. Two students screaming and yelling resulted in no one kicking them again.

Do not fuck with mobility devices. They are an extension of our body. If you decide to violate our boundaries, be prepared for retaliation, much like if someone shoved or pushed you. Keep yourself to yourself.

[lesbi-nyan]

@catgirlwheels

[cripplepunk-phantom]

Amcare (Amazon's EMTs) sent me home because of The Purple. I don't know what The Purple is exactly, but I call it that because it turns my vision purple and spotty, sometimes there's black mixed with The Purple.

Along with The Purple comes ringing in my left ear so loud that it drowns anything else out. There's also dizziness and occasionally numbness.

The Purple happens when I stand. I've learned that so far and that usually if I lay on the ground fast enough and long enough it goes away. The first time it happened, I didn't know that yet and woke up with vomit in my mouth and my friend shaking me. She didn't know about The Purple either.

Today, before work, I got The Purple twice. I laid on the floor for about 5 minutes the first time then another 25 when it happened again right after I got up. At work I got it when I went to clock in. I thought The Purple would pass by the time I got a station but at the desk it got worse and they had to wheel me to amcare.

When I got there, The Purple was gone. Still, Amcare took my blood pressure, my oxygen, my pulse, and my sugar. All my numbers were fine. The lady said my pulse was "like an athlete" at 61 resting. I feel she might've thought I was faking it. I hope not but I can understand why. The numbers she could take were fine and I felt fine when she took them and yet moments before I was overcome by The Purple.