[Icon description : A blue pencil stands upright against a white background. The top of the pencil gradually dissolves into rainbow branches, butterflies and music notes. / End icon description]
[Banner description : Twelve rainbow hands are painted against a white background. In front of the painted hands is written "Special Education" in bold purple letters, and below it is written "Learning knows no bounds" in smaller, cursive letters. / End banner description]
I'm a student in SPED (Specialized Education) and a writer. I've been learning so much up to date and I wanted to share these things with other writers.
Essentially, I'll be going through my class notes and making posts linking these notes with character planning, among other things.
I have a Ko-Fi. Please consider donating!
I have another, more personal account, @viperthewriter, where I share my fanfictions (and hopefully, my future original works!).
This blog is heavily inspired by @cripplecharacters which I've been following for over a year now. I strongly suggest this blog! They're doing an amazing job <3 (heart)
Other very interesting blogs include but are not limited to : @blindbeta @vitiligo-is-not-a-trend @a-little-revolution @deafaq @mimzy-writing-online
I'm going to do my best to make my posts accessible for all- if I can do anything to make it better, don't hesitate to point it out and I'll do what I can!
Questions are welcomed and encouraged, but I won't disclose very personal information. I'll tell you if it's too personal or not relevant to the blog, so ask away!
If you are another student / professional, I encourage you to share what you know! Whether you work / study in social work, specialized education, psychiatry or any other similar field of work- or simply have knowledge in a certain diagnosis, I'm sure everyone has something to offer. Just remember to be confidential about examples!
I feel the need to mention that I have a very bad posting schedule. I will be posting when I can, but regularity is not easy for me!
Another thing to know is that I translate my notes to English; I study in another language. Therefore, I may not have the exact terms. If you ever notice I could be using a better or more official word for something, feel free to point it out!
That's all from me for now. Take care of yourselves out there!
Disclaimers:
Please note that I am not a professional and the information I will be sharing should not be used for diagnostic means.
Please remember that I am only one human being, not a team of mods, and I am also a student. I do not hold all the answers, I may make mistakes and I am still learning. I can however ask your questions to my professors if I struggle with answering them!
Hi I am the person who sent you all those asks concerning my fears or theories of having an intellectual disability.
I want to send you this so you can have additional information that might point me in the right direction of understanding fully what makes my brain tick. The new information is that I have an “cognitive impairment” symptom within my autism that changes how hard it impacts me due to my emotional slash mental stage.
I don’t understand this? If it were an impairment why did the person state that it is a symptom of my autism? This makes no sense!
Please help, please and thank you.
Hi! Sorry for the late reply...
It's been a long time, I hope you're doing well!
Disclaimer; I am not a professionnal. The best option is to get a second opinion, but I hope I can help guide in the right direction!
(Note; you normally send asks on anonymous, so if you need me to change anything on this post feel free to tell me!)
If I understand this right, you have an autism diagnosis, with "cognitive impairment" as a specifier?
A specifier isn't exactly a symptom; it's more of an extra information to properly describe your reality. For example, someone might have "autism, with accompanying language impairment". This means that they have both autism and a language disorder.
If it's written "with accompanying intellectual/cognitive impairment" (or something similar), then it means that the autism comes with an intellectual disability. In this case, you are right; you have autism and IDD.
If it's written that your cognitive impairment is a symptom of your autism rather than a specifier, then I'm not so sure what this could mean. I assume it means the same thing as if it was a specifier.
As mentionned in the disclaimer at the beginning, I'm not a professionnal. I also don't know to your medical history, so I can't say anything for sure. This is based on my understanding.
If you have more questions regarding your situation, I'll be happy to help! And if you have questions regarding words on your diagnosis papers, @plain-language-science might be able to help as well. (I hope it's okay that I tag you!)
[Large text: 30 days of autism acceptance - Day 2]
Question: Are there some things in life that you either learned much later than your neurotypical peers or not at all?
Adapting to new or unpredictable situations is a big one for me, if that counts as something that is learnt.
There are a lot of things that I still don't understand, such as small talk.
It might sound weird, I struggle quite a bit with matching my clothes. No matter how many times someone explains that black and navy blue don't go together, or that a sportsy jogging pants and a "clean" shirt don't match, I don't get it.
Anything related to economics, other than the concept of money, is alien to me. I've tried to understand, but no matter how many times and how precisely it's explained to me, I don't comprehend how taxes, budgeting, debit vs credit, etc work.
I don't drive, but my Tourette's also plays a big part in this.
Jokes and double meanings weren't as bad, but I remember being in high school and being completely and utterly unaware of the dirty jokes. Teenagers joke about this kind of thing, but I never caught them, or if I did (ex. if people laughed), I never understood what the innuendo was. It wasn't caused by lack of education on the topic; I just didn't understand.
There are a lot of other things I struggle with due to autism that neurotypicals or allistics can do, but I can't name all of them off the top of my head.
[Large text: 30 days of autism acceptance - Day 1]
I'm a bit late, I hope it's okay!
Question: What age did you find out you were autistic? If you have a diagnosis, what was the diagnosis process like, if you can remember it?
I was diagnosed (twice) with level 1 autism as a young adult several years ago.
It might sound stereotypical, but I kind of always knew I didn't fit in. However, having two autistic siblings made some of my symptoms less obvious since it was normal to me. I don't think there was a clear moment where I asked myself "am I autistic?". For me, it was more like a gradual questionning of my overall mental health.
The diagnosis process was quite complicated, since I had to go get a second opinion (long story short, I was refused a psychiatrist because the first diagnosis was "incomplete"... I still don't understand).
The first time was by a sole neuropsychologist, and the second, by a team (psychiatrist, nurse, etc). The processes were very similar, though.
During the first appointment, they asked questions on how I used to be as a child, if I had friends, if I did this or that thing that might be a sign of autism. It's mainly to gather information on who I am as a person and see if I had enough signs as a child to be considered for the next steps of the diagnosis. I had a parent with me to help answer most of the questions.
During the second appointment, they made me do little "games" to see how I thought, how I perceived things. These "games" tested how cognitively flexible I was, how I solved problems, how I interpreted things, etc. This appointment was important to understand how my brain worked. My mother was with me during the second time to confirm that the way I acted and explained things was the same at home, which it was.
The delivery of the diagnosis varied between the first time and the second. The neuropsychologist explained my diagnosis through a third appointment on an online meeting, and the team simply sent the papers by e-mail.
The diagnosis process was not easy, cheap or quick... but I was very relieved to finally get a concrete answer.
science uses lots of big words which is not accessible. this blog is for explaining science in plain language (simple sentences, short paragraphs, and more common words) and simple pictures.
I will explain math, chemistry, physics, and biology, along with any other STEM [science, technology, engineering, and math] topics if people ask for it.
click below to read more about the blog.
to make things easier to understand, some explanations may be missing information, if the actual concept is very hard to explain. I will do my best to explain fully. anything that has been simplified will have a note saying “simplified”.
dictionary
[Plain Text: dictionary]
any post with the tag #dictionary is a definition for a word. if a word in the dictionary is used in any posts, the definition will be linked.
if you do not know what a word means, you can ask! no word is too “easy”.
explanations
[Plain Text: explanations]
explanation posts will have titles that say what it is about. then the rest of the text will be below a “keep reading” button.
this is to make the blog easier to look through without scrolling past lots of text. especially since there are many paragraph breaks, posts can be very long.
alternate versions of explanation posts without the "keep reading" button will be posted and tagged with "#long post".
if you do not understand a concept the way I have explained it, ask. I will explain in a different way.
asks
[Plain Text: asks]
asks are always open! I will answer any questions in asks. if you have a specific learning style, let me know and I will try my best to explain in that style.
accessibility
[Plain Text: accessibility]
I may use bold and italic text, headers/big text, and hyperlinks. I will not use colors. I will not use fancy fonts.
I will include plain text descriptions in the original post when I can, or make a different version of the post using only plain text. posts with two versions will be tagged "#plain text" and "#not plain text".
any images, videos, or other media I share will be fully visually described and/or captioned. I will make light background and dark background versions of images when I can. these will be tagged "#light mode" and "#dark mode".
if anything is confusing, tell me, and I will edit to make it more clear.
rules and guidelines
[Plain Text: rules and guidelines]
ableists will be blocked.
be kind.
the main goal of this blog is to make science more accessible to people with mental, developmental, or intellectual disabilities. but if you are an abled student who needs help understanding science, this blog is for you too!
tagging @spedandwritingtips and @this-is-ableism for reach!
do you believe that people with cognitive disabilities and/or brain damage have the right to medically transition? to have authority over their own bedtime and what they eat? to not be forcefully restrained or locked up? to have sex? or do you think that someone not be able to type without major errors or struggle to articulate their flow of thought for any reason or who will never be able to learn how to read at a level beyond primary school (if able to read or write at all) or who need things explained to them in very slow, patient and broken down terms, who will never be able to do labour or communicate are inherently living a less human life than you and will never be worthy of having as comrades or seeing as peers, just overgrown children to be carted off for everyone's peace of mind?
The previous posts were about the autonomy and freedom of choice of people with cognitive impairment. I remembered this video as I read it and thought it was relevant since it talked about the autonomy and freedom of choice of people with Down Syndrome.
Since not everyone with cognitive impairment has Down Syndrome, I wanted to clarify that I "thought" it fits and not that it's entirely the same so as to not derail from the original posts. I also am not cognitively impaired myself, and didn't want to make it sound like I'm in any way an authority in the matter.
Sorry if I'm not being very clear! I tend to be very unsure of how to communicate, but I try my best.
Thanks for clarifying! I had just woken up and did a “so you hate waffles”. I see now you were just broadening the message of the PSA to apply to people with more types of cognitive impairment. Honestly this misinterpretation is on me, you are a good communicator. I have a sibling with downs and their autonomy, freedom of choice, and inclusion is something I’m passionate about. Thanks for caring!!!
do you believe that people with cognitive disabilities and/or brain damage have the right to medically transition? to have authority over their own bedtime and what they eat? to not be forcefully restrained or locked up? to have sex? or do you think that someone not be able to type without major errors or struggle to articulate their flow of thought for any reason or who will never be able to learn how to read at a level beyond primary school (if able to read or write at all) or who need things explained to them in very slow, patient and broken down terms, who will never be able to do labour or communicate are inherently living a less human life than you and will never be worthy of having as comrades or seeing as peers, just overgrown children to be carted off for everyone's peace of mind?
The previous posts were about the autonomy and freedom of choice of people with cognitive impairment. I remembered this video as I read it and thought it was relevant since it talked about the autonomy and freedom of choice of people with Down Syndrome.
Since not everyone with cognitive impairment has Down Syndrome, I wanted to clarify that I "thought" it fits and not that it's entirely the same so as to not derail from the original posts. I also am not cognitively impaired myself, and didn't want to make it sound like I'm in any way an authority in the matter.
Sorry if I'm not being very clear! I tend to be very unsure of how to communicate, but I try my best.
I'm not the best at describing videos, but I'll do my best!
[Video description:
A person dressed as a nurse wearing teal scrubs is holding a notepad. She has shoulder-length brown hair, beige skin and has a stetoscope around her neck. She is talking to someone off-screen to her left. Captions appear on screen as she asks "What are your pain levels today?"
The video cuts to the same person, this time sitting in bed and wearing a white shirt. She is holding a book and is saying: "Um... it's like a 9."
Cut back to the nurse, who says "Do you want the Norco, or-"
An off-screen voice shifts the nurse's attention to the camera. The voice says "I don't think she needs any medicine, she doesn't lool like she's in any pain pain to me." As the voice is talking, the camera cuts back to the person in the bed, who is looking away.
It cuts back to the nurse, who speaks again. "Okay, try to think of pain like a low battery alarm in a smoke detector." The camera cuts to the person in the white shirt standing in a hallway and bringing a stepladder below a beeping smoke detector. The nurse continues while being off-screen. "Most people hear it, change the batteries and it stops. That's acute pain." The person in the white shirt climbs on the stepladder and takes the smoke detector. She changes the batteries while yellow text appears on-screen, which reads "change batteries = take pain medication".
The camera cuts to the nurse, who continues. "Patients with chronic pain tried changing the batteries, then they took down the alarm. They even tried shutting off the circuit breaker, but the beeping never stopped." While the nurse's voice continues, we see the person in the white shirt executing what the nurse says, as she's saying it. The video cuts back to the nurse. "So, they learned to adapt. They put the alarm under a pillow to make it quieter. They're still annoyed, but at least they can function." Yellow text appears on screen as the person in a white shirt seems to be working on the computer, and it reads "pillow = best pain control method for them".
The video cuts to the nurse, who continues. "Then, we come along and say: Oh, they seem fine, they probably don't even hear the beeping. Let's take away their pillow." The camera cuts to the person in the white shirt pacing in the hallway, holding her head in her hands as the beeping grows louder and the nurse continues to speak. "As a result, the beeping gets louder, driving them to the brink of madness." Yellow text appears on the screen saying "showing outward symptoms of pain".
The video cuts to the nurse, who continues. "And then we go: Oh, you don't look so good. Here's that pillow." The nurse appears to be giving pills to someone off-screen while her voice continues. "But that doesn't really work, because now it's so bad that they need two pillows to feel sane again." Yellow text appears on the screen, reading "more medicine or stronger medicine".
The nurse keeps talking. "So now, you've given them two pillows, when originally only one was needed, and we're doing what's called chasing pain." The nurse appears to be giving more pills to someone off-screen. "You'll likely end up giving even more medication in the long run, and when you do that instead of just getting ahead of it."
The ending sequence of a TikTok closes the video off, and the person's username appears on the screen: @ nursehadley.
fainting can be extremely scary. if you don’t know what to do, that can make it even scarier. luckily for you (though not for me), I’ve been fainting since I was 13 years old, so I’ve got quite a bit of experience in dealing with these things, and educating the people around me about how to deal with these things. so here is my guide on what to do if someone faints!
{1} how to prevent a fainting episode
first things first, let’s talk prevention. sometimes, people will experience symptoms before they actually faint. if you’re observant enough, you might be able to recognize these signs and take action before the person faints. some signs that someone might be about to faint include:
pale or ashy-looking skin
cold, clammy skin
flushed skin
sweating
slurred speech
dropping things
shakiness or tremors
complaints of a headache
appearing detached or out of it
looking or claiming they feel sick
unsteadiness (swaying, stumbling)
sensitivity to light (squinting, blocking their eyes)
if you notice someone exhibiting one or more of these signs, it's worth going up and asking if they're okay. sometimes people don't understand what's happening, or don't put the pieces together, and even asking if they are okay might be enough for them to work out that they are about to faint.
if they do say yes (or don't know but you suspect they are about to faint), it's time to take action. fainting can happen in the blink of an eye, so make sure you stand close by with your arms at the ready. if you can, help guide them down to the floor, making sure you tell them what you are doing. something like "let's get you on the floor" will work. that should be your top priority. if they cannot lay down, guide them to sit on the floor or the nearest available seat. get them as close to the ground as possible so if they do faint, they are at a lower risk of hurting themselves. guide them to place their head between their knees.
the steps for what to do next are virtually the same as in the next part, so to avoid repeating myself, I will just move on.
{2} if the person has fainted, check to make sure they aren't in immediate danger.
the first thing you should do if someone is unconscious is CHECK FOR A PULSE. if they do not have one, immediately start CPR, call for an ambulance. this should be your number one priority. everything else can come later.
once you've determined they are still alive, you can start checking for injuries. don't try to move them right away, especially if you think they may have hit their head. check for bleeding, bruising, broken bones, etc. if you see any major injuries, call for an ambulance.
also, take the time to check the environment around you. make sure they are not in a dangerous location (ex: near the top of a flight of stairs, on or very near the road, in areas with high foot traffic, etc). if they are, take the time to move them.
THIS IS IMPORTANT: if the person has a service dog, do not impede its duties!! do not try to move the dog. check for medical ID (either on the person or on the dog). if you find something that indicates something serious may be going on, or if the dog tries to alert you or get your attention, call for an ambulance.
{3} get the person conscious again.
if they are not in immediate peril, congratulations! now you get to start on the process of getting them conscious again. of course, it's very likely they will regain consciousness on their own after a few seconds, but even if they do, these are important steps to take to help them recover quicker.
here's some things you should do:
shift the person onto their back and elevate their feet above their heart. this helps get blood flowing back to the brain.
remove any excess layers and loosen any tight clothing.
get some water or a cool compress and apply it to areas like the face and the back of the neck.
make sure they have enough room to breathe. if there's a crowd, you should try to get them to back away.
if the person doesn't appear to be in any immediate danger, there is no need to call an ambulance at this point.
if the person has been unconscious for longer than a minute, call for an ambulance. this is a sign that something more serious may be going on. also, if the person has difficulty regaining consciousness, or lapses back into unconsciousness, that is also a sign you need to call for an ambulance.
if the person has a service dog, you can and should still do all of these things (without impeding the dog's tasks). do not distract the dog or assume that the dog will do everything.
{4} help the person recover after regaining consciousness.
once they have woken up, you can begin the post-fainting recovery process.
ask the person the following questions: 1) how are you feeling? 2) does anything hurt? 3) have you ever fainted before? (if they have not and there is no obvious cause for the fainting, call 911) 4) do you want me to call someone for you?
continue to have the person elevate their feet and apply a cold compress for at least ten minutes, or until they are feeling better.
once they are ready to stand, remain close by in case they lose consciousness again.
once they are upright again, offer them some water.
if they have fainted because of low blood sugar or they have a condition like POTS, try to find them something small to eat. again, only do this when they are upright again.
treat any (minor) injuries they might have sustained.
make sure they have a way to get home (or wherever they are going) safely. encourage them to rest, drink fluids, and eat.
{5} what not to do if someone faints.
do not panic. fainting is very common and usually no cause for concern. a healthy amount of worry is good, but don't get too worked up about it. that could impair your ability to help.
do not call an ambulance if the person tells you not to call an ambulance, especially if this person has a history of fainting. not every fainting episode warrants a trip to the ER, and having paramedics hovering over you can be way more stress than it's worth.
do not elevate the head. the reason you collapse is because your body is trying to get bloodflow back to the brain. elevating the head usually will either not help, or it may be actively harmful. this include placing items like pillows or folded clothing under the person's head, or placing their head in your lap.
do not get them up too quickly. ease them into standing after they have been laying down for several minutes (or when they feel ready to stand). getting them up too quickly raises the chances of having another fainting spell.
do not shake the person aggressively or try to "shock" them awake by slapping them.
do not give them anything to eat or drink while they are laying down or while they are still unconscious.
don't pour water on them, especially not on their face. get a damp cloth, a water bottle, or ice pack instead.
don't leave them alone. if you must leave, make sure someone stays with them until they are up on their feet again.
don't force treatments onto them. if they say they don't need water, food, or your further assistance, listen to them.
{6} times when you should and shouldn't call an ambulance.
you should call an ambulance if:
the person has been unconscious for more than one minute.
the person is not breathing and/or does not have a pulse.
the person has a serious injury, or there is a risk they may have hit their head.
the person is pregnant.
the person is having difficulty waking, or appears extremely confused upon waking up.
the person faints multiple times.
it is the person's first time fainting.
you suspect there may be a more dangerous reason that the person has fainted (ex: stroke, heart attack, etc.)
the person has a seizure or begins exhibiting symptoms not associated with normal fainting (ex: shortness of breath, chest pains, arrythmia, difficulty moving).
you probably don't need to call an ambulance if none of the above are true, but especially so if:
the person has a history of fainting.
the person fainted for a known and non-serious reason (ex: low blood sugar, dehydration, heat, stress, etc).
the person is alert, talking, and improving afterward.
the person is young, healthy, and has no other symptoms.
there are no signs of major injury.
the person regains consciousness quickly.
hopefully you'll never have to use any of this, but if you do, now you know! feel free to drop more suggestions.
Ok so at this point I've had two people roll up to me in manual wheelchairs, well, one of them was somebody pushing somebody who was nonverbal at the time, but it still counts. They asked me why I had zip ties around my tires.
It's winter where I'm living and we have really bad snow. And the snow plow people are really bad at their jobs probably because there aren't snow plow people who clean sidewalks. As a solution I got to thinking about how I could increase the traction on my wheels. And the most redneck thing I could think of was taking a bunch of zip ties and tying them around my wheels. They last surprisingly long, and work surprisingly well. It's basically the same premise as chains for your tires during the winter.
I chose to space them out pretty evenly so there's about one for every spoke. You could probably do more or less depending on how many you want and how much traction you get but I wouldn't go more than three per spoke. I realize that it's a bit later in the winter, and I probably should have made a post about this sooner, but I came up with it about a week ago. So please share this, even if you're not disabled, because there are tons of people I know who are stuck in their houses because they can't get around in the snow. A pack of zip ties costs about $5, which compared to $200 knobby snow tires is a big save, and if you want to invest you could get colored zip ties.
(for anyone using their chair both indoors and outside, highly recommend wheelchair 'slippers'/wheel socks like these so you don't tear up wood/vinyl/linoleum flooring with the zip ties!)
Usually, I read on my phone or kobo but I've been getting into some local history so I'm getting books from the library and they're big and heavy. So I've been using my big squishmallows to prop the books up. It's not perfect but it takes most of the weight off my arms.
Most of you have probably already thought to do this but I thought I'd share just in case ✌️
with spooky season approaching i would like to once again gently remind the rpc that
w*ndigo and sk*nwalkers are not generic cryptids and creatures and should not be treated as such! they are intrinsic to specific indigenous lore and should be treated with respect.
goblins and ghouls can quickly fall into antisemitic tropes so tread carefully and do your research!
a lot of stereotypical witch imagery can also fall into antisemetic tropes so once again tread carefully and do your research, ESPECIALLY if your witch character is meant to be jewish.
Vodou/vodun or “voodoo” is not evil demon black magic. It’s a religion from those of the African diaspora
Majority of depictions you see of the practice in media stem from untrue racist depictions of Black people and our beliefs
Movie history fact: zombies were originally from West Africa. Not the living dead in general, but the word “zombi” is from African languages. The zombie genre took off based on, again, racist depictions of voodoo being this evil practice that raises the dead to harm and control White people
Zombies since then dived into a new subcategory of becoming virus based. But still keep in mind the racist origins. Also stop dressing as vodun practitioners
[small text reads: with spooky season approaching i would like to once again gently remind the rpc that
w*ndigo and sk*nwalkers are not generic cryptids and creatures and should not be treated as such! they are intrinsic to specific indigenous lore and should be treated with respect.
goblins and ghouls can quickly fall into antisemitic tropes so tread carefully and do your research!
a lot of stereotypical witch imagery can also fall into antisemetic tropes so once again tread carefully and do your research, ESPECIALLY if your witch character is meant to be jewish.]
this will be periodically updated as I discover/am reminded of more! feel free to suggest anyone I haven't listed here.
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Para Tara - @/paratara on YouTube
From her YT description: "I’m a T11/T12 paraplegic & my goal is to spread awareness of Spinal Cord Injury and my way of life as a wheelchair user :)"
Tara makes some really informative videos on what it's like being a paraplegic and a wheelchair user. She tries to combat a lot of the misconceptions and stereotypes people have surrounding it.
She also has a GoFundMe, so if you are able, go show her some support on there!
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Sarah Todd Hammer - @/SarahToddHammer on YouTube
From her YT description: "Hi everyone! My name is Sarah Todd Hammer (I go by "Sarah Todd" as a double name) and I'm 23 years old. When I was 8, I became paralyzed from the neck down. I recovered the ability to walk, but I still have paralysis in my arms and hands. I'm a 3-time published author, speaker, and disability advocate. I use my channel to inform you all of what my life is like living with a disability and educate on disability inclusion and accessibility! Subscribe to learn more about my life and disability justice 😊"
I watch Sarah Todd mostly for her videos on accessibility and how she navigates the world with arm/hand paralysis. She really does a great job outlining the different types of supports that can be implemented for disabled people.
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S. Lylo L. - @/disgaybledlylo on TikTok (formerly @/selfiereptiles)
Lylo makes content about their life with FND, EDS, and endometriosis (as well as various other disabilities). They post a lot of tip videos for disabled folks, including on how to use mobility aids. They also post a ton of awareness content, and they have a series reviewing disabled characters in media! Their FND comes with symptoms like vision loss, which isn't often talked about. Lylo also talks about their experiences being intersex, which is possibly another incentive to check them out!
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Pippa Stacey - @/LifeOfPippa on YouTube
Pippa is a "writer, blogger and communications consultant" who makes content about living with chronic illness, mostly ME/CFS. She posts content like vlogs, tutorials for disabled people (such as how to budget, book access theater tickets, and share your story), and informational content. Her videos, especially her Q&A's, are very informative and a great resource for if you struggle with ME/CFS!
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Elinor Brown - @/ElinorBrown on YouTube
Elinor makes videos about her life having ME/CFS, especially surrounding her use of mobility aids. She shares a lot about the ups and downs of having ME/CFS through her vlogs, Q&As, and informational/instructional videos. She has a very cutesy and girly aesthetic, which I love given that I also have a cutesy and girly aesthetic.
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Elizabeth Harris - @/L1zHarris on YouTube
Liz makes videos about her life being Deaf/HOH. She does a lot to combat stigma surrounding Deafness and emphasizes it as its own culture, encouraging people to seek out Deaf/HOH teachers if they want to learn Sign Language. I personally enjoy her song covers, and I appreciate (and aspire to have) the no-nonsense attitude she has when correcting people.
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Jessica Kellgren-Fozard - @/jessicaoutofthecloset on YouTube
From her YT description: "Adding vintage lesbian fabulousness to a life with disabilities and chronic illnesses, aided by my beautiful wife Claudia, our son Rupert and our adorable pups. I make fun, uplifting and educational content about LGBTQ+ and disability culture and history that should help you get through tough times and not feel alone."
I love Jessica's content! She really does a lot to raise awareness about disability (especially ME/CFS, POTS, and being Deaf/HOH) and educate people. I really enjoy her chronic illness playlist (linked here) and all the work she does to inform people about the different aspects of disability.
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Gem Hubbarb - @/Wheelsnoheels on YouTube
From her YT description: "Hi, I’m Gem, and after my spinal cord injury at the age of 9, https://youtu.be/JDX5md1qbd4 my life has taken me on many twists and turns, and finally led me to combine my passions of media and disability advocacy, and poof! Wheelsnoheels was born."
Gem makes videos discussing disability hot topics, choosing a mobility aid, traveling as a wheelchair user, making homes accessible, and wheelchair access at Disney (all according to her). Her videos around hot topic discussions and choosing mobility aids have been the most interesting for me. She really helped with my decision to get mobility aids, so I highly recommend checking her out!
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Cassidy Huff - @/CassidyHuff on YouTube
From her YT description: "I’m Cassidy Huff (she/her) and I’m a disabled, disability rights activist who is sharing my life in all aspects! I’m so excited to take you all through this life that I live and all of my ups and downs! I’m so glad you’re here! :)"
Cassidy posts a lot of content around disability activism, education, and dismantling stigma, especially surrounding things like mobility aid use, prosthetics, and service dogs. She posts a lot about her life with Conradi-Hünermann syndrome, including things like her former surgeries and her experiences with being partially blind.
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Cienna - @/chronicallyperservering on YouTube
Cienna makes content about her life having ROHHAD, a rare terminal illness which causes things like central hypoventilation. She talks a lot about having a diaphragmatic pacemaker and how she navigates the world as someone whose body doesn't tell her to breathe. I personally really enjoy her sense of humor and the content she makes about accessibility.
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Molly Burke - @/MollyBurkeOfficial on YouTube
From her YT description: "HEY! I'm Molly, a typical sushi and makeup loving millennial girl who just so happens to be blind! I was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa at just 4 years old and began public speaking at age 5. Even though I can’t see, I know that there are bright spots in everything we face. Let’s find them together!"
Molly makes a lot of educational content, especially dismantling stigma around blindness and educating people on how blind folks navigate the world.
I have made a resource to help other disabled people determine which mobility aid may be right for them. This guide is long and includes different aids, what they're used for, how to use them safely, and where to purchase them.
If you've been considering using a mobility aid, I urge you to do the proper research, my guide is not all-extensive, but it is a good place to start.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor. I can not diagnose you with anything or prescribe you anything. I fully encourage that you speak with a doctor before beginning use of any mobility aid. I am, however, aware that this is not always an option. If you choose to use a mobility aid without consulting a professional, I am not responsible for any injury that may occur.
And now, here's the guide!
Mobility Aid Encyclopedia This guide was made by Tumblr user “moltenvisionportal” for the purpose of helping others understand how different
The constant pressure for people to give hugs, shake hands, or otherwise touch people is touch-normative and asenphobic. It is also ableist, because a lot of people are touch repulsed due to physical pain, sensory issues, anxiety/paranoia, or other symptoms of neurodivergence or physical/sensory disability.
Forcing children to give hugs and kisses to family members is also bad for their development.
A child who is forced to hug/kiss another person is a child who does not learn what consent is and how to express it, because when they tried to express it, they had negative consequences / nothing happened.
A child who is forced to hug/kiss another person is a child who does not perceive boundaries the same way, because their own wasn't respected when they tried to say "no".
I think that an aunt getting a kiss on the cheek isn't as important as a child learning that if someone tries to force you into something you don't want to do, you're allowed to say no and set your boundaries.
By keeping a tray full of no prepare necessary food, in the fridge it can be used to aid neurodivergent or fatigued people.
By putting food like, cheese and crackers, or whatever is a safe food for you personally on the tray, it can be taken easily to the couch or bed to be eaten from whenever you are hungry.
This prevents executive dysfunction or fatigue and any reason preventing you from eating. You need to care of yourself because everyone needs food to stay alive including you.
You deserve to eat even when on a bad brain day and are unable to prepare a meal for yourself.
If not having a full meal doesn't satisfy you, a snack may even give you the energy to make a full meal afterwards!
