huskychronicles:

trainingfaith:

You’re sitting at a cafe with your friend when suddenly a woman walks in with a toy poodle in her purse. The manager at the counter informs her “I’m sorry, but we do not allow dogs”. She replies with a heavy sigh and a “She’s a service dog. She can come with me”. Not knowing much about service dog law, and worrying about getting sued for asking further questions, he sits this woman down at a booth. There, she promptly unzips her purse and places the dog on the booth seat next to her. When the woman’s food comes out, the little dog begs and she feeds her bits off her plate. This dog is not public access trained, and proceeds to bark at those who walk by. This dog is a nuisance and causes many in the restaurant to complain. The manager cannot do anything but inform the unhappy customers that this is a service dog, so he can’t ask her to leave. In the end, it’s the customers who end up leaving.

Now I walk in with my highly trained service dog pressed against my leg in a perfect heel position, and I’m quickly bombarded by the manager telling me “No dogs! No dogs! We ALL know what happened last time”. Confused, I tell him “This is my medical alert and medical response service dog. Her right to accompany me is protected under federal law.” With a sigh, he seats me at a table far away from others where my dog promptly tucks under my feet, out of sight. When my food arrives my dog is still tucked tightly under the table because she knows she’s not supposed to eat when she’s on duty. She stays there ignoring those who walk past for the remainder of my meal. When we leave, a woman by the door exclaims “Woah, I didn’t know there was a dog here!”

See the difference?

Scenario number two occurs at a local grocery store when a man decides to bring his certified emotional support animal into the store with him. Upon entering he flashes a fancy ID card and certification papers. This dog is not as unruly as the first, but he still forges ahead of his handler, sniffs the food on display, and may seek attention from those who walk past. You find this dog adorable, and when he and his owner walk past you ask to pet him. The owner says yes and explains how all he had to do was go online, register his dog, and a few weeks later they sent him a vest, ID card, and certification papers.

Now I pull into the same grocery store. I’m in a rush to get an ingredient for a dish I’m making so I hurry into the store with my service dog next to me. I’m quickly stopped by a manager who demands to see my service dog’s certification card. Remember, this is NOT required by law, and most real service dog teams don’t have them. After 15 minutes of trying to educate, pulling up the ADA website on my phone, back and forth bickering, and drawing more of a crowd than I want to describe… I’m finally allowed in. I grab my ingredient, stand in line (where my service dog obediently moves between my legs to make space for those around me), and I get bombarded by people asking to pet my dog. I explain that she’s working, she has a very important job to do, and she’s not allowed to be pet while on duty. People walk away grumbling and complaining about how rude I was when other handlers like the man they met earlier allow their dog to be pet.

Moral of the story? Fake service dogs create real problems. The ones who are impacted the most are the true service dog handlers who rely on their dogs every day to help mitigate their disability. How would you feel if everywhere you went, you couldn’t make it 10 feet in the door because people were asking you questions? Imagine how much time that would take out of your already hectic day. Businesses lose customers because word gets out that there are unruly dogs in their store, customers become misinformed and start thinking some of these behaviors are okay, some people even start to believe the lies that anyone can just register their dog online and make him a service dog. The result? MORE fake service dogs. MORE real problems.

I will reblob this until I die because it’s one of the few things that constantly genuinely infuriates me

poptartmochi:

tiktoks-for-thiccthots:

[ID: A video from @shelbykinsxo on TikTok of Amy Evans, who is wearing a bright red beret, black glasses, red lipstick, gold earrings, and a black turtleneck. Her brown hair is braided and lies across her right shoulder. She is using a ventilator and sits on a light grey chair in a beige room with a T.V. in the background. She says the following:

Hi everyone. My name is Amy Evans and I’m from Perth, Australia. I’m 23 years old and I have a neuromuscular condition called Nemaline Myopathy. It is a rare condition with roughly 30 people in Australia having NM. As a result of my condition, I use an electric wheelchair and ventilator. I also have a support worker help me with everyday tasks.

July is disability pride month and to celebrate Shelby has let me take over her account, so thank you to her. To me, disability pride month is about three things: awareness, acceptance, and action. Firstly, disability pride month is about raising awareness. Disability pride month isn’t largely covered by mainstream media. Disabled people are disabled because the environment around them doesn’t consider or adapt to their needs, therefore, this awareness is important. The awareness that comes from this month shines a light on how people can do better.

Next, it’s about acceptance. From a disabled person’s point of view, it’s all about accepting yourself, which can be a process for some. You’re also not going to accept your disability 100% of the time, and that’s ok. Lastly, it’s about action. Awareness and acceptance are nothing if something isn’t done about it. If you’re a non-disabled person then you can share disabled people’s content on social media, raise access issues in public places such as shops or restaurants, or give us a platform that we can get our message out on.

So, I hope you liked my take on what disability pride month is to me. If you enjoyed this video, head to my Instagram amy_c_evans to see more. Thanks! /end id]

My wish: For video content creators (e.g. Youtubers) to leave a 1/2″ of black space at the bottom of their videos instead of filling them with graphics so that there’s room for captions. Even if you don’t have the time to make the captions yourself, auto-captions still need a place to be. 

A Conversation w/ Jillian Mercado

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CIOrH0sDpDz/?igshid=18rbd3liwm7r2

I had the honor to speak with @jillianmercado of @blackdisabledcreative + hear from some other amazing artists earlier this week!

Check it out on Instagram’s @design page and make sure to follow all of the amazing people!

brain-buddies:

Scripts I use as a disabled autistic person when someone asks why I’m in a wheelchair (You don’t owe anyone an explanation for why you’re using a mobility aid, these are for if you want to/have the spoons):

-“I’m disabled.”

Pros:

-They can’t ask further questions because who in their right mind is gonna say “why are you disabled”

-Teaches abled-people that it’s none of their business

Cons:

-They do tend to get huffy for some reason?

-Leaves no room for Creativity

-“I have a condition that makes walking or standing for long periods of time unsafe”

Pros:

-It gets the point across

Cons:

-Often leads to further questions

-Kind of dry

-No room for creativity

-“An evil witch in the woods stole my ability to walk and I have to be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life as penance for stealing her chickens to feed my family”

Pros:

-Mysterious and whimsical.

-Makes you out as tragic hero

-Interesting AND creative

Cons:

-None

taibhsearachd:

capricorn-0mnikorn:

“So when I would show my prosthetic leg in my YouTube videos, I began getting age restricted for potentially “disturbing imagery.” So i made a video talking about this, talking about how messed up and wrong that is, and the hardest thing to deal with has not been people being, like: “You do need to have a trigger warning on you.” “You’re gross.” Whatever. Uh, it’s the people who are like: “Dude, I totally get it. I’m on your side. I don’t think you’re disturbing, but–” Uh, like this one: “You kind of do deserve a PG rating in life, because you could be traumatizing to the children.” I just want you to pause for a moment, and think about that. You do realize that there are disabled KIDS out there. You do realize that there are kids with, uh, limb differences and amputations, who have to go to friggin’ school. Are you suggesting that the world and their other classmates need to be protected from the sight of them, because they could be traumatizing? “What if the kids don’t know how to deal with it?” Then they LEARN. That’s part of growing up. This is absolutely absurd. Comments like this make me so frustrated, because it’s like they’re coming at you like they’re an ally, and they just want to help, but what they’re saying is so messed up.”

—

“Footless Jo,” Children do NOT need to be protected from the sight of disabled people (YouTube short, uploaded 21 March, 2022) Edited transcription of auto-generated comments.

—

I’m angered and frustrated by the newest crop of anti-trans, anti-queer, and anti-critical race theory laws in their own right, because they are unjust and detrimental to the whole of our society, even though I am cis and white.

But then, I get occasional reminders that there are people working at YouTube, and people in YouTube’s audience who think Iand other Disabled people, are also“Age-Inappropriate,” and I get a momentary twinge of fear, mixed in with that anger. How much longer until I cannot freely discuss Disability History, without fear of retribution or sanction (not that disability history is discussed at all, now, except within the Disability Community).

And I also realize that that twinge of fear is evidence of my own privilege, because it’s surprising when it comes, and it’s brief, until it comes back. And that reminds me of how I’ve been protected by White and Cis privilege, all the rest of my life.

I’m just so tired.

I mean… people will literally say that my wife, who has visible self-harm scars, which used to be incrediblyandimmediately visible but are now far less so, requires a trigger warning just for existing with their sleeves pushed up.

No one’s body requires a trigger warning. No matter how those injuries or disabilities came about… unless they are posting actively bleeding fresh injuries (which, yeah, that’s something you have control over, and isn’t cool to inflict on people who don’t expect it)… that’s the body they’re living in. No part of that needs to be warned for. Even if the injuries are fresh. Even if they’ve got a tapestry of raised red scars, or visible fresh scabbed over wounds… that’s their fucking body. That’s their human fucking existence.

You don’t get to tell anyone that’s inappropriate.

My grandmother had a prosthetic leg when I was a small child and nobody told me that I needed a content warning to see it or that it was disturbing imagery.

All I ever wanted was to know you get it

Please submit photos, videos, illustrations, visual posts that show your real life, every day experience of the world as a disabled person. Whatever that may be! It can be anything from mundane every day things, your fashion, your selfies, your food habits, the things you enjoy doing, to the adventures you go on, basically anything anyone would ever share about themselves. It doesn’t have to be a 100% positive experience, though, as that is not real life. Any emotion, any experience. I’m interested in presenting what it is like for disabled people to live their lives.

Photos, videos etc. should probably include you, a part of you, or your actual Point of View to be a true depiction of you and your experience. They should also be clear, the subject matter should be recognizable, and relatively interesting to look at (if not downright hilarious commentary on the mundaneness of living life as a human being). If we want this project to make a difference it should be something that all kinds of people want to look at.Let’s burst out of our echo-chamber and refuse to be ignored!

Whatever else, you should be presenting yourself and your experience how YOU want to be presented. This is about both education and empowerment. I’m not here to dictate how you depict your life and what “Disability Is Normal” means for you.

No photos or videos of disabled people that are not you, please, unless it is a group shot that includes you and you are also disabled.

If you know a disabled person who wants their experience to be shared as part of this project please have them submit. If they are not physically able to submit, then please message me with a copy of their explicit consent - this would be either in physical signed form (a photo of a signed note), a video of them consenting, or a voice recording. A simple YES answer to a ‘do you want this to be shared on Disability is Normal’ - a physical nod, or thumbs up etc. is good enough for me if the person is non-verbal.

I want to try and be inclusive as is absolutely possible, but this is a place for us to be represented exactly how we want to be. These are our voices!

This is a project for all disabilities, all genders, all ethnicities, all skills, all lifestyles, all perspectives, all social classes and all disabled experiences. We are numerous, we are everywhere and we WILL be acknowledged <3

compassionatereminders:

When a disabled person says they can’t do something, odds are that they’re talking from a place of experience and not from a lack of confidence or a negative mindset. So don’t treat our statement as if we’re just being insecure or unnecessarily negative cause odds are that we’re simply stating a fact based on plenty of trial and error.

i have been super self conscious abt my public & compulsive verbal stimming recently so if u r autistic/adhd/add/another stimming neurodivergency & have verbal stims/echolalia/palilalia please reblog with ur current favourite sound, word, or phrase! it’ll make me feel a little less alone:“)

mine is a high pitch "nnnyA nnnyA nnnyA nnnyaA nnnyA” & “wow” :D

RISD exhibit about disability, pt 2

thedreamlessnights:

I’ve seen a lot of talk in the fandom lately regarding Viktor and the representation of his disability. There’s a lot of anger going around on both sides of the argument. A lot of people seem to think that disabled people asking for proper representation is a targeted attack on artists. I don’t agree with this.

I do see how things could have been phrased kinder. Absolutely, I do. I understand why the artist’s response was defensive. But, I have also seen a good deal of misrepresentation with Viktor’s disability in this fandom. It’s everywhere. It’s understandable, especially for disabled people, to be upset about it.

This misrepresentation of Viktor’s disability ranges from infantilization of his character, to simply being represented incorrectly, to not being represented at all.

From my perspective as a writer, I am not disabled. I do my best to represent disabilities properly and can fully recognize that I might fail at that. If a disabled person starts telling me I am representing it wrong, how should I respond?

Well, I am not the one who is seeing my experiences being consistently erased. I am not the one who is being harmed by this erasure. I am not the one who knows what it is like to be disabled.

For abled people, this is one conversation, and an effort to be better. For disabled people, this is their lives. This is what they deal with, every single day. It’s going to get frustrating after a certain point. It’s going to be disheartening to see this erasure, over and over. As abled people, it is so easy to say, “Oh, this should have been worded kinder,” when we are not the ones who are being affected. But it’s not that simple.

If I am being informed I’m representing a minority wrong, when I have not lived that experience, all I can do is be better with this information. To make an effort to represent things better in the future.

Which is truly all people are asking for - that we, as creators, make an effort,andlisten.

Word Count: 1K

Chiming in as a disabled person to support this and to add:

Everyone’sexperience with disability is different.

So it’s important to practice patience, empathy, and self-compassion when working towards a shared understanding when discussing disability representation. Bodies are inherently political, acutely so when talking about disability representation. For so many disabled folk, our very erasure in fandom is a reminder of how most societies prefer their disabled citizens invisible or dead.

Did you ask for a miniature essay on Viktor, disability representation in fandom, life as a disabled person, and being a disabled writer? No. Did I want to write one instead of editing chapter three of Arcane Treats? 100%. You’re welcome.

Fandom and Disability Representation

Fandom and disability representation have a long history. Fan creations — whether that be writing, art, animation, cosplay, craft, etc. — and fandom offer safe escapist spaces where disabled people can feel truly seen without being subjected to exclusionary media censorship where our disabilities are regularly minimised, fetishised for non-disabled folk (see inspiration porn), completely erased or even worse, presented as a death sentence.

When you’re disabled, your disability shapes a significant part of your identity growing up because your disability affects how you navigate the world. In Viktor’s case, his disability affected his self-perception and self-worth growing up, including how he interacted with his Zaunite peers as a child and how he gravitated towards invention, where he felt empowered by and valued for his intellect.

It also underpinned his motivation for seeking Jayce out years later in Act I. Viktor saw parts of himself in Jayce’s desolation; and he gave Jayce the thing that Viktor, himself, held onto for years:

Hope.

Hope for a brighter future. Hope for innovation. Hope for invention that could “improve lives” of the disenfranchised, of the disaffected and of the disempowered people of Zaun, in Viktor’s case.

Viktor’s experiences as a disabled child growing up in Zaun, without the disability supports he needed — and seeing how being physically disabled was a death sentence (systemically constructed by the Piltover oligarchy, might I add) in Zaun — is closely tied to his hopes of bettering the lives of others. One day I’ll write an essay about disability representation in Zaun and the Piltover oligarchy. Today is not that day.

Viktor’s hope — this yearning and drive for a more equitable future is part of the reason why Viktor is so beloved. Not just for his ambition, pacifist nature, kindness, diligence, sparkling wit and genius intellect (and cheekbones that could, honestly, slice haloumi). But also because these traits are part of his identity as an academic, an inventor, an innovator, a reckless and stalwart companion and friend, and a disabled man.

Viktor isn’t defined by his disability but it’s an integral part of his identity. His disability doesn’t make him a hero nor does it villainise him nor does it disempower him and make him a victim.

It’s part of the reason he’s considered a nuanced and refreshing disability representation in fandom. His desperation in Arcane isn’t because he’s disabled, it’s because he’s grappling with the mortality of a terminal diagnosislikeany non-disabled person.

The (Disability) Invalidation Game

Being disabled is often layered with years of trauma from not only rejection, but humiliation, invalidation, disappointment and frustration spent navigating a world that constantly defines you solelyby your disabilities to strip you of your agency, autonomy and individuality.

This can include, but is not limited to, infantilising you and thus invalidating your experiences and struggles, creating — quite often —inaccessible and disappointingly lacking disability support systems for the layperson to navigate, making erroneous assumptions about your capability based off your disabilities, or comedically worse, claiming you’re a disability-friendly venue but having no accessible toilet for disabled folks, no elevator or ramp access to the venue, etc. (like, why??!)

Being constantly invalidated and disappointed by people, systems and spaces that claim to support you is exhausting. Let alone frustrating, harmful and enragingwhen it already feels like you’re constantly fighting to be able to safely navigate, and exist in, our world.

So it’s an understandable frustration when people we admire are unaware of their internalised biases that devalue and erase disabled people’s identities, similarly to the media censorship that is shown in films, books, TV shows, advertisements, etc. The media continues to associate disabilities with naivety and impotency (powerlessness), a poor moral compass, or suggesting characters’ disabilities are their ‘superpower’, e.g. Daredevil, Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Forrest Gump, Captain Hook, the Joker, Harlequin (earlier iterations), etc.

So sometimes our frustration can come across unkind and abrupt, because we’re upset. We’re so used to having to yell to be heard. Not listened to, but just heard. Just making noise to validate our physicalexistence.

Making an effort to listen to input from disabled people on how to have more nuanced, affirming and empowering disability representation is one of the most validating things you can do.

It also makes you a better ally for disabled people.

Writing Disability Representation

That written, my experiences as a disabled person are inherently unique to me.

My mobility experiences and struggles are not identical to others. My conditions and how they affect me are not identical to others. My relationship to my disabilities, including how they fluctuate, is not identical to others. They can be similar but the underlying experience is inherently different.

Even as a disabled writer, I still listen to my disabled peers when writing about disability to ensure it doesn’t perpetuate stereotypes or repeat patterns of poor disability representation. I am just as susceptible to unconscious internalised ableism as non-disabled people.

My un-dismantled ableism was a huge part of the reason that it took years to identify as disabled and access disability supports, which markedly improved my quality of life (pals, baby wipes can only get you so far). Disability prejudice is the underlying reason why each chapter for Arcane Treats takes a month, at least, to write.

Reader is disabled. Not physically like Viktor or because of underlying chronic illnesses like me, but because of her mental illnesses.

I have different mental illnesses and conditions from Reader, which also manifested for entirely different reasons. So a lot of my writing process is engaging with disabled friends for sensitivity reading and/or questions, and doing a heck-tonne of research (and praying to Apollo that my work is worthy enough to avoid submission for divine retribution from Nemesis). That feedback and research has helped me become a better writer, a better artist, and a better critic — and arguably, a better academic.

Conclusion

Personally, we have an obligation as people to listen to diverse and marginalised voices, e.g. LGBTQIA+, BIPOC, disabled, neurodivergent, etc. Even when it’s confronting and it pains us.

It’s part of the journey of living on this space rock hurtling at 30km/s (67,000m/h) around a star called the 'Sun’. But more importantly, it’s the first step to creating a better future for ourselves, others and future generations — similar to what Viktor wants.*

*Let’s ignore his transformation to The Machine Herald at this point because, uh, that’s, um, an essay for another time.

New video. I talk a bit in depth about childhood, my experience with growing up with my mother going blind as a young mother, to young children. I have inserted a trigger warning due to the fact there is one possibly troubling thing I talk about.

Give this video a watch, like and share if you want

https://youtu.be/LsSmW0pZlts

coruscanttojerusalem:

birdblogwhichisforbirds:

alarajrogers:

birdblogwhichisforbirds:

theorangedead:

This is really important! Please call your reps to support if you can

New Bill Would Allow People with Disabilities to Earn & Save More Money

Not only does it raise the limit, it INDEXES THE LIMIT TO INFLATION MOVING FORWARD.

If you are in the US, tell your senators and congressperson to vote for this.

https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

(you can still contact your senators if you’re under 18, or if, like me, you are a green card holder or other immigrant who can’t vote yet.)

This one isn’t a hotbutton issue for Republicans vs Democrats so dont assume that just because you live in a blue state that your reps will definitely vote for it. Make the call.

Or that they WON’T in a red state.

Boost the heck out of this. It is bipartisan legislation, Sponsored by Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and co-sponsored by Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH). The bill number is S. 4102 and I don’t think it has a House equivalent yet. If you tell your reps to vote for S. 4102 sponsored by Sen. Brown and co-sponsored by Sen. Portman, you could be completely changing the game for disabled married couples. (The Senate has a drop-down menu by state at the top of the website https://www.senate.gov/)