Meals on Wheels

unity amongst disabled people would look like neurodivergent people advocating for elevator access. not neurodivergents changing “accessibility” in venues to mean “accessible for people with adhd” or “accessibility for sensory issues” when most places literally can’t even accommodate the most basic ass fucking wheelchairs. we literally just want to go to the same places as y’all and it’s still too much for ablebodieds. it fucking sucks

have I mentioned recently how much I hate that disabled people still have to act polite and be nice to supposedly well-intentioned abled people who try to kidnap us

Hello. I’d like to make a distinction/PSA. I see a lot of people talk about how “lucky” level 2-3 autistics are to “not have to mask”. This is so far from the truth. Not only is this not true, it is not some luxury or anything lucky. I feel like people forget that while masking is damaging, it can also be extremely important safety wise. People who are unable to mask are at risk for a lot of danger. I personally have been in situations where not being able to mask, put me in danger. I understand that masking is draining and really harmful overtime, but also...check your privilege.

My brother is a level 2 and I am a level 1. And this is so so so true. Really, the main difference between me and my brother is my ability to mask. Because of this ability, I am able to be more independent, manage basic daily interactions like grocery shopping, and handling my own medical needs. Does it take a toll? Yes. Of course. But here’s the thing, my non-masking brother is BRILLIANTLY SMART. I cannot emphasize that enough, the guy is too smart for his own good. But nobody recognizes this in him, because all they see are his autistic traits. They don’t appreciate him for the smart, kind, empathetic, interesting, amazing human he is. (And he is also often an ASS don’t get me wrong he’s still my annoying lil brother haha) This can make his life actually dangerous. I have had to protect him from police harassment. From bullying and abuse from all kinds of authority. My fellow level ones: we need to learn to unmask when it’s damaging. But we also need to understand that it is a valuable skill and a tool of self-preservation. Masking doesn’t make us less valid as autistic people or disabled people, but it does mean we have a responsibility to our low/non masking siblings to make this world more accessible for all of us, and stand alongside them as we all fight for our right to be ourselves.

I’ve also had ablebodied NDs say to me that they didn’t believe that people would glare at me / harass me in public because THEY personally would never do it. Kind of like “umm everyone knows harassing VISIBLY disabled people is bad!!!” and I just want to teleport through the screen and scream NO!!!!!!! NO THEY DONT KNOW THAT!!!!

Literally had an autistic cis woman tell me that nobody would harass me in the bathrooms because they’d be “too distracted” by the wheelchair to care that I’m trans. 💀

My brother grew up with an upper limb disability while I have a lower limb disability. He was always considered the “visibly disabled one” until I started to need mobility aids, and then suddenly he seemed invisible next to me. It’s absolutely wild the lengths people will go to justify “helping” me when I don’t want it, and not helping him when he does.

Some adults need to learn this too smdh the number of times I’ve almost dumped myself out of my chair trying to avoid crashing into a full grown adult (often on their phone or otherwise distracted) is ridiculous.