i love you. im glad i exist

anyone with any visual impairment can identify as blind ("visual impairment" describes your best possible vision WITH correction, not without, if you have full vision with glasses or contacts this is not for you)

you can't spot a blind person by looking at them from a distance, not all of us use canes or have guide dogs

not all of us have "unusual" looking eyes either

blindness as an identity exceeds legal blindness

blindness is a spectrum; 93% of the people who are considered legally blind have some residual vision, with the percentage being even higher when taking into account all blind people

there are many forms of blindness, from low visual acuity to restricted visual field to low depth perception to cortical visual impairment and so much more, we are not a monolith

blind people can use technology with a variety of accessibility settings and aids, or, depending on their condition, without any help

using braille is becoming less common among blind people, don't assume we can read it

blind people can live independently, having to ask for help sometimes isn't the same as dependence

some blind people carry a short white cane diagonally in front of their upper body, these are known as symbol canes or ID canes and are used to let other people know that they can't see well (note that these aren't used in all countries, some countries have other symbols)

not all blind people wear sunglasses 24/7, but the stereotype comes from the fact that a lot of us have problems with photosensitivity, or are tired of sighted people giving us crap for our eyes

Me: Hey, I'm really struggling to find a job and a part of it is my resume. I was depressed & psychotic during highschool so I didn't do anything to gain skills or achievements to put on my resume. I also don't have anyone to put as a reference. What can I do?

Them: You can add your skills, hobbies, clubs you're in, and different volunteer work you've done! You can also get your teacher as a reference.

Me: I already know what to put on a resume, my issue is that I don't have things that I can use. Also, I'm in my mid 20s so I don't know if I can put my highschool teacher as a reference.

Them: Well if you're a part of a church or an activity group, you could add that. Also, think of any projects you've worked on in the past.

Me: I already know you can put these things on a resume. I'm not looking for suggests of things I've already done, I'm looking for what I can do now if I haven't done anything.

Them: There's no way you didn't do anything during highschool?? What about some odd jobs you definitely did for extra money, like babysitting or mowing the lawn?

Me: I spent all of highschool either in modified classes or in bed doing nothing - not even hobbies, what about that do you not understand?

And then you talk to someone who's also disabled and they're like "Here's a bunch of jobs you can do from home that don't pay much but look good on a resume, here's some free online courses that also look good on a resume, here's how you can be making small amounts of money in the meantime, here's some things you can put besides a professional reference, and here are your rights if your future employer tries to take advantage of your disability - which you probably shouldn't tell them about unless you need accommodations."

Freelance Jobs You Do From Home That Look Cool On A Future Resume

Please research any company before sign up with then. So many companies are scams and pay you way less than you deserve for your work. Go to r/freelancers and search to make sure nobody has had some horrid experiences. There's also usually reviews of a company on YouTube as well.

Transcribing - adding subtitles to videos for deaf and other hard of hearing people. You usually read a big instruction manual, do two or three tests to see how well you can follow the instruction manual, and then get an e-mail if you can work with them or not. Depending on where you sign up, you can also fill out which topics you're knowledable on and less likely to make mistakes on when transcribing.

Translating - same as transcribing, but now you're translating one language into another. I have not done this before, so I'd suggest talking to people who have.

Article Writing - there are different websites you can sign up to work for where someone sends in a request for an article about a certain topic, you can write that article, and if they like it they can purchase it from you. Some websites have a ranking system where the more good reviews your article gets, the more money you'll get paid.

Article Editing - you can also get payed to fix typos and reorganize an article (or list) if writing isn't your thing.

Top 10 Lists - There are different sites that will pay you to write 10 ten lists. They usually require a specific amount of words and have an author's guide on their site.

Graphic Designer - if you go to different generic freelance websites, you can often find people who are searching for someone to design logos for their company or banners for their websites. It helps if you have a portfolio as well.

Virtual Assistent - scheduling appointments, answering calls, and managing email accounts from your own home. I haven't done this one so again, do more research.

Small Amounts Of Money

Qmee - I've been using this app for awhile called qmee where you do surveys for money. Surveys usually pay anywhere in between 30 cents and 2 dollars, and they have a feature where if the survey asks you anything sketchy then you can report them. You can also cash out whenever, like you don't have to build up a certain amount. (If you aren't American, you may only get a couple surveys per day.) An extra 20 dollars a month isn't much but it's nice.

Fiverr - A website where you state your talents and you can take on other people's smaller projects for small amounts of money. A funny example is this YouTube skit where someone paid some people on fiverr to come up with a break-up letter. I believe you can also keep a portfolio for any projects you make during your freelance jobs on fiverr too.

Redbubble - this is where you can put different designs onto different types of clothing, notebooks, mugs, hats, etc. It helps if you have a design that's from a fandom, references a meme, or fufills a niche. You can also go to TeeSpring if you want to put multiple designs on one item, but you'd have to promote your items yourself as TeeSpring has this issue where you can't search for new stores who aren't already popular.

Test Products - once again, please research any company you're going to do this for. There are companies that will send you products for a week or two and ask for a report on how well it works, what you like/dislike, etc.

If You Don't Have Anyone To Put On Your Resume As References

Volunteer Somewhere - animal shelters, tutoring, soup kitchens, summer programs, public libraries, etc. If you're able to volunteer somewhere, you can ask the people there if you can use them as a reference.

Volunteer Online - you can also do online volunteer work if you're unable to do physical volunteer work. Here's a list of examples of online volunteer work which includes things like creating a large amount of thank-you cards, transcribing books into digital form, or answer texts or calls on a crisis line. This may be a better option due to covid.

Add Personal References - friends and family members do work (just don't list them as professional references). It's especially helpful if you've done a project for/with them as well.

Or don't add references at all - references look good on a resume, but unless you're writing a federal resume you kind of don't need them? If someone is interested in hiring you, they may ask if you have any references. You can just say "no, this is my first job" (if it is). They might ask why you haven't worked before, but you can just say that it's personal or private information. Or you can give a vague answer like dealing with family matters.

Once you have some, this is how you would format your references.

being right about self diagnosis isn't what makes self diagnosis okay. it's a process, and you're learning. it takes time to find answers and just like doctors can be wrong in their suspicions so can you.

And yet. If someone at the front desk is telling you they can’t unlock the elevator. If you get a ticket for parking in a handicapped spot when you have the dmv card. If the door to the big stall won’t close and you’re telling the front desk about it for the third time in as many weeks. If the bus driver won’t give you time to put on your breaks and secure your wheelchair

Ask to speak to their supervisor. Mention he ADA. Drop a reference to “my lawyer.” Make a nuisance of yourself. You have to get used to taking up more space, and that doesn’t just mean physical space. You have rights. You deserve access. You don’t have to just take it to be polite.

You’re allowed to ask to speak to the manager.

[ Plain text: Visibly Disabled Nonexistence ]

Visibly disabled people don’t exist. We don’t get that privilege. 

We are our aids. Our deformities. Our movements that don’t match abled expectations. We are our weird noises and our inability to speak. We are medical and gross and nonhuman. We are disabled. We are not people.

We get asked about our private, personal medical information and we are to share the correct amount at all times. The correct amount is enough to satiate abled curiosity but not so much that it makes them uncomfortable. We are not to complain. We have nothing to complain about. Because we are not people.

We are fictional characters that make abled people remember how lucky they are. They would kill themselves if they were us. But they are not us. They will never be us. Because we are not people.

We cannot be happy, because we are disabled. And disability is tragic. We cannot be sad, because we’re not immediately dying. And when we’re immediately dying, that’s okay. Because we are not people.

We have to work or be in the hospital getting treatment at all times. If our lives aren’t for money, we shouldn’t exist. We don’t exist anyway. We are fictional characters. We are not people.

Our lives are simply stories made to tell children to behave. You don’t want to end up like that filthy cripple do you? You’re only a cripple when you misbehave. Because behaving makes you human. And we are not human.

many Deaf people are not native speakers of English. reading captions means reading a foreign language. Deaf people whose native language isn't English deserve equal access to media and captions are not true equal access.

i got a cane at first because i thought my issues were "mild" and therefore i needed a "mild" mobility aid. but canes are moreso for stability than support. i damaged my wrist and worsened my scoliosis by deciding to use a cane without an educated opinion.

I made a discord server!! Join me and other people with rare disorders and disabilities to get support from your brethren! Cpunk leaning, but you don’t have to be cpunk to join. Only for people with rare conditions. If you’re not sure if your condition is rare, you can still join, but our rules outline some common conditions that aren’t rare.

The normalization of this shit in medical and casual settings is genuinely mind boggling. Addicts and disabled people go through so much bullshit. I've dealt with many fucked up doctors when I just needed help

I had a kidney infection, some months back. This is always extremely medically urgent, and I was likely only hours from sepsis. I went to the hospital reporting my pain to be a 9/10. 9 because my 10 was gallstones. I experienced severe malpractice at the hospital and the doctor reported exams that never occured and false information while making me wait with nothing more than tylenol to hold me over (didn't touch the pain) and bring my fever down but that's a whole other story

They did however, deny me the pain medication I needed until it was time to go home. I'm deathly allergic to NSAIDS, but that's something an addict might say so they witheld pain relief because they'd rather me suffer just in case I'm a different kind of sick. An entire night, maybe 6 hours in the ER and they couldn't give me anything, not a small dose of morphine or one norco even a few hours prior to take the edge off of the pain while I was curled up shaking and crying. Just in case I was an addict looking for my fix, and my suffering was just withdrawals and good acting. In that case maybe I deserved it and should be denied my humanity. God forbid in that case I'm so desperate to alleviate unbearable withdrawals that I spend all night in the ER crying. Not the first time I've experienced red tape just to get relief from excruciating pain

But whatever. As per protocol I was asked to follow up with my pcp. So a few days later I called to set an appointment, but I'd also run out of norco and desperate to relieve the pain I asked if I could be filled even enough for a few days, until the pain was bearable. I had difficulty walking, laying down, and I again, can't take most pain relievers. The receptionist was nice and understanding, actually got me in touch with the doctor because she wanted me to be able to get my refill. Probably heard the pain in my voice even. She believed me

She transfers me over to the doctor and I tell him I'd like a follow up and ask if he could fill my painkillers. I would've acceped a no from him, I just needed my follow up. He asked about my condition, I told him my diagnosis and how much pain I was in

And he laughed.

Got a real hoot out of it, like he had me all figured out. Like he caught me trying to cheat the system. I must be trying to get high or make some money with a few days worth of norco as i'm nearly in tears from the pain even while calling

He tells me through his laughter "I don't prescribe painkillers for 'kidney infections'" saying it with a mocking emphasis on those words, as if I'd said "stubbed toe". Follows with "Yeah haha, bye." and hangs up on me. No follow up like I called for. Needless to say I no longer have a pcp but truly if he thought I was an addict trying to take advantage of him he should have still treated me professionally. Maybe not cackled when I said my pain was excruciating for a start

I just don't understand why the hell so many doctors can be so apathetic to people's suffering. Addicts deserve better and so do disabled people- whether you think they're addicts or not. The assumption that we're lying, trying to trick them and are feigning pain to do it is disgusting, listening to your patients is so important. And if that were the case they could have some sympathy and ask themselves what it would take for someone to go those lengths, take such drastic measures and go through that trouble to obtain those substances.

People shouldn't have to suffer through withdrawal symptoms. I've never used an illegal drug, but I have accidentally gone off Effexor and that was enough to make me want to rip off my skin. That's on a drug that's not considered addictive, and was only off it for a few days.

I cannot fathom the pain of withdrawal from pain medicine or narcotics. It takes people an average of seven attempts to kick a drug habit. That tells me that withdrawal is excruciating. It is literally unbearable for most people.

If you're a doctor, you have a responsibility to limit your patients' pain. It doesn't matter why that patient is in pain. You have a moral obligation to give that patient medicine.

namely there seems to be an assumption that if you get long covid, it's because you are an able bodied person who just "wasn't careful enough" and "went back to normal" and "hates disabled people." lots of posts celebrating that the assumed able bodied long covid patient "knows what it's. like now" and "woman who voted for the leopards eating people's faces party now has the leopards eating her face"

i don't want to hear "oh since you weren't the one who was irresponsible, you deserve support" or "if it wasn't your fault then you shouldn't be made fun of for having long covid"