The Disabled Experience: Eldritch Being Edition

Anywho now I'm stuck with the frustration of realising my insurance won't cover or reimburse a wheelchair...whoopee...

[Image ID: A transparent image of the Disabled Sun, which is the same as the astrological symbol of the sun. It is a large black circle with a smaller black circle in the center. End ID]

So... I wanted a symbol to represent disabilities, one that wasn't the wheelchair symbol. As a wheelchair user myself, I do like the wheelchair symbol, but it also feels like an incomplete image of the disabled community as a whole. Disabled people can come in every shape and size, and for many, many of us, the wheelchair symbol isn't representative.

Disabled people may have wheelchairs, or canes, or crutches, or hearing aids, or service dogs, or different body shapes, or even nothing at all visibly indicating a disability. There have been alternative symbols suggested in the past, but most hinge on showing a silhouette, and there would never be a way to demonstrate all of us with one little bathroom-sign-style human. So, I made this! The Disabled Sun!

This isn't meant to replace the wheelchair symbol, as that certainly has its history and place in our community, it's simply meant to be an optional other symbol for those who choose to use it.

This symbol was chosen for the following reasons and meanings:

Outer circle represents the body; physical disabilities, our relationships to our bodies, disabled bodies in general.

The inner circle represents the mind; mental disabilities, our relationships to our minds, disabled minds in general.

The circles represent wholeness, representing that we are whole, complete people. We are whole, not despite our disabilities, but we are whole including our disabilities. We are not incomplete or broken, nor are we “missing” anything.

Circles also represent unity. In this case, the circles represent the solidarity and unity of disabled people across the wide range of disabilities. It also represents universal design.

The sun represents shining a light on disabled people, and the light we provide ourselves.

It's simple, discreet, easy to reproduce, and has a unicode symbol already. ☉

The symbol is welcome to be used by anyone of any kind of disability, be it physical, mental, neurodevelopmental, sensory, invisible, anything! If you have any sort of impairment and consider yourself disabled, you are welcome to use this symbol.

[Image ID: A transparent image of the Disabled Sun, a large circle with a smaller circle in the center, in the colors of the Disabled Pride Flag by Ann Magill. The disabled pride flag is a mostly grey flag with five diagonal stripes that start at the top left corner and run down to the bottom right corner. In order from left to right, the stripes are red, yellow, white. blue, and green.]

for example: "neurodivergent people don't like seams on socks".

i've never had an issue with seams on socks because i'm schizophrenic (another neurodivergency). instead, i'm uncomfortable with them because i'm autistic and struggle with sensory issues. additionally, not all autistic people or people with adhd struggle with that, so generalized statements aren't great either.

from my perspective, by using the umbrella term "neurodivergent" as a word to solely describe adhd and autistic experiences, we're reinforcing the idea that "autistic" is a bad word. or that autistic experiences really aren't that different than other neurodivergencies (which they are).

it is completely fine to call yourself neurodivergent as a general term if you are comfortable with that, but when having discussions specifically about autism or adhd, please specify that, be specific about what you are talking about if it only applies to a certain disorder. neurodivergent is a huge term with lots of different disorders under it, and it's important to recognize that when taking part in conversations.

the rise in representation, awareness, and advocacy for mental health, disabilities, and developmental disorders is amazing, but by having conversations that are not 100% correct, it becomes a lot less amazing and a lot more harmful than you may realize.

it's a bipartisan bill too! and for anyone unaware, people on SSI (which is different from SSDI), can only have $2,000 in assets (unless they have an ABLE account, which comes with its own rules). this assets limit has been in place for FORTY YEARS and is a giant part of why being on SSI keeps people incredibly impoverished.

i've also heard they might remove the marriage penalty but i don't have the spoons to read or explain it so someone else please add on!

plspls spread the word on this, we were so worried about not being able to get an SSI if we're stuck in the USA and thank fuck—

even if you can't fall asleep, laying down with your eyes closed will still rest your body

you don't have to brush your teeth standing up

you don't have to do any chore standing up, from dishes to showering

you don't have to shower with the lights on

if you can't brush your teeth, flossing and a tongue scraper gets rid of plaque and bad breath

if you can't do that, mouthwash kills a lot of bacteria

eating "unhealthy" food is better than eating no food

you can make the same meal everyday for however long you still want it

some pills come in syrups or chewables if you can't swallow them

kids nutritional shakes can be a quick way to get fuel if you can't eat/don't have time

if walking hurts/exhausts you on a regular basis, canes and rollers are for you, no matter how young you are

we have free will—if doing something "out of the ordinary" makes life easier for you, do it

if you have even a dollar to spare, please consider donating to Alaikum's family.

crushing your pills and pouring it in a drink is okay. you don't have to swallow them whole. If crushing them takes too much energy, using a blender or a asking for a capsule (and just pouring it out) are options.

if walking is difficult, don't feel bad about using a wheel chair either. you don't have to be "disabled enough" to use them.

same goes for AAC boards. If you have unorganized/disordered thought, you're having a meltdown/overstimulated, situationally mute, etc you can use an AAC board. you aren't "stealing a resource," you're using a resource you need.

if drinking water is difficult for you to keep up with, pack a cup a jello with your lunch. it helps keep you hydrated.

in a colder climate, you only need to shower 2-3 times a week to keep your skin healthy. in a warmer climate, every other day works. if your energy crashes, don't worry about not being able to shower.

dry body wash exists, along with dry shampoo, both go a long way.

the thumb is the least painful for blood tests. the skin is also thicker on your dominant hand. you're allowed to request for a doctor to use a different finger for in-clinic tests.

pop pre-cut vegetables with oil into a mini-oven/microwave for a quick and easy meal. add seasoning of your choice.

it's okay to apply numbing cream to your good vein before getting blood drawn. some labs/clinics even offer it as an in-office option.

you don't have to sleep laying down. investing in a neck pillow might do you good though.

most text-to-speak tools automatically scroll for you.

compression socks/gloves/sleeves go a long way.

red-ish flashlights/lamps are less disruptive to your vision than white lights. perfect for light sensitivity and when you keep the lights off.