mouthwords are not a superior way to communicate

I live in a group home. it is a county run residential facility for disabled people. I have lived here for three years. this is what i would change.

A: choice. i was placed here after a month in the psych ward. it was just the first one that came up. i would have liked to be able to tour a couple for comparison. i am still interested in what a foster home would be like.

B: food. we are served a lot of processed, frozen foods. it has to do with our food stamp budget. some of it i think is gross. but its what is served to me. i can cook, but i dont get that option, tho i will be able to cook when i move to my new group home. jane, my caregiver, gets sad or offended when i throw out food i dont like. i dont like hot dogs. i eat them every week.

C: interpersonal relationships. jane, our main caregiver, doesnt get along with one of the residents. it makes me sad and upset sometimes. luckily, they like me.

D: rides. i think the group home is supposed to provide me with transportation to my activities. this happens rarely. it would have a big impact on my quality of life to be able to more spontaneously go out in the community. i have been wanting to go buy a sandwich for 3 weeks. i have paratransit services, but even that is somewhat difficult for me to use.

E: i would like to be able to have some storage that wasnt just everything i own in my room. i make this work tho. moving from a house to a room was hard.

F: i would rather live with family, but they are spread out.

G: access. I have a key to my dads house, and my friends house. i dont have a key to my own house tho.

H: maybe someday i can have my own house.

If a space doesn't accommodate larger neuro wheelchairs, it's not wheelchair accessible.

If a wheelchair lift has a safe working load that can't handle a heavy electric chair (and person!), it's not accessible.

If doors/ shop aisles are too narrow to fit a larger electric chair, it's not accessible.

If a bus doesn't have room to manoeuvre a large wheelchair, it's not accessible.

If there is any step (even if just a couple of inches) - it doesn't matter that some manual wheelchair users might be able to navigate it - it's not accessible

work is disabling

physical labour is a literal strain on your body. historically this has been a given of certain forms of labour, eg, even before the official recognition of disability, mine workers in many parts of the world received disproportionately high wages compared to other jobs because it was understood that your body would break down by the time you were 40-50 and you wouldn’t be able to work anymore. the high wages were for supporting you after that, but they were only present where unions had been able to force this demand on bosses; there’s a reason mine working has historically been a common form of slave or indentured labour. this example is an obvious one (and one i wouldn’t want to rely on for various reasons) but if you’ve worked stocking supermarket shelves, or cleaning, or as a barista, or as a farm labour, you will know that being on your feet for hours on end, the repetitive movements required to complete tasks, the strain of constant attention, these all take their toll

work environments are stress inducing and long term stress has both physical and mental effects. it can change how you approach other people, how you regulate your emotions, how you relate to social settings. stress can produce strains, it can produce headaches, it can produce tightness in muscles that are can cause injury

when you need to work to provide food, rent, clothing for yourself, you are not as able to protect yourself from health and safety risks. you are more exposed to disease and to other health risks, depending on the job, and you are less able to effectively rest and recover, thus increasing the likelihood of long term complications

disability is class enforcing

being disabled is expensive. simply getting healthcare at all can be prohibitively expensive for many people. this is not even to mention mobility aids or other specialised equipment. you may have to spend more on specialised diets or accommodation. you may need to hire personal assistants or other forms of labour to complete certain tasks for you

there are less jobs that you are able to work. you are less likely to be able to work long term. you are less likely to be able to work longer hours, and your partners may also have to work shorter hours to care for you. you are more likely to be forced into precarious employment or onto benefits which, which available, are pitifully small

you are more likely to face job discrimination and more likely to face housing discrimination. the housing you are able to get is likely to be more expensive

you are more vulnerable to abuse, either domestic, or in public, or by the state. this is increasingly the case if you are Black or a migrant or a woman or trans or homeless, etc, and it’s increasingly the case the more poor you become

The U.S. is one of those countries.

Australia is one of those countries.

Aotearoa will only start paying disabled Kiwis a minimum wage as of mid-2025.

Canadian provinces are slowly requiring companies to pay Canadians with disabilities the minimum wage, with Ontario doing so in 2017 and New Brunswick proposing doing so only last year.

To those who can stand briefly and to those who can’t stand up at all

To those who can transfer independently and those who need carers and/or a hoist or other specialist equipment to transfer

To those who have some movement in their legs and those who are totally paralysed

To self propelled manual chair users and powerchair users and transport chair users

To those who have to keep explaining that they can’t walk and to those for whom it’s obvious and everyone in between.

sensory avoidance is often talked about in terms of autism & sensory processing, but the opposite traits may also be present where a person will *seek out* a sense / senses !!