Able and Disabled

Good Afternoon, I hope you having an absolutely glorious summer whether you are. Today's topic isn't exactly the most cheerful, sunny topic. Having recently finished university for the year I have been looking for some work so that I can support myself in London for the summer. Trying to get a job is rarely easy for anyone, however the system is undoubtedly ableist. We live in a society where the goal is so often making money and if working with so one requires a change of perspective or environment then that is seen as a frustrating obstacle rather than opportunity to work with a new person with potential skills and experiences. It's true, being disabled or someone who struggles with mental health does increase your life admin, but it kinda puts a bad taste in my mouth when I'm turned away from a full time position because I have regular appointments. This summer I have also found my autism has been a greater challenge in finding employment. It's hard to not fe...

Hey! I hope you are well and having a fantastic 2019 so far! I can't believe that we are already halfway through the first month of the year! Today I wanted to talk about cerebral palsy, a topic I haven't focused very much recently. Even though cerebral palsy affects me in many ways every single day, I no longer receive regular medical attention for this particular facet of my disability and not a lot changes in my condition. For this reason I perhaps talk about cerebral palsy a little less; it's the diagnosis I've lived with the longest and is the most stagnant. However, I recently made the decision to purchase myself a walking stick and thought this may be a good experience to share. As I have already mentioned, I don't really see any doctors or other medical professionals on the basis of cerebral palsy anymore, meaning that the decision to get a stick was entirely my own. I don't think that this fact makes my decision or use of a walking stick any less va...

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Anxiety, Stress, Mental Health Hey! I hope you've been well. Honestly, I've been finding the last couple of weeks very challenging; physically and emotionally. To anyone who has spent time with me recently this will not be a surprise. This first term has been tough and it has knocked me and it has tired me, and it is only now that I've started to show myself my kind of compassion that I have needed. Today I thought that I'd talk a little about my recent experiences with burnout, stress and mental health as an autistic person with mental health and physical health challenges, partially for awareness and partially to let anyone who is having a difficult time right now know that they are not alone and that it is okay to struggle. I have always been one to push myself and expect myself to be capable of doing more and more; in short I have never been very good at showing kindness to myself. I have always been heavily critical of myself and have always...

Hi Guys! Sorry for not posting as usual on Wednesday. I've actually got a bit of a cold at the moment and I thought that's what I would talk today; disability and illness. Obviously many of those who live with chronic illness would identify themselves as disability but today what I want to talk about is rather the experience of minor illness or sickness (e.g. bugs, flus, etc.) with disability, as I think it's not something that is often talked about. I would like to talk about sickness in regards to both physical and neurological disabilities and why being sick when you already live with other conditions can be a potentially frustrating experience. Please remember that when I am talking about physical symptoms that I am not a professional and that I am only talking from personal experience. I think the experience of disability and sickness that is most understood is that of physical disability. It is completely understandable that if you already live and experience a c...

Hey Everyone! What I want to talk about today is a slightly different and complex issue; feeling confident when claiming multiple diagnoses or labels. There are hopefully lots of people who have no problem being confident when saying they have several diagnoses, but for others it may be a little more difficult. In a society that so often invalidates disability, especially when they are invisible or fluctuating, is it is understandable that some individuals may struggle to not feel like an imposter when declaring a handful of different diagnoses. In the UK we live in a society where people are frequently doubting disabled folks' rights to use accessible parking spaces and are often accusing disabled individuals of faking to receive benefits. This sense of insecurity can be heightened when someone is experiencing multiple diagnoses, resulting in increased self-doubt and comments like "can you really have all of those conditions?" or "that's a weird coincidence!...

Hey All! Hope you are all well! I now this post is coming to you a little early, with my weekly posts normally going on Wednesdays, but I thought I would give a little extra reading this week! I'm not entirely sure whether that is in fact a positive way of wording it but oh well, I have something really exciting to talk about today! As regular readers will know in June I became involved in an awesome project called 'Scope For Change.' 'Scope For Change' is a six month programme aimed at training young adults to become disability campaigners and at helping them set up their initial campaigns. Following the Launch Event in June, this weekend was the Residential, a REALLY fun weekend of both activities and talks, both of which were designed to bring us even closer together as a group and help us further consider what we want our campaigns to be. I thought I would post today to tell you a little about my experience of the Residential and the kind of direction in whi...

Hey All! In the last week many may have heard about blue badges will now be accessible to those with 'Hidden Disabilities.' You probably won't be surprised to hear that I think this is awesome! Not only is this an amazing step towards shattering the myth that disabilities have to be visible to be valid, but it will also provide more support to those whose disabilities aren't often taken seriously because they aren't linked to mobility or intense 'physical' impairment. This essentially means that blue badges will now be accessible to those whose difficulties may be due to psychological distress or an autism spectrum disorder, a very necessary step in the right direction. However, what isn't as pleasant is some of the responses that I have witnessed to this news. It has been incredibly disappointing to see people raging about space availability and how those who will now be now be included in gaining support don't REALLY need the support. I even sa...

Hey All! Truthfully, I have spent my fair share of time in Hospitals for both extended treatment and more immediate surgery. Some operations and treatments, while not exclusively reserved for individual conditions, can be somewhat more closely tied to disability and chronic illness. The distinction I wish to make is between treatments particular familiar within disabled communities and those which can easily come with age or less persisting illness. Many of my earlier experiences with surgery and treatment will have been far more familiar to those with similar disabilities, including cerebral palsy. In particular, physiotherapy and botox spring to mind. However, my experiences with bunion removal during year eleven and thirteen felt significantly different, primarily because this is a common procedure performed upon disabled and able-bodied folks alike. The removal of bunions is a procedure that is not as closely linked to disability as many of my previous experiences, with the dev...

Hey All! Tonight's episode of Holby City (my absolute favourite soap opera, being the only one I follow) was a show dedicated to marking the 70th anniversary of the NHS. That's why despite the time, I thought it would be the perfect moment to write this particular post. If no one objects the following post will simply be me gushing over the NHS and all it has done for me personally, sorry not sorry! I think it's incredibly easy but dangerous for any of us with access to the NHS to take its services for granted. This is especially true within today's political climate, with certain individuals currently in power pushing for privatisation and allowing cuts that will only put our national health service under increased pressure. Indeed, less funding and support, as well as the potential loss of staff due to Brexit, have left our NHS fragile. However, some take this as a cue to criticise rather than support those who keep the NHS alive despite the interference of those ...

Hey All! As mentioned in my blog post this time last week I was preparing for a day out that would be the first step of an amazing opportunity! The big news I had been keeping under wraps was in fact that I have been chosen to participate in this years 'Scope for Change' programme, a six month project that will give me the skills to be an even more capable and avid activist for the rights of disabled folks. The purpose of this programme is to provide me with the networks and techniques to be an influential campaigner. Many involved within the UK Disability community will be more than aware of the work and significance of Scope as a leading national charity, meaning that excited does very little to describe how I feel about the prospect of this mind-blowing opportunity! My personal reasoning for participation in the programme, as a large proportion of my Facebook friends will know, is because I want to help create a world in which everyone finally understands that not all im...

Hey! Tomorrow I am travelling back into London for the day (I am currently home for the summer) for an event. Because of this absolutely amazing but potentially tiring day out I'm planning to get an early night, meaning this might be a slightly shorter and more concise post. Therefore, I thought this would be the perfect time to share my - tips for a day out when also dealing with chronic pain, fatigue, anxiety and potential overstimulation. I may seem particular but it's all entirely necessary for me to enjoy my trip. 1. Do any preemptive pain management methods recommended to you - for me this means possibly taking my medication to prevent pain rather than ease it, or this might just mean packing a few essentials (deep heat, pain killers, etc.) Of course when taking medication always follow the doctors instructions! 2. Do any planning that will put your mind at rest - I can experience reasonable anxiety if things feel unknown or out of my control and this can cause me t...

Hi All! Sorry for the delay in writing this post. As you may have noticed I try to post here at least once if not twice a week, but it has been about a week and a half since my last post. However, I hope that the following story will explain my slight absence. While disability does not always make it impossible, it can make it difficult to achieve certain childhood milestones; climbing trees, learning to swim, being on a school sports team. Indeed, all these goals are still achievable but I think it would be wrong to deny that their attainment may be less simple and for this reason I think that the success of some should not devalue the struggle of the individual. For me one of these struggles was learning to ride a bike. Cerebral Palsy does not remove one of their right to ride the two wheeled vehicle, but my natural lack of balance and poor coordination had never lent themselves to this particular skill. I had tried over the years but with little success. Possibly the moment whic...

Hey All! We all appreciate the odd compliment and like to think that those around us notice or appreciate the things that we do. It is our nature to wish to inspire and be inspired? However, is the impact of this very word weakened when a disabled person is told that they are 'inspirational' simply for not being sad about being disabled? Recently I have been reading (and thoroughly enjoying) Francesca Martinez's book "What the **** is Normal?!" and it has reminded me of this topic's constant relevance and importance. Throughout my life I have come into contact with people who have aimed to congratulate me but have rather patronised me. Sure, compliment my stubborn nature or the things I create or the things I know, but not my ability to simply exist with disability. It is my belief that more often than not being inspirational is not about who you are but rather what you do with who you are, it is an action. This is why today I am constructing you a list of p...

DISCLAIMER: I AM ONLY ONE PERSON WITH CEREBRAL PALSY AND I AM NOT A DOCTOR. THOUGH MANY OF THESE SYMPTOMS ARE COMMON SYMPTOMS OF AGEING WITH CP, MY EXPLANATIONS MAY NOT BE MEDICALLY PERFECT AND I WILL MOST LIKELY EXPERIENCE THESE ELEMENTS OF CP DIFFERENT TO SOME OTHERS WITH THE SAME DISABILITY. Hey All! Anyone who knows me in person will know that I often joke about feeling old for my age, whether that be due to my taste in tv shows or my taste in music or my general personally. Indeed, I am an outspoken Golden Girls fan. However, the presence of Cerebral Palsy in my life does have the ability to take this feeling to a whole other level. I feel as though despite the increasing presence of both children and adults with CP in the media, discussion around the symptoms and impact of the condition focus far more upon the perspective of the child experience. Of course, many of the symptoms we experience never fully go away and the extent to which they effect you will depend upon the seve...

Hi! My name is Freya and I am currently a 19 year old university student studying in London. Tibetan, part of my degree, is my main love and if you ever meet me I will most probably want to teach you how to say "There are many yaks in Tibet"in Tibetan (btw it's བོད་ལ་གཡག་མང་པོ་ཡོད་རེད།།). Beyond my studies I have many other interests including photography, drag and of course my eternal love for Elton John! I am a complete human with many passions but I am also someone who has always strongly identified with the word 'disabled.' Disabilities and other diagnosable challenges have had a constant presence in my life. Over the last 17 years I have been diagnosed with a handful of things, all at different points in my life, namely mild cerebral palsy, mild hearing loss, anxiety and most recently dyslexia. This is not to say that I am defined by these words or any diagnosis, as I have made evident I am much more than my medical complications. However, many of these thi...