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  • Headshot of Alison Hayes, a white soman with shoulder-length brown hair with the occasional gray highlight. She is wearing a blue-green shirt with a v-neck cut. She is wearing tinted glasses and is smiling.
    Increasing your independence | Strategizing for success

    So, I’m writing a book!

    ByAlison Hayes September 19, 2024September 19, 2024

    Thriving While Disabled: Navigating Disability Finances I know that I haven’t written another post in way too long. I do apologize for this, but it’s been for a variety of good reasons. But at the most basic, life happened in a way that drew my focus away from writing posts, and I had less time…

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  • White woman with shoulder-length curly brown hair walks confidently through a building with large glass windows overlooking trees. Her right leg is prosthetic.
    Increasing your independence | Strategizing for success

    Returning to work after getting on disability: protecting your health

    ByAlison Hayes September 23, 2022September 22, 2022

    For many of us who become disabled, the recognition and acceptance process isn’t easy, and all too often, employment and disability are inextricably linked. For many of us, part of becoming disabled is losing our employment. The grief and loss of becoming disabled is often entangled deeply with the loss of income, and often the…

    Read More Returning to work after getting on disability: protecting your healthContinue

  • A laptop computer is open on a table. Scattered on the keyboard and table service are glasses, a pen,a nd an open planner, as well as pills and scrabble tiles. The scrabble titles on the planner are aranged to read "Health Insurance"
    Increasing your independence | Strategizing for success

    Demystifying Health Insurance

    ByAlison Hayes October 8, 2021April 19, 2022

    Health insurance is a big scary topic in the US, and one that leads many people to just back away. Coverage tends to be very complicated in this country and feel overwhelming for everyone who could, should, or might get health insurance. For those of us in the disabled community, health insurance tends to be…

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  • Alison in Bi mask at Poor People's Campaign rally 8/2
    Increasing your independence | Strategizing for success

    Poor and disabled: Participating in the Poor People’s Campaign’s Activism with a Disability

    ByAlison Hayes September 10, 2021September 27, 2021

    I’ve been active during the time I’ve taken off from posting. One of my biggest efforts was a multi-day trip to Washington, DC to join the Poor People’s Campaign in a push for congressional reforms through civil disobedience. We had a simple set of demands for the Senate, which has, of yet, been unfulfilled. Our…

    Read More Poor and disabled: Participating in the Poor People’s Campaign’s Activism with a DisabilityContinue

  • Four disabled people of color gather around a table during a meeting. A Black woman sitting on a couch gestures and speaks while the three others (a South Asian person sitting in a wheelchair, a Black non-binary person sitting in a chair, and a Black non-binary person standing with a clipboard and cane) face her and listen.
    Increasing your independence | Strategizing for success

    Safe at Work: Disclosure and Protection

    ByMichele Harold July 23, 2021July 23, 2021

    This is Michele’s second guest post on my blog – the first also focusing on the disclosure process. She is also part of the Spoonie Entrepreneur School, and is closing out the virtual summit with her talk “Making work work for you” at 12 PM EST today! “Well, I hope you can do the job,”…

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  • man with white hair sits in wheelchair in front of a red car. Another man, with "volunteer" written on his T-shirt is pushing the chair.
    Increasing your independence | Strategizing for success

    Traveling with a disability: car travel

    ByAlison Hayes June 25, 2021May 12, 2022

    While some health conditions prevent disabled people from driving, many others don’t. What disabilities prevent driving and which don’t can be surprising. There are many accessibility features available today to allow wheelchair users and people with other mobility limits to drive despite their presumed inability to do so. There also are many advances in automated…

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  • train rounding a curve. Perspective is onboard train. A person is visible a car down, leaning their head out and smiling.
    Increasing your independence | Strategizing for success

    Traveling by train with a disability

    ByAlison Hayes June 4, 2021June 8, 2021

    I think trains are probably my favorite way to travel. The world goes by at a brisk pace (usually) but you can still see it all. I frequently take a commuter rail to New York City, and we live a short drive from the nearest train station. I also will often take the train down…

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  • view through the window of a plane. The wing is central to the image, and colored pink, reflecting the early-morning light
    Increasing your independence | Strategizing for success

    Flying with a disability

    ByAlison Hayes May 28, 2021July 12, 2021

    You absolutely can fly while managing your condition! While there aren’t generally travel discounts (airlines are private companies), there are rules to help you travel safely, referred to as the Air Carrier Access Act. Your carrier’s services should provide you with supports for your trip, but it is your responsibility to let them know that…

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  • wheelchair user at a subway station with their back to the photographer.
    Increasing your independence | Strategizing for success

    Traveling with a disability: Save yourself spoons and money!

    ByAlison Hayes May 21, 2021July 12, 2021

    Traveling in any way can be a relatively large expense, and for those of us with disabilities, it can also take up a disproportionate amount of energy. There are some things you can do now to help you have an easier time when you travel later, whether you’re traveling across town or across the country….

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  • Woman in Black Spaghetti Strap Top Covering Her Eyes with Hands
    Increasing your independence | Strategizing for success

    The Seven Steps of Accepting Your Diagnosis

    ByAlison Hayes April 16, 2021February 18, 2022

    As I have mentioned in previous posts, accepting your diagnosis isn’t as easy as it may first sound. For most people, there’s a fair amount of time between when symptoms first occur and when they know what is actually happening inside their bodies. There also is definitely a sense of loss involved in really recognizing…

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Meet The Author

Picture of Alison Hayes

Alison Hayes

As a person with a sometimes-invisible illness that straddles neurology and psychiatry (Functional Neurological Disorder), I've dealt with a lot of the stigma surrounding physical and mental illnesses and both visible and invisible illnesses. I want to help other people with disabilities to regain perspective and control over their lives through manageable steps and make their lives better, one step at a time.

Photography courtesy of Terry Manning(terrymakes.com)

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Disclaimer

I am not a doctor, lawyer, or therapist.  I am a person with a disability who has learned a lot about many aspects of living life with a disabling condition.  My posts are intended as jumping off points connected to the best knowledge I could find.  I cannot be held responsible for the decisions you make or the actions you take.  

For your reading pleasure

  • Functional Neurological Disorder(FND) (13)
  • Overcoming Obstacles (83)
    • Dealing with Doctors (31)
    • Getting Government assistance (36)
  • Strategizing for success (137)
    • Fabulous food (4)
    • Increasing your independence (13)
    • Social connections (33)
    • Taking care of yourself (76)
  • Uncategorized (3)

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