Being disabled or chronically ill is often accompanied by a sense of your world shrinking. There are things that you could do, but now can’t. There are places you could go, but are now more challenging or less fun, or more stressful or difficult. Options seem to decrease, and the world often seems just a…
I thought it might be helpful to take a few steps back and dig into how doctors are trained to think about and look at patients, and how they are trained to make diagnoses. This is really important because it helps us understand where missteps and mistakes are more likely to happen and to have…
As I’ve mentioned on previous posts, you can work while on SSI or SSDI. There are programs, like Ticket to Work and Vocational Rehab programs that can help with the process. However, the reality is that while they can give you information about working, they often are only prepared to help you with calculations related…
Open Enrollment is starting soon, and with all of the shakeups that have come with this year, you may be dealing with a different or new set of decisions to make in regards to your or a family member’s participation in the US healthcare system. If you aren’t sure what type of plans may be…
So, it’s once more time for A Chronic Voice’s monthly linkup. This month’s words are producing, acquiring, switching, disappointing, and forming. Here in the US, it’s election season, and it’s a strange one thanks in part to Covid-19. It has been a really strange and stressful year, and I am extremely concerned about the outcome of…
I have participated in every election since I’ve legally been able to. I feel really fortunate to be able to say that. I’m deeply aware of the privilege behind that, not only due to my whiteness, but also because I’ve lived in areas with minimal waits, and my disability doesn’t require any special accommodations in…
I took a deep breath, put my mask on, and limped into the office. My fingers shifted, tightening so my fingertips touched my palm, squeezing, relaxing. They shot out, stretched to their fullest extent. Some stayed that way, others shifted. I was aware of this, but not consciously telling them to do so. My teeth…
People with disabilities are often marginalized by society – and there are a variety of reasons for it. The social model of disability focuses on how instead of viewing our symptoms as failures on our part, it’s time to start looking at what assumptions society has made that make participating in the greater community more…
So, it’s once more time for A Chronic Voice’s monthly linkup. This month’s words are feeling, grueling, tempting, running, and mending. This month, I’m taking stock, processing life lessons, and looking ahead towards creating an even better future for myself. Feeling the need to reinvest in myself It’s been a weird year with COVID-19 and…
The first thing that I want to make very clear is that I *want* the public to do a better job of making things accessible. I know that even getting ramps, captions, image descriptions, and other basic essentials meant to allow people with physical disabilities to participate in society still has a long way to…