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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

  • Alison sits in a car, wearing a dress and with her hair styled back and makeup on, smiling
    Social connections | Strategizing for success

    Ableism in society: everybody wants you to be okay

    ByAlison Hayes April 9, 2021July 8, 2022

    One of those challenges that many of us need to deal with is that on top of the physical and emotional trauma involved in our illnesses or injuries, we also often need to communicate what is happening to our loved ones and other significant people in our lives.  This can be challenging, as we are…

    Read More Ableism in society: everybody wants you to be okayContinue

  • white woman with brown hair smiles at the camera. The picture shows her from the chest up and she is smiling. She's wearing a white top draped over a green one.
    Social connections | Strategizing for success

    To disclose or not to disclose your condition—it’s your question to answer

    ByMichele Harold March 26, 2021March 26, 2021

    This post is by a friend of mine, Michele Harold, who holds the subject of disclosure near and dear to her heart. “You’re always sick,” my coworker said to me as I entered the office.  I had called in sick the day before due to my disability. My disability causes chronic pain, fatigue, and low-grade…

    Read More To disclose or not to disclose your condition—it’s your question to answerContinue

  • Large sign on a building. Uncle Sam image with the words'I want YOU to stay home'
    Strategizing for success | Social connections

    Voting in the time of Corona

    ByAlison Hayes October 2, 2020October 5, 2020

    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…

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  • 2 young women chat over beer. One of them sit on a barstool and other uses her wheelchair.
    Overcoming Obstacles | Taking care of yourself

    Internalized Ableism: the struggle to accept our own worthiness

    ByAlison Hayes September 11, 2020July 19, 2022

    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…

    Read More Internalized Ableism: the struggle to accept our own worthinessContinue

  • A group of six disabled POC folks gather on a rooftop to chat.
    Strategizing for success | Social connections

    Accessibility is about more than just ramps and captions

    ByAlison Hayes August 28, 2020June 30, 2023

    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…

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  • 3 black disabled folx gather to chat and laugh
    Social connections | Overcoming Obstacles

    Ableism in Black Culture

    ByKay Uchi August 21, 2020August 21, 2020

    I shed many tears to unpack these memories of my wounds that  are clearly still open just to write this blog.  The subject of ableism is relevant to all aspects of life yet there is very little discussion.  The subject is basically unchallenged by society.  While many people are recognizing and studying racism, much less…

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  • woman with dark hair and glasses holds up her hand and turns her face away from the camera
    Overcoming Obstacles | Getting Government assistance

    Shame and the social welfare system

    ByAlison Hayes July 24, 2020July 19, 2022

    Having a disability is nothing to be ashamed of. Being poor is nothing to be ashamed of. Getting help from our own government is nothing to be ashamed of. And yet, I’m sure you winced a little, internally, at one or more of these statements. Our society here in the US has put a lot…

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  • Managing my disrupted life
    Taking care of yourself | Overcoming Obstacles

    Managing my disrupted life

    ByAlison Hayes July 3, 2020July 2, 2020

    So, it’s once more time for A Chronic Voice’s monthly linkup. This month’s words are bothering, demanding, nourishing, telecommunicating, and tolerating. This month, it flowed out as the stresses I’m acknowledging in my life and how I’m muddling through. The negative ramifications of the word ‘bothering’ The word bothering, well, bothers me. The Miriam-webster definition…

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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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