I’m once more participating in A Chronic Voice’s writing prompts. This month’s words are: summarizing, crossing, moving, rebuilding, and expecting. I’ve been thinking about writing about pacing for a while now, and these words felt useful for that process. When the summary is too short So to summarize what most doctors tell their patients: “You…
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…
When writing my post about stress-related medical conditions, I went down an intellectual rabbit hole that I wanted to highlight: the stresses involved in being a minority of any kind. People tend to immediately categorize all they engage with as either “like” or “other”. They connect with those who are like them, and view the…
October through December is Open Enrollment season for the US Health Insurance system. This is the time when people can choose, change, or adjust their healthcare plan. With about 55% of the population covered through private employers, this is when employees have the right to examine their options and select the offered plan that best…
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…
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,”…
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…
As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m an active participant in the New Jersey Poor People’s Campaign. I want to share with you the most recent activity of the campaign and explain both its significance and how it helps us, the disabled community. The Poor People’s Campaign along with House Representatives Barbara Lee and Pramila…
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…
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…