When you are disabled, there are plenty of things to be frustrated about because we live in an inaccessible world that is designed for non-disabled people. People sometimes think that disabled people hate everything about their lives and want to be cured because the media wrongly portrays the disabled community and makes people believe that there is nothing good that comes from being disabled. There are more negatives to living with a disability than positives, and I hate most of the challenges I face, but not everything about my disability is horrible, because I have had experiences I wouldn’t have without my disability. The challenges of my disability are sometimes frustrating, and I don’t pretend to like everything about my disability because no disabled person does, but I choose not to focus only on the challenges. What do I love about my disability? In this post, I am going to talk about a few things that I love about my disability.
I love that I have had mostly good healthcare experiences- Disabled people often have to go to the doctor more often than non-disabled people because we have complex health issues and there is nothing worse than having to go to a doctor who constantly dismisses you and doesn’t listen to your concerns. Some disabled people are very bitter towards health care professionals because they have had quite a bit of medical trauma and don’t trust doctors but I am fortunate I have not had a lot of bad experiences and do not fear getting a physical. I have not loved every single doctor I have seen, and my previous neurologist was very dismissive, and I dreaded going to that appointment but for the most part, I have been blessed with doctors who have a decent bed-side manner. I love that I have had mostly positive experiences with my medical team because it makes appointments less stressful when you feel like you can trust your doctor and I wish all disabled people had that experience.
I love that the disabled community is so supportive- Ableism affects disabled people more than non-disabled people, but disabled people can still be ableists, and no one is exempt from it. I will not say that all disabled people are supportive because disabled people can be rude just like non-disabled people, but I have been fortunate that most people in my community are supportive of each other. It is hard to be disabled in a world that is designed for non-disabled people, but I do love that most people in the disabled community lift each other up instead of tearing them down, because it makes the hard days a little easier. I think that I would feel very alone in my struggles if the disabled community was not supportive of each other, and I am grateful I haven’t had a lot of negative experiences. There is no better way to support someone than knowing that you are not alone.
I love that my family is supportive of my disability- I am so blessed that my family supports my disability because not all disabled people have that, and some people have family members that don’t believe their disease is real. People in my family are sometimes ableist, but you should expect that from non-disabled family members, and I know people mean well, so I can usually ignore a few ableist comments. My family sometimes says things that make it obvious that you don’t understand, but that is okay, because you don’t have to understand my disability to be supportive of it. I love that my family is supportive of my disability and that I don’t have to exaggerate my challenges in front of my sisters to try and convince them that the pain I experience is real because it makes coping with it so much harder. It is easier for families to accept a visible disability and I am sad for people with invisible disabilities who have family members that think they will snap out of their disability.
I love that I am able to exercise- Disabled people are expected to exercise just like non-disabled people, but it is more difficult because it’s not accessible, and I hate that fitness is so hard. I have more limitations when I exercise, which is frustrating, but I do love that I have the ability to move because I don’t struggle with body image as much as someone who can’t exercise does. I struggle to motivate myself to exercise and don’t love everything about my routine, but I think I would hate it even more if I couldn’t do it because I would rather have something be a little more challenging than not be able to do it at all. I do not love the lack of accessibility in fitness, but I do love that exercise is possible because it makes everything in life so much easier.
I love that my disability helps me see things differently– Disabled people see the world in a completely different way than non-disabled people. Many non-disabled people think that being different is bad, but it is one of my favorite things about my disability. I hate that I have to accept the reality that non-disabled people are going to isolate me because of my disability, but I do love that I can help people in ways most people can’t. My disability has given me the ability to be able to share a different perspective and help people understand some of the biggest problems that are hurting disabled people, and I wouldn’t be able to do that without my disability.
There are plenty of things that I don’t like about my disability, because everything in life is hard, but you can still struggle and not hate everything about your disability. I hate that it is so hard to go to the bathroom and I will not pretend I enjoy it, but I do like the relationships I have built because of my disability. Disabled people often have stronger relationships with their friends because we are more understanding of challenges than non-disabled people, and I love that about my disability. There are some things about my disability that are a reality of life that I wish would go away, but not everything about a disability is horrible, and the community is amazing. My disability has given me skills I would not have without my disability, and I love that because I don’t feel stuck when something is not accessible, and I know how to work through it. You should never assume that just because life is hard sometimes that I hate everything about my life. Some of the challenges I face, are annoying and I wish would go away, but many of them don’t bother me. What do you love about your disability? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends.
In case you missed it please be sure to check on my previous post on what I hate about my disability.
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