I recently received an ADHD diagnosis. This didn’t come as a huge surprise to me, in fact it was something I decided to explore because certain behaviours of mine seemed to fit with everything I’d read about ADHD, and the experiences of people I know. I decided to be open about this on my blog…
Category: Disability and Identity
My identity as a disabled person is very important to me. It has undoubtedly shaped my life experiences, including how I interact with others and obtain an education.
It was other disabled people that taught me how to value my body, how to love myself and reject society’s perception of disability.
UK Conservative National Disability Strategy Fails to Uphold Principles of Democracy
This morning, the UK government released their National Disability Strategy, a paper which outlines their policy focus pertaining to disabled people. A comprehensive strategy to tackle the multiple inequities that disabled people face sounds like a good thing on the surface, however it is so vague as to mean very little in reality. Few practical…
To Know a Body I’ve Never Seen
As a blind person, I feel a significant amount of disconnect from my own body. I feel connected to my body in a physical sense, but there is a void where all the information I’m supposed to have is painfully absent. When I climb or skate or stretch I relish the pull in my muscles,…
I Don’t Want a World Without Disabled People
Last night I was reading an article about a start-up that claims it can help prospective parents by allowing them to choose healthy embryos. I’ve written multiple times about my fears around tech companies that want to create genetically perfect matches, and my relief that my parents were never concerned with finding a cure for…
I am Not a Commodity to be Bought
Recently I’ve started exploring my feelings around being a postgraduate student on this blog, documenting the highs and lows as it were of student life. But I’ve also been writing more about my interactions with others and exploring how I feel about being a blind person. In some ways I’ve always done this. This blog…
Who should Speak for Justice?
I wish we put as much pressure on society to change as we put on young disabled people to learn self-advocacy skills. This is a particular problem within education and advocacy spaces, where the concept of self-advocacy is considered to be somewhat sacred. I used to really push for these skills, believing that they were…
The pandemic has enabled me to be an introvert. I’m not sure that’s such a good thing
I’ve always been a strange mix of both extroverted and introverted. I love to travel and ask questions, especially in new places. I’m also quite happy to get up in front of a room full of people and deliver a speech, something that seems to terrify many people. Yet I avoid ordinary tasks, like going…
The Burden of Being a Disabled Student
If you asked me whether disabled people are a burden, I would tell you without hesitation that no, they are not. But it’s a hell of a lot easier to say positive things about the community you belong to than it is to say those positive things about yourself. I can quite happily cheer on…
I’m Tired of Begging Strangers to Stop Touching Me Wherever I Go
I was stepping down from a train yesterday when I felt a hand grab my waist. I didn’t have time to think, my body instantaneously reacted, jerking away from whoever was touching me. “Don’t touch me,” I snapped, my voice agitated. In less than a second, my brain had gone into overdrive. There was a…
I Took a Pregnancy Test and I Was Scared My Blindness Would Stop Me Reading the Results
When I was in my final year of university, I had to take a pregnancy test. I was embarrassed at the time and scared that the result would be positive. But most of all I was anxious that because I’m blind I wouldn’t be able to do it without other people knowing. I knew that…