
I have Fibromyalgia, a disability causing full body pain and tenderness, joint stiffness, fatigue, and brain fog. I was diagnosed in 2020 but I only learned about Disability Pride Month this year, which commemorates the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, on July 26, 1990.
For only 34 years have people with disabilities been protected from discrimination by law in the United States. It’s no wonder that there is still a huge social stigma around admitting to having a disability, asking for accommodations, or even “looking different.”
Since my diagnosis, I’ve learned that many people are disabled: up to 1 in 4 adults in the United States have some form of disability! That means that 25% of the people reading this blog are disabled and 100% of the people reading this blog know someone who is disabled.
In fact, I had already had a disability for years, chronic migraines (defined as 15+ per month), and I didn’t even know it! (Blessedly, those are now managed to approximately 5 per month, but that’s a different story).
Fibromyalgia is an invisible disability, meaning you wouldn’t know that I was disabled from looking at me (especially on a good day). While I try to manage my pain in everyday life, I have noticed how many public spaces are not accommodating to those who have chronic pain disabilities, which makes it difficult to sit for a long period of time. Restaurants often only offer wooden or even metal chairs, event venues increasingly offer flimsy plastic folding chairs, and going to a public service office like the DMV or even the doctor can require a lengthy wait! All that sitting on a hard, unsupportive surface can drastically increase my pain or even cause a “fibro flare”, which keeps me in bed all day with fever-like symptoms.
I now carry cushions with me wherever I go, which help me to sit comfortably for hours and enjoy a meal, game night, or even a live show without increasing my pain. I admit that I was embarrassed to carry these bulky cushions around with me at first: I didn’t want to look different or draw attention to myself. I had to work hard to see past the social stigma. As a disabled person, I’ve done nothing wrong, and asking for accommodation isn’t “asking too much.”
Knowing how many people have some sort of disability helps me know I’m not alone. In fact, some disability advocates imagine a world where disability isn’t even a term we need anymore. Whether you identify as disabled or not, everyone is different and we all have different needs.
If you want to learn more, I highly recommend the podcast “Ologies” that recently celebrated Disability Pride Month by interviewing Disability Sociologist Guinevere Chambers. They discussed all the ways that people can be considered disabled and the complexity of the “disabled” identity. Ologies is an excellent podcast about all kinds of studies in science and extremely well-researched.
Disability Pride Month is an opportunity for those of us in the Disabled Community to raise awareness and share our stories; to inspire others to ask for the help they need and feel less alone in asking; and to remind everyone how far a bit of kindness and consideration can go.
Comments