I live in the southeast, where it's fairly suburban and rural living outside of major cities. Even in the major cities, our public transportation is limited. I don't currently drive and the more my Rheumatoid Arthritis progresses the less likely I will be able to. It's very isolating when the closest bu stop is almost always at least half a mile walk.

There are so many reasons why I want to move:

-the heat -the humidity -the hurricanes getting worse -legal cannabis -less red state laws (these generally affect the disabled exponentially) -accessible public transportation -entertainment -hoping for a blue state

I would love suggestions and also experiences for where you live as a disabled person. I am ambulatory, but use a cane, and have a prescription for an electric wheelchair (just gotta come up with 80% I'm responsible for) and I'm only 42, but life is so depressing in the south with little accessibility. I'm looking to go back to work, full time, but from home. My doctors don't agree with this decision but are being supportive, I just mentally can't take living on disability and losing all independence. Even if this plan of working doesn't pan out, I need something and somewhere different. Away from a traumatic childhood, but also somewhere I can get back some of that independence. And to be around more like minded people. TIA for sharing.

Things have gotten ALOT better since I’ve posted here last. I’ve got my 2nd appointment with a doctor for my disability determination, I’m now walking without my cane for the most part, I’m receiving mental health care for everything I went through last year with my disability (they told me I have PTSD from it), I haven’t had ANY liquor in 2 weeks, I feel at peace now and no longer feel like having to “numb” myself or any feelings, things between me and my husband have significantly improved, I’m back to living in our bedroom instead of the living room, he’s changed jobs to be closer to home and to me in case I need him, he’s no longer cheating or even talking to that girl, I’m in my stepkids life now to where I see them every week and I text with them (they even call me mom and tell me they love me ❤️), I’m cleaning and cooking almost everyday now and I’m going outside by myself now too!

Thank you to everyone here who has supported me and uplifted me ❤️🙏

i recently got a job as a seasonal style consultant/closing expert at target. it was agreed that all my shifts would be 4:30-11:00 and i would get around 25 hours a week. i requested less hours because of my spinal disability. turns out that a lot of my coworkers in the style department are not doing their jobs and now we're being scheduled until 11:30. i'm also having to come in early some days because i'm scheduled to do backroom pulls before the rest of the girls get there. this has given me 33.5 hours in the new schedule. i have to bike to work many days, which my boss knows and even asked about how i'm doing with that a couple times and asked if i'm getting home okay. i always have a ride home luckily. it just sucks that her kindness doesn't reflect in my schedule. don't get me wrong, i need the money and i know a lot of people would kill for these hours, but it's so taxing for me.

(edit: i know i didn't explain this, but i cannot change my availability in my first 90 days)

Hi Everyone,

I'm in the process of remodeling an old commercial building and looking to opening a new entirely different owner-operated small business. We had to jump through many hoops to make the old building compliant with current code (fire code, energy code, electrical code, plumbing code). Due to a miscalculation by the designer, the proposed wheelchair ramp is too steep for a wheelchair and I have two main options which both include spending additional unbudgeted money.

Option 1: Install a wheelchair lift. Does anyone have any experience with these lifts in commercial buildings? I'm very curious to know if people with disabilities find it very helpful or not. I ask this because another business (major nationwide franchise) in my town has a wheelchair lift and I never see it being used.

Option 2: Reconfigure ramp. The original design included a small garden in the front of the building with tables/chairs for customers (including people with disabilities/wheelchair access) to enjoy outdoors. Reconfiguring the ramp will eliminate the small garden with chairs and replace it with concrete and steel/aluminum handrails. Has anyone come across a similar issue to reconfigure an entrance or are there any other options or solutions I may not be considering, I want to make sure our business is accessible for everyone at the lowest possible cost. Thank you for any insights. -S

So I am wheelchair bound, I live “independently” I guess. Through a waiver I get a personal care worker, and for almost 3 years, my best friend has been doing the job. There have been many obstacles to this situation, and I find myself back at a crossroads of where the job expectations are not being met, and I feel like I’m being taken advantage of. I am a terrible people pleaser, and have horrible boundary setting skills. I don’t like saying the hard things, even when it’s the truth and they need to hear it.

So this past week my partner has been off work, and my care worker has only shown up once, which was this past Monday. It is a part time job, of 25 hours per week. Normally the help I need is getting up for work (work from home), toileting assistance, and help getting food, coffee, dressed if I need it, etc. My worker continues to ask me what I need done, but then takes no initiative to do the job. I also found out that she clocks in at her house, before she leaves, not when she arrives to my house. And there have been continuous instances of her logging 6-11 hour days, when she is not here, not actively working.

I just checked today (10/31) and saw she clocked in, when all she did was stop by to pick up something that I borrowed, no work was done at all! I think she also clocked in on Tuesday, when she didn’t show up or speak to me at all!

And there has been an ongoing situation of the hours worked on paper exceeding the hours actually worked in person. There was over 15 extra hours on her last time sheet, that were not worked, nor an agreement made for those additional hours.

I just feel so used, and like I’m constantly being taken advantage of by someone who should care. They expect all the responsibility to fall on my partner, and then act odd towards my partner when we are all around each other.

How do I politely approach this, and make her see how much she is using me and taking advantage of my kindness?

Hey everyone, I wanted to reach out to see if anyone in this community might know more about the SSI and Medicaid side of things. I’ve already asked the trans community about the gender-affirming care part, but I know that’s not the focus here.

I’m a trans man living in Oklahoma, and I’m on SSI. I have cerebral palsy and I’m blind. I’ve been trying to figure out how to get gender-affirming surgery, but Medicaid won’t cover it, and I don’t qualify for any other insurance options. I feel like I might have to become homeless in another state just to gain access to the care I need.

The restrictions on SSI are making it even harder. I can’t have more than $2000 in my name, which makes it nearly impossible to save for surgery or even just to get by. I also can’t have any assets that can be turned into cash, which limits my ability to plan for anything.

I only get less than $1000 a month from SSI, so saving up feels nearly impossible. I’ve considered using an ABLE account, but I won’t do that because of the tax situation. For example, if I need $20,000 for surgery, I’d have to pay 10% of that to the IRS, so I’d actually need $22,000 to cover both the surgery and the taxes. That just feels impossible on SSI.

On top of that, my family won’t provide any financial assistance or help pay for anything on my behalf, so I’m left trying to figure this out alone.

Has anyone here been through anything like this or know more about how to navigate SSI and Medicaid restrictions? I feel really stuck and could use any advice or tips on that side of things.

Thanks for reading and any help you can provide.

Hey guys! recently i’ve been having severe leg jerks all the time that have effected my ability to eat/drink and walk. i’ve bought a cane recently and it’s definitely helped but how to i be more comfortable using it socially? i feel as if everyone’s staring or judging me because i could walk only a couple days before. this is especially bad because i am in college and have to walk by so many people. any tips will help!

Has anybody tried this? I'm recumbent a lot for back pain, and it seems like being able to watch a TV while in bed would be a common enough thing, but I'm having trouble finding mounts designed for this. When I Google "ceiling TV mount" they're all for mounting your TV vertically.

Is it a terrible idea? I just got a 50" TV that only weighs like 15 pounds, so I'm not concerned about it breaking its mount and falling on me.

Trying to purchase ADA seats for Kansas State Men's Basketball.

Option 1: Seat Geek
On Seat Geek, for every home and AWAY game - i.e. 20+ stadium, the filter for ADA seats says:

"Accessibility: There are no accessible seating options left." So every game is sold out?

Option 2: official website, https://www.kstatesports.com/

No ADA seats available for ANY home game (even exhibition when tickets are like $8)

buried in FAQ: Accessible Seating: Seating for guests with disabilities are sold on a reserved-season and reserved-game basis. Accessible seating is located in Sections 3, 9, 12, 15, 17 and 22. If available, accessible seating may be purchased in advance through the Athletics Ticket Office and online at www.kstatesports.com.

The ADA requires accessible seating to be made available for purchase in the same method, at the same time as regular seats... but it doesn't appear Seat Geek follows this policy.

Recently Brian Big Country Conwell was visiting San Diego to be presented an award for winning 21 medals in para athlete competitions.

American Airlines was extremely unprofessional, tried to put him on the wrong flight and wasnt going to honor his extended legroom seat.

Brian is a competitive powerlifter, is 6'6 , 285 pounds. He has a prosthetic leg. Have any of you had negative experiences with the airlines?

His article now has 10,000 views and his website crashed after he went viral this weekend.

Hello, I walk with a cane and I’m trying to find a costume that I can start making for next years that incorporates it. The last two years I’ve gone a Willy Wonka and I don’t want to use it three years in a row.

I just started wheelchair lacrosse and I love it, truly an amazing thing that I have become apart of, my only issue is that it is only 1 day a week, on sundays. So I was wondering, what chair should I buy? I have around a 5 thousand dollar budget (Preferably not have to pay that much). I know wheelchair sports equipment is super expensive, but its really something I wanna get good at. So if anyone has any ideas, that would be great. I have seen brands like RGK, Per4Max, and Top End. I want an RGK, but I have no idea what I am getting into. So please, any advice would be amazing!

Hi! I'm a University student currently doing a project on the accessibility of self driving cars. I was given some professors knowledgable in the subject I could talk to but I also wanted to hear the actual lived experiences/opinions of disabled people and my professor said that was okay to do instead. If any of y'all want to answer some basic questions I have, I included them below, but also if you want to talk about something not covered, I would be interesting in hearing that too. Don't feel pressured to answer all the questions or go into crazy detail. Any level of information y'all feel comfortable sharing would be so helpful. Thanks so much!

1. How do you feel about self driving cars in general? Have you ridden in one?

2. Do you think self driving cars would meet your transportation needs better than other current options? If not, how could they improve to do so? If yes, what specific features make self driving cars better?

3. What features would be most important for you in a self-driving car?

4. What safety concerns do you have (if any) about self driving cars?

5. Do you find transportation becoming more or less accessible over time?

6. If you could tell self driving car designers one thing, what would it be?

7. Do you view self driving cars as an overall positive, negative, or "no change" for you, the disabled community, and society as a whole?

8. Am I missing anything obvious about the issue you think is important to mention?

Once again, thank you so much! All information you feel comfortable sharing would be super insightful :)

I'm a disabled adult 24M and I live with my mom

I get monthly benefits so I help with bills

My mom told me the moment I pay a bill she'll respect me essentially. Awful I know

I've been paying bills for 3 months now and she allows people to steal from me, and her, live in our home rent free, eat our food we don't really have. Etc

Clearly I don't want that

I've told her she needs to kick them out because we don't have much as is

She told me I don't have the right and I'm not allowed to boss her around

I then said she would respect me since I started paying bills and she said she didn't mean that when she said it

She also essentially said suck it up when I said I hated being stolen from

How do I help myself? Soon I plan to move in with my partner but not soon enough.

She just sees me as some disrespectful snot and she doesn't get what she did wrong. Luckily I won't be here for long but I want the time here I have left to be bearable . HELP?

I am 23 years old and I have been suicidal for 17 years. I do believe in the right to die especially since I didn't ask for this life. I have multiple disabilities and since mine is visible I'm a walking zoo. I don't know peace. I really believe nondisabled people have the easiest lives and when they bruise the world bends to give them a bandaid. Even though I am planning my death there's so much I want to do. There's a intense need for disability representation in professional fields and media. I keep telling myself I'm not needed and someone else will do it. But not a lot of people have that fire and edge like I do when it comes to disability rights. But also my fire goes unnoticed bc I don't have a appealing disability. When nondisableds or abled bodied presenting people repeat what I say people listen and credit them. I feel unseen, I am unloved and I know I'm unwanted. I just want to leave this world knowing that there's a group of firey disabled people who going to disrupt every system of oppression that keeps them from living a opportunistic life.

I am so severely lost.

I am 22 years old and unemployed as of July 2024 due to many disabilities. The main debilitating ones are PoTS, chronic migraines, and rheumatoid arthritis. I had to quit my favorite job I’ve ever had because of my body. 

I have a sister who is also my best friend and willingly takes care of me and my bills (all I have is a $25 phone bill), but I am severely depressed being broke and unemployed. I am desperately looking for some kind of remote job, which is difficult for anyone, and I’m having ZERO luck. Even with many years of customer service on my belt, I’m getting turned down for entry-level call center positions due to lack of experience. I’ve applied for so many different positions at numerous companies and have not gotten so much as an interview.

Words are my thing. SEO and copywriting have always piqued my interest, but those positions almost always require a bachelor’s degree in communications, which I don’t have. All I have is a high school diploma. I do have several SEO certificates from SEMRush and my sister is an SEO copy strategist, so I have some job shadowing experience there. My resume is as good as it can get right now - it’s well-designed, has all my information, and showcases my experience. If I had the money, I would be doing certificate courses in more areas to expand my knowledge and build an even better resume, but I just don’t. I plan to attend my local tech school for a medical billing and coding program, but that depends on whether I get approved for financial aid as well as when it starts. I’m still waiting to hear back from them, and I still need something to do in the meantime. 

So my question is… what does one do? I've been denied for Social Security Disability benefits and the SSA claims there are many jobs I can do, but they fail to realize they don’t exist in my area (small town) and I can’t just relocate right now even though I plan to once I have the means. Also, the jobs they claim I can do won’t hire me. 

How’d you get your remote job? Did they require a college degree or special certifications? Are they hiring? I’m willing to do just about anything besides social media influencing - my life is not exciting enough nor do I want to put all that work into POSSIBLY being famous, which I don’t want anyway.

I’m so tired.

I’m trying to find a laptop holder that is wall mounted and has an adjustable arm so that I can swing it back when I need to get up. I currently use a table that sits over me however i don’t have the strength to move it on my own so currently have been relying on support to get in and out of position for work.

The only thing I’ve come across that looks suitable so far (I’ll attach a link in a comment) is this one that is sold on Amazon for like £150 but also AliExpress so I’m a bit dubious as to the quality, also it would take forever to arrive and I’m hoping to have one sooner rather than later. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Edit: because of where my bed is it’s not possible for me to access any floor furniture eg tray tables - which I have, they’re just not suitable in this scenario. Also due to me lying down I need there to be a significant tilt to the stand so that I can use my laptop which is why I currently have the over body tray with some hardcore Velcro so my laptop doesn’t fall on my face

2nd Edit: 😅 I have also been looking at non laptop specific mounts like tv mounts as I could have someone fix a tray to the mount part, however I can’t tell if they have substantial swivel features on the mount part that would enable me to position the laptop how I need it as it will be coming from the side of me and not directly behind or infront

My spouse has Parkinsons Dementia and is having increasing difficulty walking, etc. He is unable to drive. I drive a Kia Soul. It is getting very crowded with the transport wheelchair, Rollator, etc. I am looking for a car that is not too big but will fit all the stuff I need to carry. Any suggestions?

How do I balance a job interview between showing I'm able to work, but still get the accommodations I need?

I'm an 18 y/o with autism, dysautonomia, peripheral neuropathy, tachycardia, and hereditary hemochromatosis; There's definitely more physically wrong with me, but years of tests and doctors still hasn't found anything. My genetic testing says I just have 'genes associated with non-categorized joint pain,' so, just a mystery-feel-bad disorder. I'm an ambulatory wheelchair user; I can't stand for long periods of time, and usually walk with a cane because my balance is so bad I'm extremely accident-prone. I also have very obvious autism, and I'm unable to mask... like, at all. Most people don't realize I'm autistic right away, they just think i'm weird and there's something wrong with me.

I talk weird, I move weird, I make weird faces (can't really control my facial expressions), and again, I'm just not someone who's able to mask. I'm trying to get my first serious job, so I can support the people in my life, but I'm honestly terrified that I'll never be able to.

If I outright say during an interview that I'm disabled, they'll just say I'm not fit for the position and blame my lack of experience, but If I try and present (however successfully) as being neurotypical and able-bodied, they'll use that against me to say I'm not disabled enough to ACTUALLY need accommodation.

That doesn't even get into the actual work I can do! All the jobs I would be able to perform require more experience than I have, and the only jobs that MIGHT hire me require customer service, which I genuinely think will kill me.

My family and friends are dicks about it, they don't understand that its not as simple as just 'getting a job,' Even my other autistic friends think I should just be able to 'suck it up,' and learn how to mask, even though their lives are a living hell and they're all miserable. I don't know. I don't think there is a good answer, and no matter what, you're always going to be punished for being poor + disabled.

Hi, I am about to return to my own place after staying with a friend after an already existing illness has resulted in me needing a wheelchair. I am being fitting for an active lightweight manual chair but where I rent currently is not totally accessible.

I will be fine getting around in my own home since it is on the first story and was already modified before as my mobility declined. My issues at this place where I live (they’re condos), is this:

1. There are NO curb cuts. The condo complex was built before the 1990s.
2. Many people here have disability parking placards and the spots to park are always taken. I’m sure they need them too but I need a place to unload my wheelchair so it isn’t physically possible to park anywhere else. I can’t gamble on whether or not I can enter or exit my car.

I am not sure if I can even contact the owner of the entire complex since all the condos are owned separately. There is an HOA who maintains the garden area and recently redid our pool. Could I get them to install curb cuts? How do I ensure I have somewhere to park? Or how do I break my lease to move somewhere else (I really don’t want to since I have lived here for a few years and love it).

Edit: I’m in the US, California.

Hi everyone, first post here.

I’m currently working full-time in a retail facing position (meaning no work from home).

I love what I do, but my disabilities are overwhelming me. I have migraines, headaches, ADHD, hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos (suspected, awaiting connective tissue testing), Autism (suspected, awaiting ADOS testing), vocal cord dysfunction, chronic joint instability, chronic joint pain, anxiety, depression, and more diagnoses to come.

A lot of these are invisible illnesses, but I am realizing that the physical symptoms are getting worse.

I have a degree in Business Admin & Management, spent 10 years in the nicotine industry, and am currently in the cannabis industry.

I want to work. I just need something more flexible. Any ideas?

I know this might seem like a stupid post, but I'm disabled, though I wasn't born this way. It's been quite a challenge for me to come to terms with my disability. My family often encourages me to push through the pain, but I've sometimes been labeled as lazy because I am not able to. I can't shake off this feeling of being an imposter, especially being in my early 20s where people often don’t take me seriously. I've had to fight hard for the support I do receive, and I am still needing more support. I’m just trying to figure out how to feel about myself in this situation. I have a lifelong condition with no cure, and it’s really terrifying to think about living with pain for the rest of my life.

I’ve had zero social life for over a decade now. I only do what I have to in caring for kids, errands, self care etc and some days even all that is too much. I just have nothing left for being sociable. I got so tired of faking how I was feeling to seem “normal” around people who didn’t really care to ask much less understand what I was going through. I don’t even keep up with old friends on the phone anymore. It gets hard sometimes just hearing about their lives they live able-bodied, I try not to compare my life with theirs but it just messes with me so much emotionally it’s become easier to just avoid it altogether. Safe to assume I’m not alone in this? So TikTok lives… I imagine some of you haven’t even used TT but I it’s helped me so much. I would go to different lives for a while and just listen to conversations and post comments but then I started joining the panels in lives that were discussing things I’m interested in/passionate about. In just a few weeks I felt like I had a bunch of new friends. We talk for HOURS. I join when I can or want to with no expectations. We discuss anything/everything. I can look and/or feel like garbage no problem because I don’t even have to show my face lol. Even met two who are disabled and I feel like we got to know each other without it defining who we are, iykyk. I feel like I’ve found my people🥹 Give the lives a try if you haven’t yet, the algorithm should take you where you need to go😬 and report back I’d love to hear your experiences too!!!

In Eugene, Oregon, the US Post Office on River Avenue, does not provide even one chair in its' lobby for a disabled customer, even though the lines are sometimes twenty or more customers long. I have complained to the manager several times over the years, but nothing has been done. I have multiple disabilities that make it impossible for me to stand that long. I filed a Civil Rights suit with the Feds who did not disagree that providing a chair was a reasonable accommodation but said they were too overloaded with other matters to take on my complaint. The ACLU said the same thing and that I should hire a civil rights lawyer. I called the County's lawyer referral agency who said there were no civil rights lawyers in this part of Oregon. WHY IS THE US GOVERNMENT MAKING LAWS THEY DO NOT ENFORCE? WHY DO DISABLED PEOPLE HAVE TO PUT UP WITH THIS?

My family has not been in a good place for as long as I can remember. I moved away for college 8 years ago and never returned. In 2021 I suddenly became disabled by no fault of my own.

My family is seeing this as their time to intimidate me to force a relationship. I’ve pushed back and told them no not without someone recognizing the dysfunction and a family therapist. They refuse.

I still see my doctors and they’re all fine with me. However because I have a disability my family has been successful in having my license revoked and having me placed in a 5150 hold for maybe an hour before the hospital realized I wasn’t eligible to be forced to stay there. My ESA was stolen by a family member and I had to get the court to help me get it back.

I’ve been “on the run” for 2 years now. I’m afraid every day of what the next stunt will be. A psychiatrist has described it as abuse. My PCP’s jaw dropped when I told him what has been happening.

I don’t know what to do to protect myself. I’m poor and afraid.

I only wear my sunflower lanyard when I am travelling say on the train or something just to give a slight heads up to the staff that I might need help with my bag ot take a minute to get situated in my seat.

Overall I have found the experience very positive. People tend to offer more help, allow me more space and generally speak to me nicer and kinder. I really appreciate these tiny things that help make my day nicer!

I just wanted to share a bad experience I had the other day though, as a word of warning. I was in Paddington station navigating through the crowds when a man who was clearly a drug user made eye contact, looked at my lanyard and obviously targeted me as potentially a 'soft target'. He initially tried to manoeuvre me towards the lifts - which if you don't know, is round a corner in a very quiet part of the station. No chance. I kept walking. Then he tried to physically take my suitcase off me (saying he wanted to help) again I told him no. I took the escalator upto the taxi rank, then again he kept trying to 'help' with my bags, I had to be really firm and tell him to leave me alone.

Until that point, I hadn't considered any negative side to wearing my lanyard, but this goes to show that there are people out there looking to take advantage of someone they consider to be less able. NO WAY!

Put in a leave of absence for having autism at a major LA toy company. Say my autism makes people uncomfortable.

Does this usually happen I'm just trying to figure out why I honestly I hate this feeling of being lonely

I'm wondering if there is anything I can do about it. My HOA president removed the shopping carts which I need. I live in a three story condo building in Fl on the second floor. Anytime I go shopping I use the carts to get my belongings from the car to the elevator then to my unit. He said they were to noisy and he had to many complaints. I don't believe he had any complaints he just dosnt wan to make anything convenient for the disabled. Also there was only one person that used the carts late at night. Instead of throwing them away he could have put a time restriction on them. I can't take a cart out if my car and then unfold it to put the items in each time. Is there anything I can do to make him replace the carts and Handel the situation another way? I tried talking to him but he said to late threw them away to many complaints. I don't think he got any complaints he just wants people that can do fiscical work to live here . Please advise if you think I can legally inforce him to replace the buggies. Thank you