Is it even possible for disabled people to make friends or do we have to spend our entire lives alone? I can’t do things other people do and my disabilities make me ugly and I feel like a freak. I’ve always been alone which is a miserable experience because I need help physically to survive, which always involves people resenting me and me begging for help. I’m just angry and tired of being me. I’m really scared right now because I am in danger of having to have one or both of my feet amputated because of my disabilities and I don’t even have people in my life who can emotionally support me or physically support me. My Mom doesn’t love me. She abandoned me a long time ago and my Dad gets angry at me all the time for asking for help because he needs to work and he’s unable to help me and I just need to figure it out on my own. I can’t even do simple things like open my own drinks. I can microwave food but it’s only with a lot of difficulty. I can’t physically drive. The state took my license. I’m losing my mind. The world has abandoned me. Everyone wishes I didn’t exist and I never asked to be born. My doctors are angry at me a lot while I struggle and all I want to do is cry all the time. I’m so scared.

Hi all, I have a question. My dad got a rare neurological syndrome, and became disabled. We have hope that he can walk again with the right therapy. We are currently moving him around the house with a Sara Plus.

We’re considering moving him back to our home country for a couple of months, so he can get nurses and have around the clock care.

I was wondering if you guys knew how it would work logistically to transport all his moving aid? We have a lift we also use sometimes. Lift, the Sara plus. Would those items have to be shipped by boat? Or would you be able to ship them by plane using a currier?

Just wondering. Any information is greatly appreciated, I’m very uneducated about this subject.

Thank you.

I (15F) have a bunch of health issues (don't want to disclose all that info online lol) that have resulted in severe lower back-pain. I decided to buy this like injury/sports back brace and it really helps! HOWEVER I have not worn it outside/worn it without something covering it. I'm planning on wearing it to school tmrw and i am scareeddd. I'm not worried about being looked at weird or anything but i am scared about answering a bunch of questions because most of my classmates are nosey af "OMG What happened??" "Are you okay???" "Do you need to go to the nurse" SHUT THE FUCK UP!!!!!! Since I don't have a clear cut diagnoses like scoliosis I have absolutely no idea how to answer these. Help!!

I (17F) was diagnosed a few years ago with PFPS. I was prescribed a couple months of PT to treat it, I found that it had helped and have continued to do my exercises even after I finished. However even now I still struggle with pain and instability (primarily in my knees and hips), and I still require a knee brace to move and live semi-comfortably. I'm aware different musculoskeletal disorders run in my family such as osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, and so on. In reference to my previous diagnosis, there are particular contributing factors. I have often been described as underweight my entire life, I'm about 5'2" and weigh 90.5 lbs, I'm also hypermobile and have crazy arched feet. I'm not overly active nor under active.

I often find my pain and instability troublesome when it comes to walking and it even affects my social life because there are many things I cannot do with my friends and family, often making me feel left out. I know I am still young but I'm rather worried that my condition could be something more serious due to my problems recurring, despite my treatments. I often debate getting mobility aids but fear I might get some odd looks from strangers or not be taken seriously, despite even my closest friends suggesting I should probably do so.

Does anyone else struggle with situations like these? I suppose I just really need some support from others like me <:)

Hello, I'm a 38 year old male who currently works as a facility manager for a legal Class C licensed marijuana grow in Michigan for the past 3 years. Previously to that I was working for a party bus service for 2 years on an island in Florida when I lived in Florida before Covid shutdowns hit. Previously to that I worked at a College as a financial aid specialist for 1 year. I also have a bachelor's degree in business administration (quite useless I know).

I am disabled in the form that I am 90% deaf and I was born this way. I wear hearing aids and I am a very high functioning legally deaf person who can communicate and speak like anyone else (lot of work and effort throughout life to get there). I collect social security disability monthly as well for my disability.

I been thinking about getting a schedule A letter and applying for federal government jobs on USAjobs dot gov.

Is it a tough process to get a job even with a schedule A letter for disability? I want to change careers and also have more stability in my life. But at the same time I also heard that it is very tough to get a job like that. Does anyone have any tips for me or can give me some insight?

Advice needed, I’m having Issues getting accommodated my manager doesn’t seem to get it and I’m feeling very defeated

Issue with accommodation, manager doesn’t seem to get it, feeling very defeated

Issue with accommodation, manager doesn’t seem to get it

I’m a seasonal cashier at Burlington and I have something called MCAS it’s an immunological condition that causes a wide range of allergy symptoms, the biggest thing is it leaves me constantly overheated, it doesn’t matter how cold my internal body temp is always warm, its very hot in the store and so my immunologist wrote a letter explaining my condition, and what accommodations I need, which is to be able to wear shorts or skirts to help keep me cooler, and then the option to sit down for a few minutes if I have a dizzy spell. I gave the letter to the assistant manager today, who gave it to the main manager, and afterwards, she wanted to talk to me in her office. She started going on about how the dress code is for employee's safety and that HR probably wont be able to approve it, I explained that this accommodation is for my safety tho, and that I understand it isn’t on them if in the unlikely case of this happening, I was to get cut on something, etc, from not wearing pants. Then she also said me needing to sit down if I get dizzy is going to be difficult to approve, bc there’s “nowhere for me to sit” which isn’t true, bc there’s a room with computers and chairs literally right by the registers and no one is in there 90% of the day. She then went on to say that bc of me getting dizzy spells and needing to wear shorts, this might not be the position for me but she will still submit it. I’m really mad honestly, I know most people hate retail but I actually love my job. This is my first job bc I wasn’t able to work for the longest time and I’m really scared I will get fired, what should I do? Should I try and explain to her that this isn’t something that will affect the work environment and that I’m not posing any safety risks to myself or anyone else? I don’t even know why she is thinking this. It also doesn’t make sense to be concered about safety if I get dizzy but then at the same time say there’s nowhere for me to sit down. This genuinely isn’t anything that would affect them I think she is just confused about my condition and instead of asking question is making assumptions about it being bad for business. What should I do?

Update: also, I just want to clarify two things

1. Me needing to go sit down if I have a dizzy spell is extremely unlikely to affect the line of customers bc we are not understaffed at all, there’s been multiple times there wasn’t even a register for me to work on bc of how many people are up there, so it really wouldn’t affect the speed of anything.

2. I have already proven that I can do my job so there is literally no reason for anyone who’s worked with me to think these accommodations somehow mean I am not capable.

I know I have rights but I don’t know how to advocate for myself I have hardcore people pleasing tendencies.

hi. just a tiny rant

okay, so i have long covid. i've had covid four times, but i believe i got it the second time. i started to notice in my freshman year that i was having trouble walking because my legs would randomly go weak. i could still walk, but i would need something to grab on to to be able to walk. i went to the doctor about this but i have no diagnosis for anything. which is what makes me think i can call myself physically disabled. my leg weakness is getting worse, and im scared that one day i wont be able to walk at all.

edit: thank you all for the responses. :) it makes me feel better about that i do have people behind me that experience the same things i do. thank you

(18M) Hi! I need accesible room tips please for my bedroom . My mom is letting me redo my room including the furnitures

So for context for the accesibly - i am in a wheelchair (full time & cant walk) My arms are also uncoordinated exept in my fingers so . its gotta still be powerchair accesible. I have to be in my bed most of the day. (so anything that makes that less realy boring) And i have moderete-severeish developmentel disabilitys (i dunno if that one effects it but yea)

im trying to make it shark/sea/ and ocean animals, theme , so any ideas for the decor too please i realy thank you

In terms of the medically assisted death debate:

I KNOW our conditions are shit and stuff like MAID is used to force people see it as "the only way out", I'm not saying that's not a problem. I think we obviously need to raise the alarms on things like MAID being used to eliminate the disabled (and poor, and those in psychological distress, etc)

I've seen folks arguing that since they are healthy enough to have quality of life with the right resources, then there's NO scenarios in which anyone would legitimately want a medically assisted + controlled end-of-life for themselves regardless of their societal/material conditions.

I just don't think "medically assisted death is a tool for state sanctioned biolence" and "there are humans who benefit from right-to-die support" are mutually exclusive. I don't really care if it's only "a tiny minority" that would benefit, because disability rights are all about "tiny minorities".

• Edit: Copypasting this response here this cuz I keep getting lectured -

My point is that we don't need to fight MAID-based injustices by saying individuals who do want assisted death don't exist. There's a thousand other arguments you can use before marginalizing a group that's already suffering

I haven't worked for quite a few years, but the last time I wrote my resume I was able bodied.

To make it more difficult, I'm a) invisibly disabled & look young so I look perfectly healthy & b) I'm trying to step into my field for the first time so I have no experience to put on my resume; only past, unrelated jobs & degrees.

My resume as is is only getting me jobs in my field I cannot physically do, even though I'd love to take them. 😥

I want to make 2 things clear:

✨️ 1. I want to work from home only. (For dependability reasons; I can have few to no sick days in a WFH job whereas I may have to call out quite often if I'm in person rn, which I am not accustomed to doing & am scared to do so.)

✨️ 2. I can only work... uh. A very specific amount of hours, no staying late, etc. I have to figure out how many. (I'm on disability & albeit I'd love to work full/over time & do without disability payments, I can't lose medicare. I've never said no to an employer asking me to stay longer or come in or take a shift, etc, so I'm also scared of them pushing me.)

Idk how to make these things clear. It's difficult enough to write a resume, but trying to break into your field for the first time after not working for a while & not being able to work in person is rough.

I am not willing to go back to retail/min wage. I want to be in my field & gaining more knowledge & getting experience as I go through the last part of uni. Pls don't suggest that. So I really need help. Idk what to do. Putting stipulations on my resume will make an employer throw it out immediately when there are a plethora of other, significantly better resumes to consider & AI taking over the position I'm trying to get (not something I will do long term; just smth I want for experience/learning).

What can I write to convey this? CAN I write something to convey this? How do I make this clear in an interview? How do I stand firm on this to managers who may push me without getting fired? I'm in an "at will" state.

TIA if anyone read this. 🩵 🖖🏻

Hi guys, I'm not a caretaker myself but want to help out so I'm hoping someone can offer additional perspective. I live in Eastern Europe in a country with poor disability care, so while the people involved are in the process of seeking help irl, unfortunately, it isn't quick or easy.

There's a person with disability who has close to zero mobility in their legs but can stand a bit if put into upright position and has something to hold on to, is able to move their torso and has mobile but rather weak arms. The apartment isn't disability-friendly so they have a regular bed and a wheelchair to use at home. Are there any techniques for caretakers who aren't physically strong and/or devices that can assist with transitions from the person's bed to wheelchair? Thanks a lot in advance!

Hey everyone,

I'm a 5th year PhD student in Experimental Psychology who also earned an MA in Experimental Psychology from a different university. I have a BS in Psychology as well.

I'm posting here since, despite a May 2025 graduation date on paper, there's a lot of factors that lead me to reasonably expect not graduating by then (if at all). I want to work with vocational rehabilitation to find a job in this case in my home state, Ohio. What should I expect as I get further into this process? I already did what they asked by registering on OhioMeansJobs and creating a secure messaging account.

Also, one thing I was told by my VR counselor is that they have a "back door" to state level jobs. This is a big deal since I applied for a state job about a month and a half ago, ended up being 1 out of 3 who passed a competency test, and unfortunately was not selected after I made it to the final interview. It was for a social science research analyst position, which is a class of jobs Ohio offers that I'm interested in right now. I'm more than willing to use the "back door" for another attempt at getting a social science research analyst position personally. How does that work as well? Quick side note that this position would use both my BS and MA degrees and I don't need my PhD for it at all.

I use face masks when there’s smoke in the air, heavy winds or I’m using cleaning products because I have respiratory and sinus issues. I have a small head so adult sized/full sized face masks don’t fit me correctly or they’re a little too loose depending on the exact size. I recently found a bag of homemade ones that fit at a thrift store so I have extras now but someday they’ll get ruined or break and I’ll have to hunt down more. It seems everywhere stopped carrying child sized face masks after the pandemic became less threatening to the general population. However they forgot to consider children and smaller adults who are still at a higher risk and people who need them for other reasons.

There is a project to identify animation terms which lack sign language equivalents and fill these gaps to support sign language users to be included in education and industry for animation, visual effects (VFX) and video games. This video explains more, with ASL interpretation. There's a BSL interpreted version of the video too. https://youtu.be/ej-ZACDjzgo

Hi everyone!
I've been on the hunt for quality shoes that aren't A) sneakers, or B) hideous. When I was more mobile, I really loved my Doc Martens and other punk / gothy shoes, but I've reached a point where I can't wear anything without built-in support for more than an hour or two without pain. Wearing normal shoes/boots with insoles hasn't worked. Any leads on brands with boot-looking supportive shoes, or sandals, would be so appreciated!!! Thank you!!

Hey i’m a 23 year old disabled transguy and i don’t know how to make friends. i have pretty bad social anxiety but im getting tired of never having anyone to talk to unless it’s online. im not in college and i dont work anymore so i dont have any friends of convenience anymore. any advice on how to get some friends?

I’m truly disabled in the fact that I cannot work any paid job, I have tried and failed so many times, even after being approved for SSDI in 2015.

I have an “invisible” disability - Bipolar I Disorder. I was hospitalized for more than a full year in 2014-2015.

I can’t work. I also have now failed at/quit two volunteer positions - one as a greeter at a hospital, and most recently volunteering with the cats at the animal shelter. The animal shelter became a problem because of physical limitations, not my disability. I had trouble getting down on the floor…and getting back up again!! Also bending & stooping to clean litter boxes. I’m just fat and out of shape.

I feel so worthless, surviving entirely on government assistance. I feel like I need to be doing something important to be a contributing member of society.

I spend most of my day playing on my phone.

How do I get past this situation? I know it’s just a mental block. I do know that I am truly disabled, even though I don’t look like it.

The U.S. Attorney's Office recently declined to take on my discrimination case against my former university, citing "resource limitations." However, I’m struggling to accept this explanation, given the concessions I offered to simplify the case.

When I spoke with their representative, I trimmed my complaint significantly, removing less critical points and focusing only on the most legally relevant issues. I made every effort to reduce the complexity and workload they’d need to handle. Despite this, they refused, saying they couldn’t provide a more specific reason beyond the vague "resource limitations."

This has led me to wonder if the decision had more to do with how my disabilities were perceived. My disabilities are primarily psychological (OCD, anxiety, depression, ADHD) alongside mobility issues from knee injuries. I suspect that had I come with a more visible disability—like blindness or being wheelchair-bound—they might have treated my case more seriously.

Psychological disabilities often seem undervalued, even though they can be just as debilitating as physical ones. Given the steps I took to accommodate their supposed limitations, the resource excuse makes little sense.

What do you think?

• Was their denial likely based on resource issues, or something else?
• Have you seen similar disparities in how psychological and physical disabilities are handled in legal systems?

I’d really appreciate your insights or similar experiences. Thank you!

==========================================================

Thank you u/Quirky-Love5794, u/Urinethyme, u/BlueRFR3100, u/Classic-Ad-6001, u/mcgillhufflepuff, u/Human_Ad_7045, u/Analyst_Cold for your responses and questions. I’d like to clarify my case and address the points raised.

1. Details About My Case and Accommodations: The main accommodation I requested was additional time to turn in assignments. This was crucial because I had lost three months after my fifth knee surgery, and I repeatedly fell ill during the year due to a medication (Remeron) prescribed by the university psychiatrist. I reported these ailments multiple times, but the psychiatrist never took me seriously. The random bouts of illness persisted, significantly impacting my ability to complete work on time. I provided substantial evidence to support my case, including: Despite this, my requests were denied without thorough evaluation, dismissing the documented impact of my disabilities on my academic performance.
   • Email records documenting my communication with the psychiatrist about the illness.
   • Hospital visit records confirming the random illnesses.
   • Patient reviews showing similar experiences from others who took the same medication.
2. Why I Believe the System Failed Me:
   • Insufficient Evaluation: The university and agencies never fully considered how my disabilities—chronic pain, OCD, ADHD, depression, and the side effects of medication—affected my daily life.
   • Bias Against Invisible Disabilities: My conditions weren’t taken seriously because they weren’t immediately visible. The dismissal felt like a judgment that my disabilities weren’t “real” enough.
   • "Limited Resources" as an Excuse: While I understand that agencies have finite resources, their refusal to pursue my case felt like a prioritization issue. Invisible disabilities are often deprioritized because they require more explanation and aren’t seen as clear-cut cases.
3. Evidence and Reasonableness: The accommodation I requested—additional time for assignments—was reasonable and did not impose an undue hardship on the university. I backed my requests with extensive evidence, including medical records, hospital visits, and documented communications. Still, the system disregarded my needs, treating me as though my struggles were exaggerated or irrelevant.
4. Context of "Limited Resources": While resource limitations might play a role, it’s frustrating to see cases like mine dismissed without thorough review. By focusing only on high-profile or easily winnable cases, the system perpetuates the marginalization of people with invisible disabilities. These decisions have real consequences, sending a message that certain kinds of suffering are less important.

I would like to develop resources to help people with disabilities with employment. It could include helping the individual, or the companies/prospective employer.

What do you think would be helpful? What do you wish existed?

I’m a 22 almost 23 year old male that’s done physical labor for the past 5 years since graduating high school. About 7 months ago I was in a drunk driving accident that ended up permanently disabling my foot and ankle, I’m able to walk on it for good distances or or even stand but only for a few hours and eventually need to sit for about 20 mins or so. I got a DWI and unlawful carry due to the accident, I’m trying my best to get them removed but I’m not betting on it. Any tips or suggestions for a decent career? I enjoy psychology, data science but have barely studied either and didn’t have the best grades for my basic studys. I enjoy teaching,deep thought, and business analytics as well.

What do you do when someone maliciously hurts you knowing you had something like back surgery and had to learn to rewalk. I had someone slam a door on me on purpose today. And I've been punched in the spine. Can I sue this person because what I went through to rewalk and then to be abused... no. I will not tolerate it anymore. I am in pain today and it was malicious.

What is the likelihood of finding a wheelchair-accessible taxi to travel from Toronto Airport to Hamilton? I will have two pieces of luggage and one carry-on. I couldn’t find much information online. Please comment any information you may know. Thanks

Hi all I applied for council housing at the start of the year due to having disabilities and my parents home no longer being good for my Heath conditions and my mental health, however they closed the application as I didn’t have enough medical proof (my mum who has ocd shredded a lot of medical diagnosis letters), so they closed the case, fast forward to now I’ve just had a missed call and a voice note from an Occupational therapist saying she’s in the area in the week and to do a home visit on my home, does this mean the case is re opened? What should I expect to happen with her coming over?

Just a reminder for cane/crutch users to use your cane on the opposite side of the leg you need support on! Using your cane on the same side as the leg you are trying to support can cause hip and shoulder problems later on!

I am in MA for context

I want to go into nursing, and the closest public BSN program is over an hour from my home, and I can’t live on campus, I can’t be away from my home for more than 3 hours, and can’t drive (I’m in a car-dependent area, zero public transit and the disability department only allows disabled residents maximum one drive a week within a 10 mile radius…).

There is however a BSN program 20 minutes away, that I would have a drive to (I know someone who works right near there who’d give me a lift).

So is it out of the question for rehab centers to pay for private college in special circumstances where the public options are inaccessible? There IS. Public university near me, but they don’t offer nursing, it’s not my fault they don’t.

I have also thought of suggesting I take the prerequisite/starting courses like ENG101, intro to psychology, anatomy and physiology 1&2 etc. online through a community college to save them money and show that I’m not doing this because I want some fancy private college degree. I really don’t care where I get it lol I just want to be able to get it.

I originally thought to do an ADN but two things stopped me: 1. My disability means I’m going to struggle to be competitive. I need a very flexible schedule and need very flexible environment. Employers are much more likely to accommodate to my needs or accept my flexible/shortened schedule with a higher degree, since I’d be more competitive. 2. The only public college closer than that private one is a CC, and on top of not offering a BSN, they do not have the supports I need, one of which is I need online classes to be synchronous, theirs are exclusively asynchronous. Second their ADN nursing program is at a different location and is located farther away and it’s somewhere I would not have transportation.

Is this even in the realm of possibility?

Just found out that my LTD insurance company did surveillance on me 8 months ago and recently sent a written synopsis of the surveillance report to several of my doctors. Video shows this person to be very active, but the person is clearly (clear to myself and my family) not me and the any occupation decision date is approaching. 1) how to fight this and 2) any recourse since it makes me look bad to my doctors?

I think these past few months have been very chaotic and I definitely need a support group.

Then they detected type 3 hemorrhagic dengue. A few days ago I had to be admitted to the emergency room because I was bleeding, and during the check-up and other subsequent tests to rule out other diseases, they noticed a few things. The first is that I have an ear that doesn't hear well, which seems to be caused by an injury. The second is that I also have one eye with partial loss of sight and it seems to be due to an injury as well, and almost complete loss of the sense of smell.

All of this doesn't seem to be something recent, especially since I hadn't noticed any changes; the ENT specialist mentions that the ear wound is already old. I can say almost with certainty that it was the fault of bullying, since they physically abused me to the point of having a near-death encounter. I don't doubt for a moment that one of those encounters caused that, especially because after the bullying was when I started to be more clumsy and I don't remember being able to smell the bread afterwards, before I did.

I feel partly relieved because it gave meaning to many moments in my life, like the time we went out because gas was coming out of a broken tank and I didn't smell it or anything, although at the same time I feel confused and somewhat angry that the horrible actions that were done to me in the past continue to have repercussions today and for my entire life. It's simply unfair.