When an Apostrophe Made Me Cry, and How I Made It OK

14 Aug
This afternoon, an apostrophe made me cry. OK, context. My fibromyalgia is in full flare today. Extreme fatigue, brain fog, body aches, plus the mental health symptoms: anxiety and depression. I have a ton of work to get done in...
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Yes, You are Disabled Enough, and Why You Should Say So

3 Jul
I recently talked to someone who questioned whether she was “disabled enough” to identify as disabled. She said she had a “mild” version of her condition and hesitated to even talk about it. I really related to this, because sometimes...
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When I Play Favorites with My Chronic Conditions

30 May
This week it occurred to me that I play favorites with my chronic health conditions. What I mean is, I most often identify as someone with fibromyalgia and downplay my other conditions. Today, I decided I’d write about it, not...
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11 Pandemic Trends People with Disabilities Want to Keep

13 May
In my home state of Pennsylvania, signs of the COVID-19 pandemic are finally fading away. Governor Wolf has lifted many of the restrictions, such as capacity limits in businesses and no seating at bars, meanwhile promising to lift the mask...
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Why Asking “How can I help?” is Problematic (and Tips to Rephrase)

23 Apr
“Is there anything I can do?” It’s a common question from caring people. We ask it when someone is stressed. We ask when someone is grieving. The caring people in my life ask when one of my chronic conditions is...
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Combating the Myth of Endings

9 Apr
One of my struggles has always been the evening appointment. I remember when I was a waitress and worked evenings, it was hard for me to be productive and enjoy the day because I had this thing to do later,...
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4 Things People with Disabilities Find Helpful When We’re “Out in the World”

20 Mar
One of my speaking programs on disability has a strong focus on universal design, which is defined as making spaces, objects, and experiences accessible to all people regardless of disability or other difference. Yes, this means having ramps, but much,...
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11 Things I Do at Bedtime That Make Life a Little Better

22 Jan
I love preparing ahead for myself. Doing those little (or big) things that might make a future moment better. (It’s why I keep up my Splatquake kit.) So doing little things for my tomorrows has become part of my bedtime...
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