My Mental Illness is My Fault, That’s What Society Led Me to Believe

An exploration of mental illness; how guilt and blame fit into the equation. My disorder is fuelled by self-hatred. If she* can keep me trapped in a self-abusive cycle she has me all to herself. Guilt therefore, comes in handy to her. My guilt stems from my diagnosis. My illness is reinforced by this guilt. […]

How “Crip Camp” Invigorates My Fight As a Young Disabled Activist

If you’ve spoken to me at all over the past two months, you’ve likely had the chance to listen to me rave about a movie that has completely changed my life. If you haven’t had the pleasure, here’s your opportunity to hear all about it. Crip Camp, directed by James Lebrecht and Nicole Newnham, was […]

Pause, Rewind, The Tales of a ‘Deaf Girl’

Illustration by Damaris Contreras Deaf girl … and I can’t hear your words –  kettle whistles, chair scrapes on wooden floor, and your lips move across the table telling me… Something. again I plug in my tape player –           microphone of my lips,           switches of […]

My Disability Does Not Make My Life Worth Less in COVID-19 Pandemic

Coronavirus has changed a lot of things, and it has changed a lot of things very quickly. Everyone is being forced to adjust to a radically new routine, and nobody really knows what to expect next. Living through a global pandemic is, undoubtedly, a scary time for everyone. But it’s an especially scary time for […]

How Lilo and Stitch Has Become Part of Autistic Culture

When Lilo and Stitch was released to theaters by Walt Disney Animation Studios on June 21, 2002, no one expected it to be as popular as it is currently. The movie is about a young Hawaiian girl named Lilo who lives with her sister Nani. During the movie, Nani brings Lilo to adopt an animal-like […]

Four Videos of Dancers with Disabilities Who Will Make You Shout “Bravo!”

As a dancer, I’m always on the lookout for fresh new videos of the latest dance crews or music videos. However, as a dancer with a disability, I rarely ever see dancers, like myself, who have to overcome physical challenges in order to pursue their art. Over the past few months, I’ve collected a few […]

How Even Good-Hearted Allyship Can Be Harmful to Your Disabled Friends

The stigma surrounding disability and chronic illness is so deeply rooted in society that it can thrive while still perfectly concealed by its normalization.  It is so concealed that when a disabled person dares to bring it up or call it out, they are quickly dismissed and silenced by how certain ableds are that ableism […]

What It’s Like For Me To Fly As a Disabled Person

Illustration created by artist Damaris Contreras.  The first day of spring break: I post a picture on my Instagram story out the window of my airplane seat, sharing my VSCO filtered clouds with a sparkle emoji. This picture’s been taken a thousand times before, and in a way, I am simply doing my duty as […]

Disabled People Are Not Your Scholarship Opportunities

A good story always starts with an introduction and a setting: In my senior year of high school, I became an activist for disabled rights. Senior year was a breakthrough for me because I had finally accepted who I was instead of pretending to be someone I wasn’t. Despite finally being proud of myself, I […]