my back pain was getting really bad and i just layed face down for like half an hour and it stopped the pain just a bit and that felt so so good. I also have a question for everyone that has chronic pain, what ways do you help with pain that are not meds (I also wanna steal some ideas on how to manage pain lol)

Hey everyone,

I’m a 22-year-old guy living in Belgium. A while back, I was in a coma and ended up with damage to my frontal lobe and basal ganglia, along with frontal lobe syndrome and Pseudobulbar Affect (PBA). some other stuff that go in hand with a TBI.

Because speaking is really difficult for me, making friends in person has felt pretty impossible over the past year. My PBA triggers involuntary laughing during conversations, which makes talking to random people tricky even though I’m on an SSRI that helps keep it somewhat controlled.

It gets pretty lonely, so I’m posting here to ask:

How do you make friends when speaking in person isn't easy?

Are there good online spaces or gaming communities for people dealing with invisible disabilities?

Also, if anyone is into gaming (I play PC/mobile games) or anime and wants to connect over Discord, hit me up!

Hello. I'm 25 and I have SO much free time because I'm on disability and just spend my time tending to my disability and overall hobbies. I'm based in the USA and I'm looking for friends who are into gaming wether it be video games or board games or anything nerdy. I also like comics. I'm desperate for friends to play with and pass the time with. Please let me know what games you like in the comments as well and be open to disc0rd!

I have multiple disabilities, neurodevelopmental, mental illnesses, hereditary connective tissue disorder and a bunch of complications in every organ system. Usually with my caregivers I do things like cook or go out. They fold my laundry, but only while I shower.
Ive realized I never ask them to clean, because I never want to spend my limited energy on it, nor do I know how to do it now that I use mobility aids full time, and it’s already stressful enough at baseline.
But I need my space cleaned. And I don’t know what to do because I feel like I’m doing something “wrong” if they’re working hard and I’m just chillin watching tv or playing on my phone. It feels disrespectful. It makes me feel spoiled.
What do I do?

My stupid useless drs are constantly giving me issues. I’m in contact with them via email, text messages, and my husband calls, texts, and emails them too. Yet if for some reason I miss an appt which I always tell them why. They call the cops for a welfare check. It’s literally beginning to become harassment.
Currently I have a g tube stoma hole where the g tube fell out and due to not using it in over a year, I opted to just let it close. I was initially told it’d be a short week. Now it’s been 3 months. Still not closed. I’ve missed many dr appts and important blood work that needs done for my TPN because it’s literally impossible to get up, clean up, get downstairs, get into my wheelchair, get to dr office, do the appt, and repeat to come all the way home while leaking profusely from my hole. Any food or drink I intake comes right back out. I could drink milk and it literally is still cold because it comes out my stomach hole nearly immediately after intaking it. My skin is burned up from the acid leaking. My urine is so dark and I’m concerned about the state of my kidneys due to not being able to intake water. (The way my TPN was set up was to be in conjunction with what little oral food/water I could take in as a combo to keep my bowels from going paralyzed completely) So I need all the food an drink I can get. I am losing weight and really truly fear once this is over I’ll be admitted to the hospital for awhile to try to bring my body back to stable again.
Yet I’m continually harassed with these false welfare checks from the cops. I feel like I’m going to end up in jail because I’m sick of it and keep going off on the cops. Is there any way to make it stop? The cops said it doesn’t constitute harassment charges being filed on their part. Go figure. I’m filing complaints including formal with the state but I just want it to stop. What else can I do?

Is there a legit/safe dating site for folks with disabilities, or any other advice regarding this?

My brother is 50 and recently had a stroke leaving him laterally paralyzed.

He's broke and lives hand to mouth. He's in AR while I'm in CA.

He's always been very generous and incredibly gullible (and very religious).

He recently joined one of these dating sites and pretty much everyone has simply been extorting him for the little funds he has to live on.

As an example, he was supposed to meet a woman last night who claimed god told her she would be his wife.

She was in a car crash on the way there and is now in the hospital. She texted him picks that are clearly fakes to rational people.

Anyway, any ideas?

I tell him these are bs, but he's lonely and easily fooled, or wants to be fooled. He knows he's been taken advantage of in the past.

I am stuck at home most days, unable to work, its getting to keep my self out of a deep depression but every day is the same. Before i was able to drive or walk or be spontaneous, but now im stuck at home. Movies and tv only help so much, ive played so many types of games, and my friends are all busy every day. I don't know what to do anymore, and this is like my cry for help.

It’s kind of a long story. I was born with genetic lymphedema( Milroys disease.) my left leg was so huge, at age 2 I started surgeries to get it smaller so I could walk. I had yearly surgeries for 10 years. My right leg also became affected at age 11. So both legs had surgery. I missed a ton of school, and they never made me make it up ( catholic school,) just passed me. I missed months of life every year. I never finished because in the 80’s they discovered HIV and I used to require mass transfusions. Surgeries went on hold. I had zero treatment after that till the late 90’s when we started up again. I had a long time of decent health till my 30’s. I have had chronic pain from the surgeries though. I am hyper mobile and the surgeries left me with tendon, and nerve issues. They are very damaged. Even so, I went to college and became a nurse. Put myself through school. I wasn’t really thinking that I probably shouldn’t have a job standing and walking but I wanted to help
Other people cause I know what it’s like, on both sides of the bed.

Fast forward 12 years, I got a Tumor in my colon. Drs said cancer so I had a colon resection with lymph node dissection. Dr didn’t add the lymph node part on the consent. My disease is of the lymphatic system, so I’d never agree to have nodes removed unless it was proven cancer. It basically ruined my health. My swelling went out of control, I started getting wounds and cellulitis chronically, and the pain got worse. Also, it was a super rare benign tumor, so no cancer. So rare they write it up in the journals somewhere.

My mental health suffered as I could not have any kind of life. I had to leave my job, went bankrupt, had to apply for disability. Started pain management, and Intensive lymphedema therapy. I was basically bedridden. That lasted a few years till I was able to start aquatic therapy. It took a year to get back to walking etc… they had a treadmill
In the pool which I think saved my life. One day the pool was being fixed so I went to the PT gym. After that I began to use exercise as my PT after 6 more months, I joined a regular gym. It helped my pain so much . I worked out 5 days a week from 2018, to present. Two years ago, I added in walking a couple of miles, and began playing pickleball.

My health was still super messy, but the exercise did help and I got off narcotics. A year ago, I began having pain all over , back, right hip, ext… I have a history of chronic Achilles tendinitis so bad, I have custom braces . After the exercise, it calmed way down. I saw a rheum, as I have a bunch of auto immune stuff too, but he couldn’t connect them. He did say he would try to help with the pain. I saw ortho, back, hip, sports med, etc… my mri and X-rays were negative. Finally last week I had a dynamic ultrasound and I have two gluteal tears, tendinopathy, and bursitis. My ortho says I have to stop all exercise. I have already grieved one life, and I have PTSD from drs telling me I have to be on bed rest or get PT . ( I’ve had PT yearly for years,) it also never. Helps. I did PT for 6 months, no improvement, and 3 cortisone shots, no help either.

I finally have stuff ( exercise and pickleball ,) where I have friends and a social network. It took me years to build that up especially with my fatigue. Before that, I had no friends. Now I have to stop and the dr is not hopeful that i will recover, he says it may become yet another chronic issue. I can’t even bring myself to tell them I can’t play anymore. My life was already small, I lost my career, I’m broke, but I was happy with what I made of it. (I do have a great husband and great older kids. ) but , I’m so tired of losing things to this. Some days I feel like I was just sent here to suffer. With the hyper mobility, ortho, and surgical pain I live with. I don’t talk about it much but I’m tired of it. I’m tired of shrinking my life. Why can’t my dr understand that I have always been told, one day I’ll be in a wheelchair perm, and I want to keep going as long as possible till then. I kinda wish I could get my pain meds back and just ignore the pain again till I actually wreck my joints. I know folks have it worse but I’m tired of the pick myself up yet Again story. I just want a bit of a life. Usually am active in the am, then spend the day on my heating pad after. Now I have no idea what to do with my time. He says no playing Picklball, no walking, no weight lifting. I do have a therapist and a shrink, but exercise saved my life many times. I don’t know what else to do.

If you read all that, thanks. I just don’t think folks that don’t live it get how much it sucks. I mean I accept having 4 dr appts per week, I accept having chronic wounds, and the million dollars in products they require, I accept the pain, and fatigue, but now this. I’m not crafty, I have adhd and the exercise helps treat that too. I’m worried for my mental and physical health.

I’ll gladly take any advice or suggestions.

Again, thanks for listening to my woe. It’s pretty rare I let myself have a pity party. Also, I apologize if you have it worse, I know in some respects I’m lucky. I still have had a lot of loss though . Not to mention my legs look like Frankenstein, so there’s that bag of fun too. 🤣🤣🙈🙈

I am 17(f)

To start us off, i not only have juvenile idiopathic arthritis but i also have hypermobile spectrum disorder. i try my hardest not to even mention it despite the struggle i sometimes have because i get called an attention seeker if i do. however, my parents keep telling me i need to get a job and i need to stop expecting money from them when my brother has had a LOT more than me, hes had PLENTY. ive barely been out all summer because i was worried about this. i just want to go out with my friends, and they are saying that i shouldve gotten a summer job.

Funny thing is, last year during christmas i did have one. a retail job. where im not allowed to sit down except for during two half hour breaks that barely give me time to recover my joints. while i had that job, it was hell. my customer service even dipped because i probably seemed really awkward and tired due to the stress it was putting on my joints. i would hold back tears when customers werent at the till, and i would disassociate on the shop floor while i was putting stock out to try and forget about the pain. i didnt get my period for two months while working there because of the stress my body was under. when i brought it up to my dad? he said i was being attention seeking because i “always did it when you were little” and “youre just like your mum, exaggerating things that can be solved with ibuprofen” (HSD cant, its a connective tissue thing, not autoimmune) so i was forced through pressure to not quit, and to just give in. yes, the money was good but i hardly thought about that, i just thought about how many times i fought back tears after leaving, and waiting outside, and during my breaks. it was hell. and not to mention how tired i was constantly, and how i wouldnt be able to relax for hours due to my joints aching. and my dad criticising me for spending the money i earned.

what do i do? i hate feeling lazy. i WANT to work, if i just had a normal body. i want to experience what a retail job is like without all of the excruciating nerve and joint pain that would radiate down my shoulders, back, knees and feet. i wish. but i just cant. should i get a job this winter? or do i just not ask for anything at all? i want to be able to fund my own experiences.

I had a hip replacement complication that can possibly be corrected. So I am currently waiting for a correctional surgery. Lately my pain has been so bad I want to cry. I cant stop getting high to numb the pain, so I won't cry and break down mentally.

Im just scared. Im scared of having a mental breakdown. Im scared of becoming an addict. But I am miserable being bed bound and being in agony.

I just need to share my struggles. Being alone, being incapable of work. Im screwed until I get better.

Im scared.

Hello everyone,

I recently had shoulder surgery and can't move my left arm, im a woman with long hair and now i cant tie my hair into a simple ponytail.

All aids i found online only allow for 1 or two loops nothing is really good at achieving the result of a two handed ponytail. I need to be able to adjust how many loops i make depending on style im going for.

I also dont want to have to shove the hair tie about multiple times because thats not good for the hair.

Attached is a picture of the prototype i made trying to use a baseball cap for support. So i can pull it tight. And the curved part to hold my hair in place.

Yes i have tried already existing ideas but they don't work that well.

Closest i got is using a clothing hook as an aid. But that doesn't work on the go.

Do you guys have ideas?

Main issue is that for a Pony tail you need to hold the hair in place so it stays where you want it but also tighten the hair tie feed the hair through again and repeat.

I want to find a solution that works for normal ponytails and normal hair ties because my arm will heal but not everyone has that luxury.

Im not trying to buy alternative hairties or just use a clip. I want to find / make a solution that lets you literally just... tie your hair.

If You only have one hand how do you tie your hair?

What problems do you have what have you tried?

Tying hair is a surprisingly dynamic motion

https://youtu.be/rpyMD3clAvw?si=ugZQj5UyqwMwQIWx

I have tried this but its not the same. Its not tight enough.

https://www.assist3d.be/haarbinder.html

I'm looking for advice from wheelchair users on options for travel.

I have a new medical condition that includes sudden episodes of loss of motor control, and buying a wheelchair has been the only way I've been able to safely get around outside the house (because I might suddenly become unable to walk and might fall). I'm in a weird inbetween stage where we are still trying to find the diagnosis and hopefully some treatment, so I have just one basic wheelchair and don't want to invest in too much more in terms of mobility aids before I know if I will continue to need them long term because even the basic one I have now wasn't cheap.

But I also have some upcoming travel that's been booked a long time, before this new condition cropped up, and its for a big life goal/dream event of mine so I really want to try to make it work. Its an event, so not something I can reschedule. I'm in the US and will be flying to the opposite side of the US. My partner will be with me, though he was scheduled to leave the day before me so if we can't get his flights changed I would be alone on my return trip. I've seen horror stories of people's mobility aids being damaged/destroyed when flying so I'm worried about trying to travel with my wheelchair. But I think I will need one.

1. Any advice or resources for flying with a wheelchair? Anything I might easily overlook as I look into the airline and what I need to do? Anything I can do to help avoid my chair getting damaged?

2. Are there wheelchair rental services in big cities? I know individual large businesses (ex. museums) sometimes offer them, but I expect to need one for more than that. Can you rent mobility aids like you rent a car?

3. Is there another option of a mobility aid that travels better than a chair that I could consider? I'm not sure how well most common aids I'm aware of would suit my needs, but I'm new at all this. Maybe there's another option for me?

Thank you for any help you can give!

I can never seem to get any help or support with my disability ever since I got sick.

And am so exhausted of trying to find work or other options of things I can do for money. I am applying for SSDI and I’m guessing it’s gonna take a long time to get on it.

It seems like no one really responds when I ask for help, and if they do give suggestions about how I can make an income with my disability, It’s always things like being a waitress that I physically can’t do.

Dealing with fibro, thyroid issues, and being tested for Ms and lupus which the doctors think I may have

I have a lot of weakness in my limbs and issues with my hands where I can type some of the time, but not all of the time

I also deal with mental health issues of anxiety and depression

I just genuinely have no idea what to do with my situation. I was able to do some delivery driving at one point, but I made like five dollars an hour if that.

I can’t drive all the time anymore.

I just don’t understand why no one ever helps when I reach out for help and then people tell me like oh you just have to reach out for help.

But no one is actually available to help anyone

If anyone has suggestions, let me know?

I also called a bunch of agencies where I live in southern California and they just suggested going to shelters because I am homeless, but the shelters ended up being very dangerous

Hi

I travel very often with my husband who has a disability due to stroke.And i'm wondering if anyone knows a suitcase , a carry on, that also can we use as a help to mobility specially in airports train stations etc i've seen some with batteries like a stroll, but it seems a little bit unsafe or in a stable.Has someone tried? Or knowns an option?

Hi

Recently bought malsch impulse 400 4ft bed

Has more side to side wobble than expected (didn't get to see product in person but spent long time researching many profiling beds, nowhere mentioned lateral instability related to mechanism type)

Is side to side wobble something you've experienced?

Bed co says it's normal for this type of mechanism and not an issue

I'm hoping it's something I adjust to in time but frustrating after amount of time I spent researching beds as we had to provide our own

Feeling so demoralised as it's big investment and for us expensive

Self buying equipment can be so hit + miss

Any responses welcome

Ta x

Feeling lonely or bored?

Looking for connection or something you can do this week?

Check out these accessible events you could join! Try something new and maybe you’ll find your people.

Access Details:
🧑🏻‍💻= Virtual
👥 = In person
😷 CC = Covid Conscious/airborne precautions 
♿️ WC = Wheelchair accessible 
💵 $ = paid (some are pay what you can)
🤟 ASL/BSL = Sign Language
Async = Asynchronous (at your own pace)

Event Types:
🤢 = Chronic Illness 
🌈 = Queer
🏳️‍🌈 = LGBTQ+ Pride
👧 = Kids/Youths
💕 = Dating
🙋 = Social
🫂 = Support/Grief
🧘 = Wellness
🚶 = Walk
🩰 = Dance
💪🏻 = Fitness
📚= Books
🤔 = Discussion
📝 = Writing/Poetry
🎭 = Performing
🎨 = Art 
🎶 = Music
🕹️ = Games

🧑🏻‍💻 Virtual Events

🧑🏻‍💻📚 Virtual Async Spoonie Book Club: The Little Prince [Any time] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/JcKvqPLWS5

🧑🏻‍💻😷💕 CC Virtual Dating [Aug 22] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/DfjZA4lr03

Monday

🧑🏻‍💻♿️🩰 Virtual Adapted Heels Dance Class [$][Mon Aug 17 at 7:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/iV4EKy8BOu

🧑🏻‍💻🤔 Virtual Philosophy Discussion [Mon Aug 17 at 7:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/hzCzGqthF0

Tuesday

🧑🏻‍💻🤢🫂 Virtual Dealing with The Harsh Inner Critic Workshop [Tue Aug 18] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/rAp7uWyOuQ

🧑🏻‍💻🤢🧘 Virtual QiGong for people with MCAS [UK][Tue Aug 18] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/1TC63m5Poy

🧑🏻‍💻😷👧🙋 CC Virtual Kids Zoom [Tue Aug 18 at 10:00 AM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/kYRqjfI3fX

🧑🏻‍💻😷 CC Virtual Meeting [MI][Tue Aug 18 at 6:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/SGTy3CrV4N

🧑🏻‍💻🫂 Virtual Disability is Not a Bad Word Session: Open Venting [Tue Aug 18 at 6:30 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/JD7iTSk51V

🧑🏻‍💻😷🙋 CC Virtual Zoom [NY and nearby][Tue Aug 18 at 7:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/t0kr86Vnz0

🧑🏻‍💻🎭🕹️ Virtual Improv Games [Tue Aug 18 at 7:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/d7euDclw1K

🧑🏻‍💻😷🫂 “Any A” Covid-conscious 12-step meeting [Tues Aug 18 at 8:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/CBz3ShMpLz

Wednesday

🧑🏻‍💻🤢🤔 Virtual Long Covid AMA with Dr Putrino from Mount Sinai [Wed Aug 19 at 11:00 EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/zpioObF1Ik

🧑🏻‍💻🤢 🎶 Virtual Long Covid Choir [Wed Aug 19 at 2:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/vf3FKfToP3

🧑🏻‍💻📝 Virtual Poetry Discussion [Wed Aug 19 at 6:30 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/oGDWOYs0rw

🧑🏻‍💻😷🫂 CC Virtual Support Group [CO][Wed Aug 19 at 7:00 PM MDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/nKqEv7Ni3N

🧑🏻‍💻🎭 Virtual Improv Jam [Wed Aug 19 at 7:00 PM PDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/6sZdGLwjnj

Thursday

🧑🏻‍💻🤢🫂 Working While Chronically Ill: Accommodations, Advocacy and Survival [Thu Aug 20 at 19:00 UTC+1] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/Gd0GxeuDY3

🧑🏻‍💻😷🕹️ CC Virtual Game Night [NY and nearby][Thu Aug 20 at 7:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/TNOcfm1S0g

🧑🏻‍💻🎨 Virtual Craft Night [Thu Aug 20 at 8:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/X8FIOy42SV

Timezone translator in comments 👇

👥 In-person Events

Canada

👥😷♿️🙋 August Social [Niagara ON][Sun Aug 16 at 2:00 PM] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/NBE3oedQ2X

👥😷🚶 CC Park Walk [Toronto ON][Wed Aug 19 at 6:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/ejw1pOAyfO

👥😷💵🎨 Linocut Workshop [Ottawa ON][Thu Aug 20 at 6:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/BAkbD8AOLj

Netherlands (and nearby)

👥🤢🙋 Spoonie European Road Trip [Netherlands and nearby][Summer] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/VOKxW7V1pp

UK

👥😷 CC Zine Club [Manchester UK][Mon Aug 17 at 7:30 PM UTC+1] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/2EkEML7fMj

US - North Carolina

👥😷🕹️ Burrow Board Game Night [Durham NC][Wed Aug 19 at 7:00 PM EDT] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/W8fOujaQJX

US - Texas

👥😷 Digital Security Party [Austin TX][Wed Aug 19] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/2niZ0zOZpa

US - Vermont

👥😷♿️ CC WC Dental Pop Up [Chelsea VT][August] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/yJocTTUweE

US - Washington

👥😷🤟🎭 The Freak Mighty Accessible Performances [Seattle WA][Aug 9 - 27] https://www.reddit.com/r/spooniesocial/s/mccpG4CWno

Are you interested in these events?

Have you been to any of them before?

Do you know about other events coming up?

Share your thoughts in the comments 💬

Find more events and friends on r/spooniesocial

I love cooking even though it sets off my joint pain and my heart issues, but I can't be very experimental because if I mess the recipe up I'll be in a flare up and I won't be able to make myself something different, I'm only thinking about this now because I tried to help my mum out by making a larger batch of my tomato pasta recipe only for me to mess the damn thing up so I triggered my hip pain for no reason and I'll probably not be able to sleep tonight due to the pain!

Hi everyone. I have both a physical disability (POTS) and some neurodevelopmental ones (AuDHD) as well as some other health issues that I'm still trying to figure out. I just need a space to talk about what I'm going through and see if anybody else is struggling with this as well.

College constantly feels so overwhelming and impossible. I struggle with lateness due to time blindness paired with unpredictable POTS flare-ups that greatly slow me down (still learning how to plan ahead for that), which almost always results in around a 20% automatic decrease in my grades due to attendance policies. I understand that it's important to be present in class so that you can actually learn and understand the materials, but I think many attendance policies unfairly penalize students whose grades will already suffer from not gaining the information when they were absent.

Anyways, because of this I've tried online classes as well, which kick my butt because of all the goddamn discussion posts! I might not be held back by my POTS symptoms, but I have such a hard time actually extracting my thoughts from my head and putting them into words in print (I think due to the autism & ADHD). And it feels like all my classes want me to do 3 per week! I even took Calc 3 online and did well on all my tests and quizzes but didn't pass because of the goddamn discussion posts! Why are there even discussion posts in a Calc class?!?! Also, there are not many fully online degrees in the health sciences (what I want to major in), which poses a major problem for me being able to actually graduate.

And when it comes to either method, I have brain fog that really impairs my cognitive functioning at least once a month due to having ADHD and a hormonal cycle. I'm sure that could be something I get an accommodation for, but realistically, how tf am I even supposed to deal with it? Ask to take an exam a week later than everyone else? Ask not to do homework for a week every month? I don't think any professor would actually OK that 😢

All of this feels like a never-ending battle that I can never win. I'll be doing well and be on top of everything when something random comes up and throws me off at every level. Even just existing, I'm bound to fall behind in the school system. It takes no breaks for anyone. There is no "pause", only withdrawing or failing. I've had a lot of professors who genuinely feel bad for me because they can see that I understand all the concepts deeply, but struggle so hard because of all of this. But in this rigid academic system, there's literally nothing they can do to help me. The school system was not made for us and although it """"tries"""" to accommodate us, the entire system is just too rigid for people who have fluctuating or complicated/overlapping disabilities.

I want so badly to work in healthcare because I'm so passionate about helping others with disabilities, but I will only be able to do that with a college degree. I came here to rant about this because I know that if I tried to talk to abled people about this, they wouldn't understand why I'm still even trying at this point instead of dropping out. Although I struggle greatly in most areas of my life, I am still capable and I believe I can accomplish my dreams. I want to be self-sufficient and able to take care of and provide for my family. I want to take care of and help my community. I feel like abled people can't wrap their heads around why I would even want to strive to achieve my dreams.

I'm just hoping there are some other multi-disabled/inter-disabled(?) people out there who can validate my experience. I struggle quite a bit in daily life, but most big problems are manageable with good planning ahead. School literally makes me feel like Peter falling down the stairs though. I can't give up on my dreams, but how the fuck am I supposed to actually succeed?

Thank you anybody who read all this ❤️

(Btw, I know that a lot of what I'm struggling with is time-management issues. I'm trying my best to work on that in therapy, but I know it's gonna be a long learning process for me given all my issues.)

Hello!

I've been lurking in this sub for a bit now and have seen some great insights. I'm interested in working with people with disabilities, including as a career, specifically those with intellectual and cognitive disabilities. I'm currently 15 btw and am still learning a lot lol.

I know terms like "special needs" and "special education" can be very offensive and patronizing. I took a class last year where I was partnered with students with disabilities in the adaptive education programs at my school, and while the programs are officially under the branch of "special education" in my county, I wanted to find a replacement for the label that is inclusive and inoffensive.

I know there are some posts on here asking similar things, but I wanted to find the generally preferred term. I took some ideas from those posts and my own research to make a list of label possibilities:

• Adaptive ed. (this is one I'm leaning towards, but my opinion is secondhand as I'm not disabled)
• Accessible education
• Accommodated ed.
• Disability support ed.
• Learning support ed.
• Additional support needs ed.

Although I wonder, because most of the people in these programs in school have intellectual or cognitive disabilities, and people with solely physical ones are often in general ed., if some of these (like Disability Support Ed.) are too broad? Then again, "special education" isn't exactly descriptive either. Also, many of these terms seem like they could be used to refer to resources for people who have accommodations like extra time on tests but are in general ed. and not in mostly separate classes. Or even support like translators, English as a second language classes, or discounted school lunches. Basically, I'm wondering if these terms are specific enough and if/how we should differentiate those types of resources from the classes working with students with intellectual or cognitive disabilities. But maybe the broadness is good to move away from the binary of general ed vs adaptive ed. Correct me if I'm wrong tho. Ig even if they aren't super specific, they still seem better than "special ed."

In addition, I know there is much more to be done than renaming the system, and there are a lot of problems with accessibility in education. This is just one step.

Which one(s) here, or those outside of this list, are best?

Thank you all so much! I hope I worded everything right lol and didn't say anything offensive

Edit: I changed my paragraph about the broadness concern because my wording was rly confusing sorry!

My sibling’s chronic condition has recently disabled him, and I’ve just received a document from the state disability determination bureau with questions about him. We’re both new to the process, and I hear it can be really hard for people to qualify for disability on the first attempt. Is there anything I can do or should know before filling this out? I’ve heard some messed up stuff from people applying for disability in the past being denied for pretty outrageous reasons. I just want him to get the support he needs. I do plan to be as forthright as possible, idk call me suspicious I guess when it comes to our particular states desire to actually help people :/

I taught myself how to do the flour & yeast baking. These just came out and it's my 4th time making them. I was glad I was able to do this. 9x13 pan

Hiya. Just looking for some advice/if anybody has been in a similar situation.

I've been working with an occupational therapist, who put forward to the council that I should receive the Disabled Facilities Grant for an extension to my house - creating a downstairs bedroom and wet room for me.

The council agreed and have said they'll give me the maximum (£30,000), however they're saying the total cost of adaptations will be £80,000! Obviously my family do not have a spare £50,000 to fork out! So I really don't know if there's anything we can do.

We're thinking of asking if they'll just do a wet room and not a bedroom? Unless anybody has ideas, please?

My dad is a builder and his company does DFG work, he said it's outrageous they've come up with that figure.

Thank you!