I am fed up of daily ableism. Literally all the time. Ableist, cruel people.
You might think that people would be kind to disabled people struggling online.
You would be wrong! So very wrong!
There are comments I, and many other disabled people get constantly that are either clear hate or are ableist troll comments. It needs to stop NOW.
Also assumption is harmful too and also should be stopped. I think it is one of the things that many people do that can be really harmful to people. You have no idea what a random strangers life is like, so stop assuming you do, especially if they are disabled and/or chronically ill. You have no idea how different we all are!
We get comments and insults from strangers who often give us outright hate and abuse or more subtle but still incredibly ableist! This needs to stop.
It has been going on too long now. Sadly you don’t see that many people sticking up for disabled people if they get harassed on social media. I see people getting hate and people just ignore it.
They wouldn’t ignore it if it was racism, so why let ableism pass?
Things such as “go get a job”, or one I had not long ago that I posted about here which happened on TikTok was someone who tagged me in a random video of a disabled person working saying “oh look, a disabled person working” and they tagged me and another disabled person.
When I replied that I can’t work due to chronic illnesses, not just physical disability, they replied “your disability is being lazy.” I was in shock and so upset as they don’t know me at all and just insulted me on a random post after assuming things wrong.
Being disabled varies from person to person. We are not all the same! Some can work and some can’t.
Some people are physically disabled with no other issues other than unable to walk and can work fine.
I am not just disabled, I am severely chronically ill and disabled. Not all disabled have chronic illnesses and vice versa.
I have physical as well as other disabilities such as chronic fatigue which leaves me unable to barely move, speak, type, and leaves me needing over 11 hours sleep a night plus naps, plus severe constant 10/10 pain that leaves me bedbound, screaming night and day, unable to sleep, move, or do anything. I have Fentanyl, Morphine and many other medications which all make me even more fatigued and still in extreme pain.
Stop assuming all disabled people are the same. Same with chronic illnesses, we are not all the same! We all vary! Stop being so ableist.
I’ve always said on my blog that I can’t work anymore due to the severity of my chronic illnesses that leave me bedbound 24 hours a day without the last and strongest painkiller available, Fentanyl with a side of Morphine and a plethora of other medications.
I worked for many years, much longer than I should have too as I pushed myself for years, going home in tears due to extreme pain! So stop assuming all disabled people are the same. We are NOT!
Typing or speaking a while are both incredibly hard for me!
Typing is so painful and draining and speaking drains me so very much that I often just can’t speak.
I worked for years instead of claiming benefits which is literally the reason I can’t get money from ESA!
I worked part time instead of quitting work and that means I didn’t pay enough national insurance. This is why I can’t get ESA! I worked so hard instead of just quitting and THAT means I can’t get ESA, the main disability benefit. Can you believe that! Working actually punished me and is why I am on a poverty income over just over £300 a month!
Without my painkillers, (which work less and less as time passes) I am bedbound, screaming and crying night and day, unable to sleep, move or get a moments peace.
With my painkillers, I am still in extreme, severe pain, but able to come downstairs for part of the day. Still needing to spend many hours there each day. I have severe withdrawals every 48 hours too! Really severe!
Plus I still have other chronic illnesses and conditions too! Not just chronic pain! Extreme chronic fatigue too as well as sciatica, migraines and numerous other conditions.
I get credits only ESA which is National Insurance credits and no money. I did the same signup process, medical assessments, etc that everyone else does but I don’t get the money, just the NI credits. It is called “credits only ESA”. More on that in the about me and FAQ if you have questions as the are all answered there.
People need to learn that disability varies and chronic illnesses are other conditions that leave me and others disabled. We aren’t all the same and we certainly can’t all work!
I worked for so long and I would be right now if I could! I don’t choose to live on a poverty income of just over £300 by choice!!
Plus I even push myself much too much trying to earn money to get by as I can’t survive on the income I get. I blog which brings nothing in sadly (although clicking ads = a small revenue), and I try streaming as you know which again, brings almost nothing in and kills me so much leaving me bedbound in agony for DAYS.
I am trying all I can as I can’t work! I shouldn’t be doing any of this as it is like torture, but I have no choice as I might earn something and I can’t lose that possibility.
I don’t choose to live on a poverty income. If I could work I would be! It is not fun being home all day every day! The Covid lockdowns should have shown you that by now.
If I could work I would be right now, and I spent years trying different things to see what I can and can’t do and I can’t do anything now! I still try though, and it kills me to try and I get nothing anyway.
Stop the ableism.
If you have questions about someone’s disability, either ask them or keep quiet. Don’t assume things and spout that rubbish out as fact.
Stop assuming we can all work.
Stop assuming disabled people are lazy.
Stop assuming.
