Never feel u have 2 question ur own disability status 2 me. Im not the gatekeeper. I dont care abt where u r on the sliding scale of med conditions. I care abt where ur in this fight against ableism & r u willing 2 learn how it interacts w/ other forms of oppression #CripTheVote

A woman told me that she understood the power of words b/c she saw another person b flippant abt PTSD. She said while she wasnt disabled, she had ADHD & felt uncomfortable having ppl use that dx flippantly. I told her she was welcome to identify as disabled if she wanted.

I've had other friends who tell me they have other conditions, such as diabetes, major depression, generalized anxiety... I ask them why they dont identify. Is it b/c they inherently believe disability is a bad thing? Do they feel they rnt worthy of the identity?

I like having these awkward conversations. Because in the long run, it helps us fight against internalized ableism. I fight it everyday. It's a good fight to have. We can either live proudly as who we are or continue to hide what makes us different.

Identifying as disabled can be powerful in its own right. My friend @anjalifp actually did a study on this and found ppl w/ Med conditions who identified as disabled were generally more self confident and able to be more successful. https://notables.vkcsites.org/2017/07/finding-ourselves-what-we-know-about-disability-identity-development/

U can proudly identifying as disabled while also noting the physical, psychological, & sociological barriers. It doesnt negate the pain u feel from medical complications. It just means u have a different world view than those w/o disabilities or med conditions