The fragile special education system can’t handle this crisis. — Every news outlet, from world-famous papers to Youtube channels, is talking about the teacher shortage our education system is experiencing. Between the inadequate pay, politicizing of classrooms, and difficulties transitioning back from COVID, teachers have been put through the ringer. Unsurprisingly, many can’t take it anymore. Many commentators have discussed…

Diversity, equity, and inclusion needs to stop ignoring disability. — This year, my university held its first sensory friendly performance of one of our productions. That same semester, they put up a different production that featured an offensive portrayal of a disabled character and many uses of the r-word despite the many objections of disabled students in the program. …

Institutionalization is still a very real problem. — I recently read an essay by disability activist Alice Wong that really hit home for me. In My ICU Summer: A Photo Essay, Wong detailed a recent health crisis that caused her to spend a great deal of time in the hospital, including her care and resurfacing medical trauma. While…

Is a disabled hero good enough? — I’m a huge fan of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU). Marvel studios could make a TV show about all their characters living in a dorm and never doing any superhero stuff, and I’d eat that shit up. However, I have noticed a disturbing trend in the discourse surrounding these movies…

Goodwill doesn’t need help exploiting disabled people. — Over the weekend, I attended the Abilities Expo in Houston. This expo is a big convention with resources for disabled people ranging from adaptive sports programs to equipment vendors to ADA lawyers. And you know who had a booth this year? Goodwill. I don’t know who decides how the booths…

Unpacking a waitresses strange comments. — I went out to eat the other day with a bunch of friends from a social group I’m in for young adults with neuromuscular diseases. I think we’re technically a support group, but that feels misleading given the comical chaos of our zoom calls. The restaurant staff was nice, and…

Incentives to attend school don’t cure disability. — My elementary school had extra recess once a grading period for kids who had perfect attendance. My middle school threw pizza parties for kids who missed three or fewer days a semester. In high school, we could exempt a final if we had a semester average of an A or…

Disability isn’t a bad word. — I saw a post on Facebook the other day where a mom was ranting about a family member referring to her son as disabled. She felt hurt that this family member saw her son’s “different abilities” instead of him, and proclaimed that his condition doesn’t define him. My question is…

The freedom my power chair brings me. — When I was four years old, I got my first power chair. I was born disabled, so I never walked as a kid. Before my power chair, I used either a stroller or a manual chair that was way too heavy for me. …