guest writer Lydia Wilkins explains why the benefits system isn’t working for women like her.
[ID: A woman with long brown hair and wearing a jumper and jacket, gazes out a window. She is holding a black phone and a coffee cup sits on the table in front of her.]
by guest writer Lydia Wilkins
“Oh for God’s sake, this is too much!”
Tim is a man who telephoned me abruptly — and someone who made me cry by shouting at me down the phone. His words angrily buzzed around the room, almost making the phone vibrate. I had no idea what I have done wrong — and the anxiety about possible sanctions churn away in my stomach. My mother intervened, angry on…
Human rights activist, “forensic tourist,” and author…
[ID: An illustration of Tara Moss. She is wearing a red dress and black boots. She sits in her wheelchair which has skulls and flowers on the wheel plates. She is writing on paper that is swirling around her.]
(This article is from the new Conscious Being Magazine)
by Elizabeth Wright.
In the 90’s I was living out my teen years rocking out to Nirvana, though secretly listening to Mariah Carey, my favourite film was Clueless, and in the later part of the decade I read a book called Fetish by Tara Moss…
[ID: A Black woman wearing black trousers and a deep green blazer jumps in the air with her arms up and a huge grin on her face. Glitter sparkles all around her.]
Have you booked on yet for our digital magazine launch?
Yep, we are turning ourselves into a fully fledged magazine (and our intention is to go to print in the next 12 months.
Imagine that, a women’s magazine created for disabled women by disabled women — empowerment right there folks.
At our launch we have a number of special guests attending, including Tara Moss, Kate Stanforth, Hortense Julienne…
by guest writer Lydia Wilkins.
[ID: A white handbag is slung across a woman’s body. It is open and the woman is slipping her phone into it. She has turquoise nail polish on and behind her is a wall with red and green graffiti.]
by guest writer Lydia Wilkins.
Disability tropes are made to be broken — which is what we stand for, in terms of Conscious Being. I’d like to throw down a gauntlet here, too. Autistic women are worthy of being catered too. Some of us love fashion, and make it a special interest as well. …
Calling all disabled women and allies!
On the 1st of June we are launching our first Conscious Being digital magazine — featuring interviews with Tara Moss, Jessica Kellgren-Fozard, Dr Amy Kavanagh, Hortense Julienne, and Kate Stanforth. We also introduce our regular columns — Accessible fashion and beauty, reviews, travel, sex and relationships, meet the artist, personal essays and more.
We are having a virtual party on the 1st of June, 7pm BST, to celebrate the magazine. Wanna come? Meet the editorial and design team, meet some of our advertisers, and also have the opportunity to hear from Tara Moss and some of our writers. Book on here — Conscious Being Launch Party!
Liz x
by guest writer Charlotte Hyde.
[ID: A woman wearing jeans and a black top lies face down in grass. A bush with flowers are behind her.]
by guest writer Charlotte Hyde.
The rise in the use of video conferencing platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic has led to people feeling fatigued. The phrase “Zoom fatigue” has gained traction, but deaf and disabled people like me already have a term for this — concentration fatigue.
Consequently, researchers have been working around the clock to come up with strategies to combat “Zoom fatigue”. Multiple think pieces have been published in various news outlets. …
[ID: The Conscious Being logo which is an illustrated rainbow in pinks and golds, below is the text Conscious Being.]
We are having a party and we want you to come along!
With a fresh rebrand AND plan for the future, we are blossoming into an actual magazine (we will still be here on Medium where we will showcase some of our best articles!). On the 1st of June you will be able to pop onto Flipsnack and download Conscious Being — the magazine for disabled women by disabled women.
Are you excited?… we are.
Our launch is on the 1st of June, 7–8pm BST.
Come and join us, meet the editorial team, our graphic designer, and…
This is such a wonderful article Tšhegofatšo. Over the years I have explored these different ideas of love that go beyond the binary of sexual romantic or platonic. Love can't be fenced in really. I have such solid friendships with my girlfriends that I would describe as romantic friendship. I love them deeply and have that sense of companionship that, to be honest, I have never had with any of my boyfriends. Thank you so much for sharing this.
by guest writer Sarah Wall.
[ID: A woman, wearing a blue jumper and orange socks, sits on the floor in an empty room. She is leaning her elbow on a window sill. White curtains hang from the wide window. She looks sad.]
by guest writer Sarah Wall.
Like the majority of disabled and chronically ill people I have been shielding since March 2020 fearful of how the virus would interact with my multiple chronic conditions and worried of what potential damage Long Covid could do to an already battered body.
When the news broke that a vaccine was available I braced myself for the group…
by guest writer Lydia Wilkins.
[ID: A gloved hand holds a needle up filled with liquid on a pale blue background.]
by guest writer Lydia Wilkins.
‘It’ is reaching a fever pitch. Can’t you feel it, can’t you feel it yet? The UK has reached something of a ‘vaccine fever’ — and it has seeped so much into our culture. We post on Instagram our vaccine cards, dress up as if this is a special occasion — because it is, in a way — and feverishly ask everyone we know if they have had their first or second dose.
Compared to everyone I know, I…
Elizabeth Wright
Elizabeth is a disability activist, Paralympic Medalist and keynote speaker on disability, inclusion, and allyship. linktr.ee/elizabethlwright
