klemziblog

[klemziblog]

disabled people who do not directly "contribute" to society and need large amounts of care and resources to survive deserve not only to survive but to have comfort, stability, and fun within their lives while they do. no compromises.

[klemziblog]

“Is understanding that there are a million ways to be sexual (if one is sexual), and some of them live in phones, don’t ever involve genitals, happen once a year. Is understanding that all movement is movement, and counts, including when someone can only move three fingers and part of their forehead. All sex is sex.” ― Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice (Affiliate link)

[klemziblog]

wheelchair accessibility I never see talked about

table height

aisle width

center vs side poles for tables

spots to sit in rooms/adutioriums/etc. that aren't blocking aisles

sink height and sink cabinets

toilet height

cash register height

the height of just so much, I could go on

benches/trash cans/scooters/bikes & bike racks/restaurant patios/etc. taking up sidewalk space

light poles placed in the center of the sidewalk

tilted sidewalks

lack of cross walks (jaywalking is not an option for me!)

overgrown brush over sidewalks

[klemziblog]

For my chronic illness gang, your chronic illness is not your fault 🤍

[klemziblog]

Sometimes when you are disabled, getting out of bed is productivity, rest is productivity, using your spoons with care is productivity, it can feel like a full time job to care for our bodies and we are as worthy as people who are abled and have a 9 to 5 regular job.

[klemziblog]

Because I agonised for an hour or more this morning on how i would get groceries before 'allowing' myself to order them to be delivered:

You don't have to push yourself to your absolute limit constantly as a disabled person to prove you are worthy of care and support and recovery/improvement/symptom management. (I know this is a broad spectrum that varies for each person).

Abled people do strictly unnecessary things to make their lives easier all the time. You're allowed to do that too.

[klemziblog]

About Viktor from Arcane and disability

I’m sorry I’ve got to the point where I’m too involved into that character and I need to get this out of my systeme.

The thing is : Everybody do what they want, they draw any character the way they want, the ship who they want, that’s the power of fandom. BUT. The fact that Viktor is canonically disabled and I saw many fanart drawing him standing on his 2 legs, or using the medical back brace as a sexy outfit… That make me uncomfortable.

We get so few disabled character, it’s a big part of him, I wish it was more represented. Last time I was looking for information on Viktor and I’ve stumbled accross a conversation where someone where convinced that his leg brace was, in fact, a robotic leg. We got so little representation that people aren’t able to recognice a leg brace. It’s no surprise it got over looked in some fanarts and fanfictions I guess.

Do whatever you want, there is no fandom police. But I wish more people would document themselves on disability and how it impact a character life in the tinyest part of his dailylife. You could use the back brace as a sexy thing but maybe consider what it mean for Viktor to put it down (If he is wearing it all the day, I can imagine he have to keep it even for sexy time ?). Consider what it mean to have to use a crutche all the time and how it impact the rest of the body, the pain it cause. It’s not only having to walk slowly. It’s has so many impact on the daily life. You can’t use the same things that other, environnement isn’t accessible…

Idk. Do what you want but please don’t erase the disability side of Viktor.

[klemziblog]

"everyone should care about accessibility because most people will become disabled at some point in their life" is a logical argument and I understand its popularity

however, everyone should care about accessibility because disabled people are fellow human beings living in the same society as you who deserve the same rights as you

thank you good night

[klemziblog]

disability rights involves the right to do fuck all. the right to be a useless member of society and STILL be loved and cared for and have a fair standard of living. human beings are not defined by the capital we produce.

[klemziblog]

An apparently unpopular opinion: disabled people can have and do their hobbies. They deserve to have fun. They deserve to live their lives.

Their inability to do some things (like work, for example) does not mean they should be judged for… idk hanging out with their friends or to going outside. After all, having interests outside of work is often essential to our mental and physical health OUTSIDE of our disability.

And also *you might want to sit down for this* disabled people know what’s disabling for them (unless they people-please or push through due to necessity or survival of some sort). Disabilities don’t have to be visible or persistent to be disabling.

So yeah - my declaration: if an activity you want to do feels good and you’re able to do it, then do it. REGARDLESS OF YOUR DISABILITY WITH OTHER THINGS.

[klemziblog]

Pain is hard to deal with. It’s not wrong or bad or selfish to feel angry or depressed or to grieve.

You’re not a bad person for having a lower tolerance for things that annoy and irritate you when your pain is flaring.

You’re not a bad person for having little to no libido when your pain is flaring.

You’re not a bad person for expressing you are in pain and discomfort, even if you’ve done it “too much” according to the mean voice in your head.

Be patient with yourself and give yourself the space to safely experience the mental toll chronic pain takes on you.

[klemziblog]

Unpopular opinion: All games should have the option to enable pausing.

And to save almost everywhere.

Yes even in soulslike games.

I am an adult who has a full time job and responsibilities. I get to play maybe an hour a week. I do not want to lose that hour of progress because devs decided 'pause' was not allowed in their game and I had sudden unexpected things come up that meant I had to quit the game without saving/leave it playing and hope enemies wouldn't respawn.

Also it would massively increase accessability. I have fully working non-injured hands and they still need a break after a tough boss fight. I can't imagine how frustrating it must be for people with joint pain, arthritis, etc, etc.

[klemziblog]

[klemziblog]

people are constantly trying to deny disabled people the privilege of their own anger. we're forced into situations we don't want to be in have to rely on people or institutions we don't want to, have to constantly project the idea that we're thankful, hopeful, trying our best... it's ridiculous. when a disabled person is angry about something people flock to tell them that they shouldn't feel this emotion. "doctors are trying to help you", "be grateful you even have what you do", "you're the one making yourself miserable". at the end of the day it just goes to show that they don't think disabled people deserve even the meagre amount that we are given, so that's why they think we have no right to be angry

[klemziblog]

reminder: just because a disabled person has accommodations does not mean they will perform at the same level or have the same capabilities as a non-disabled person! accommodations are there to make life easier for the disabled person, but they don’t erase the fact that we are disabled. as an employer, parent, peer, etc. you must be open to the possibility that a disabled person will be DISABLED by their condition. if you only see accommodations as an excuse to expect the same from a disabled person as you would from a non-disabled person, you are not the ally you think you are

[klemziblog]

as a disabled person the idea of resting when i feel relatively ok/still have spoons just like. doesnt even occur to me most of the time.

like it’s so crazy that abled people rest even when they’re not about-to-pass-out-or-vomit levels of exhausted. i forget that im allowed to do that too

[klemziblog]

Why I quit environmental activism

Activism as a job and ableism in environmental groups

Back in 2020 when the pandemic hit and we were all terrified by what was happening and what could happen, I started a job as a French civic volunteer with a French environmental NGO. Their work focuses on climate and social justice. 

I was working fully remote for 6 months, I met some of my colleagues only in the last week. As a civic volunteer, I was paid 500 euros per month. I was a communications assistant so I was working all day on the computer. At first, I was thrilled to join a team of environmental activists, as I was passionate about this subject and wanted to build a career in that field. 

But I am also disabled, with a visual impairment that causes a stain on my vision and increases fatigue for my eyes. 

This NGO did not wish to accommodate my disability: they did not purchase a bigger screen to ease my workdays, they complained when I asked the team not to write in super small fonts and use tools that were inaccessible, they were late in allowing me to work less hours and often pressured me to work during my free time, including week-ends. 

I became totally disillusioned with environmental activism, and their brand of social justice that totally forgot ableism, even among their own ranks. When you work in activism, it is easy to lose track of time, to forget that rest is needed to continue the fight, that you are not needed 24/7 for the cause. 

I understood then that this was a feature of activism I could not do without : crip time. I also shifted my activism from the protection of the environment to anti-ableism, as I began thinking that I would never fit in with the environmentalists and the work ethic that was fostering burnout, even among the abled. My priority became fighting against the discriminations I experienced first-hand. 

Today, as an anti-ableism activist, I struggle with activist’ burn-out again. Some days, I feel completely hopeless in the face of the injustice and hardship disabled people are experiencing. But most of the time, I feel useful, and I know that when I need it, I can stop for as long as I want and need, because the other disabled activists around me understand and value the time for care. It is time to allow ourselves that time for care and push back against the pressures for productivity at all costs.