smoov-criminal - Tumblr blog

[smoov-criminal]

i wish disabled people got as much free shit as people think we got. i want snacks

[smoov-criminal]

Arthritic Tensions

9x12 in. acrylic on canvas. 2024.

[smoov-criminal]

braces do damage to your body

canes do damage to your body

crutches do damage to your body

rollators do damage to your body

wheelchairs do damage to your body

before you choose to use a mobility aid you need to weigh the pros and cons of using one. there are drawbacks to every single mobility aid. there is no such thing as a harmless mobility aid. mobility aids are not the right choice for everyone and it's important that people emphasize that when suggesting that people try them. mobility aids can permanently damage your joints and it's important that people emphasize that when suggesting them.

mobility aids need to be an informed decision.

so many people have permanent damage to their bodies that they regret because people online told them to try a mobility aid and that there were no downsides. there are downsides.

a mobility aid is only the right choice when the benefits outweigh the drawbacks. it takes information for someone to know whether they would benefit enough from a mobility aid to make it worth it. when you tell someone that there are no problems with mobility aids, that doctors are all lying about the damage they do, you deny people information. doctors can be wrong and can deny people mobility aids incorrectly but there's truth in the fact that they damage joints, change gaits, and cause muscle atrophy among other problems.

and on that note doctor/PT/OT guidance is important when it's available. using mobility aids that have been sized incorrectly, even for a short time, can cause enough damage that mobility aids are no longer an option for that person. using mobility aids incorrectly, even for a short time, can cause enough damage that mobility aids are no longer an option for that person. failing to tell people that they need to learn how to use and size their mobility aid correctly (preferably with a doctor/PT/OT's help) causes real harm to people.

give people information when you suggest mobility aids to them. people listen to your suggestions without researching and it causes harm.

[smoov-criminal]

As a wheelchair user I'm trying to reframe my language for "being in the way."

"I'm in the way," "I can't fit," and "I can't go there," is becoming "there's not enough space," "the walkway is too narrow," and "that place isn't accessible."

It's a small change, but to me it feels as if I'm redirecting blame from myself to the people that made these places inaccessible in the first place. I don't want people to just think that they're helping me, I want them to think that they're making up for someone else's wrongdoing. I want them to remember every time I've needed help as something someone else caused.

[smoov-criminal]

Shout out to those who have to be carried or dragged around their house because their house isn't accessible to their mobility aids

Shout-out to those who have to crawl and scoot around their house because their house isn't accessible for their mobility aids

Shout out to those who have to use a office chair with wheels around their house because their house isn't accessible to their mobility aids

It's fucking tough having a inaccessible house

[smoov-criminal]

Like a good portion of cripplepunk is "my physical disability is not for your consumption. I'm not going to perform disability in the way you want me to, I'm going to live on my own terms"

That's kinda the opposite of what the discourse blogs trying to "critique" us want. We're not going to perform for your approval, that's like... the whole point.

[smoov-criminal]

i cannot overstate how incredible it is that i can just leave the house now. i went to costco yesterday which is fuckin huge and i was there for like an hour at least, moving around the entire time, and the only consequence is that my shoulders are a little sore. like??? that would've been impossible with just my rollator, i wouldn't have even entertained the idea. this is fucking nuts

[smoov-criminal]

On your MOST FOLLOWED blog on Tumblr,

[smoov-criminal]

wut is a smoov?

the smoov is a rear mounted power assist! it looks like this:

[ID: a picture of a smoov and the control dial sitting in the foam lined box it came from. the smoov is a black angled metal box that has a large wheel attached to the back. to the right of it is the control unit, which is a circular device with a mount. there are charging cables next to the smoov. /end ID]

it attaches to the back of my wheelchair and powers my chair without me pushing, i just have to steer! it's pretty neat and extremely helpful as someone who can't self propel all the time especially outside.

[smoov-criminal]

When I say "I can't do that" what I'm not saying is:

I don't feel interested in doing that

I don't care enough to

I'm too good to be doing that

I don't think you deserve that of me

I'm not in the mood to do that

Not now, I'll do it later

Maybe

If that's what I meant, that's what I would say

What I am saying is:

It will negatively affect me in ways I can't afford

I simply can't physically fucking do that

I can't risk the potentially severe consequences I may experience if I overestimate my ability to do that

And if I explain that I am unable to do that, it is not an invitation to:

Tell me how much my disability hurts your feelings

Ask if I'm sure

Interrogate me because you believe yourself to be the judge of how unwell is unwell enough

Put words in my mouth ("why don't you care?")

Tell me how easy it would be

Remind me of how many other things I've been unable to do. I keep the score more than you do

Accuse me of exaggerating or faking to avoid doing it

Ask me again shortly

Make assumptions about additional explanations. (I must be mad at you, I must not care about this)

Offer compensation in return ("I can pay you" "we can do something you want to do after" "I'll get you something you like")

Ask what it would take for me to suddenly be capable of doing it

Tell me how you do things you have to do when when you're tired and then you can just rest and recover. I am not like you

Remind me of a time I was able to do that. Either I had more spoons or was less severely disabled if at all.

Say that if I was well enough to do X today, I should be able to do this as well. Energy doesn't work that way. Are you capable of running 8 miles right this minute just because you were okay to work a 10 hour shift today? That's what I thought

Suggest simply doing it a certain way ("take your time", "do it sitting down", "we can stop and take breaks", "just take your painkillers", etc)

But it is an invitation to:

Leave me the fuck alone about it 💕

[smoov-criminal]

observations after a week of using my wheelchair:

people stare but not too much, ive only gone to the grocery store and on walks in the park but people seem to mind their business

im using it at home a lot which i didn't expect, i can get up to get a snack or something without having to decide if it's worth it to walk

im lower to the ground so picking things up and feeding my pets etc is easier

don't need to use the smoov as much as i thought i would which is good, still amazing to have but good i don't need to rely on it entirely

it feels really fun to use, which might just be residual excitement, but i just genuinely enjoy pushing myself around and moving without pain and fatigue. i push myself aimlessly around my house sometimes just because i can :)

[smoov-criminal]

I think the topic of consent is very important, and I think as an intellectually disabled person, it’s even more important to talk about what I was taught, and what my mom did.

My mom, who was a single woman at the time, explicitly taught me about consent. Why? Because she knew that I, as an intellectually disabled person and autistic person, needed to know it. And it needed to be drilled into my head the importance of consent. Not only did she teach me this, but she taught me how to communicate to trusted people if something happened. She knew that if she didn’t, the chances of me not knowing, or not understanding certain aspects of consent and sex in general, would be profoundly higher than my peers.

She noticed, she did the research, she taught and did what she could. And I am forever grateful for that. Intellectually disabled people, who have a higher rate of things happening to them and being abused, NEED to be taught about sex education, consent, and how to communicate if something were to happen. We are at a much higher rate of being sexually abused than our peers. And it is so so important that these things are taught to us so we are aware and able to protect ourselves and know when it’s time to contact a trusted adult.

[smoov-criminal]

ok is my header fixed now?

[smoov-criminal]

Reminder from someone with actual literal brain damage from a brain injury to stop fucking using "brain damage" and "brain injuries" as a means of describing someone whose opinions you don't like or deem as stupid.

It's ableist and offensive as fuck, and for some reason a lot of leftist people think it's okay to use. I've seen posts replying to right wing racists calling them "brain damaged if you believe this" and "do you have a brain injury? do you not understand X?". Just now I saw a beautiful post about fat people throughout history that was absolutely ruined by opening with "How do we break it to boomers with actual brain damage and nostalgic brainrot, and the 'tradwife' thirsting Andrew Tate fans..." before continuing to say that fat people existed throughout history.

Brain damage does not make you racist. A brain injury doesn't make you stupid, or fatphobic, or unaware of history and politics. Stop fucking using my disability as a catch all to describe people you think are shitty. Y'all use it like it's a replacement for how people used to use the R-slur, which shows you learned absolutely nothing about why the R-slur was wrong to use and decided to throw in other disabilities instead. Fuck off and stop doing it.

(And don't do it with other disabilities either, because I know y'all do.)

I know a lot of people with brain injuries. They're smart, and funny, and compassionate. They learn about the world and care about social issues and wish they could go to protests if their disability won't allow them to. Are there right wing people with brain injuries? Sure, absolutely. But they are not right wing because they have a brain injury, and using any disability as an insult is still fucking ableist.

Tldr - stop using brain damage and brain injury as an insult. It's ableist and incredibly offensive.

Love, your local brain injured/brain damaged pal

[smoov-criminal]

Congrats on the new wheelchair! I got new knee braces myself about a month ago, hope you’re new mobility aid is as game changing as mine seems to be

that's awesome!! it has been a big game changer yes, im excited for u as well!!

[smoov-criminal]

ok how do i fix that? every time i go to fix it, it just reverts to the weird zoom version 😭

is my header weirdly zoomed in for y'all? tumblr is stupid and i can't get it to be sized properly

[smoov-criminal]

is my header weirdly zoomed in for y'all? tumblr is stupid and i can't get it to be sized properly