I Used to be Ashamed of my Disability. Not Anymore.

Posted in In My Feelings
Me this morning, feeling good XD

Hey, guys! I’ve been feeling especially proud this week and determined – determined to speak up and make a difference. I recently watched the disability history documentary called Crip Camp (of which my review is coming soon!) and it reminded me of how much beauty and pride there is to be found in being disabled. I used to be ashamed of my disability, which isn’t surprising – it’s almost an inevitable feeling if you grow up alongside modern media and don’t encounter many other disabled people in your life. There are so many things society says that we should be ashamed of, including simply being who we are.

Here is a list of five things I used to be ashamed of due to my disability and how I’ve learnt to be proud of them and own them instead:  

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1. Having a Stairlift

When I finally had a stairlift installed in my home last year and shared the news with the people I know, I was surprised by how many disabled people were horrified by the idea. The media definitely portrays having a stairlift as something that you should be ashamed of. It’s often shown as being synonymous with frailty and weakness. That’s why I felt like receiving a stairlift was like giving up – and a lot of other disabled people share this view.  

Me in my stairlift having fun 🙂

I believe that we should start showing having a stairlift a little more positively. When was the last time you saw a teenager or a young adult using a stairlift in films or TV? We need more casual representation where disabled people have stairlifts and it’s not a big deal or the butt of a joke. My father teasingly said the other day that when I come down the stairs in my stairlift, it’s like I’m descending into my own Batcave or getting ready to take off in one of the Thunderbird vehicles. I like that idea – stairlifts can be cool! And they’re nothing to be ashamed of.

Now I can make my way upstairs without tiring myself out. It actually gives me much more freedom and makes me feel happier during the day. Accepting extra help doesn’t have to mean that you’re giving up – it can simply mean that you’ve picked your battles a little more wisely. I now have more strength for other things and I know that stairs certainly aren’t worth more of my time or effort. I suggest decorating your stairlift to make it more your own: my stairlift is dark purple, the same colour I chose for the walls of my bedroom to be painted. Own it! Be proud!

2. Having Accidents

Time for some brutal honesty: it can sometimes be harder for me than it is for other people to make it to the toilet in time. When I was fourteen, my teacher put on a Dutch film called Bluebird for the class. The main character of the movie happened to have a younger brother who was disabled. During one of the scenes, her younger brother wakes her up in the night because he wet himself and he needs her help to get clean. Even though it was an entirely serious scene, almost everyone in my class burst out laughing at the fact that the disabled boy had wet himself.

Photo of teenagers watching a film by Pavel Danilyuk via Pexels.com

I’ll never forget how horrible I felt in that moment – I had done exactly the same just a few days ago and it felt like they were laughing at me too. I wanted to sink away and not be there in that classroom anymore. I did everything I could to hold back my tears because I was worried people would see me crying and make the connection that I also sometimes did the same. (Luckily, some of the nicer students told the others off for laughing). It made me feel like a freak and cemented in my mind that I was not normal. I resolved to never let anyone know that sometimes I had accidents because, if I did, they’d probably react in the same way and burst out laughing at me.

One of the people who spoke for the documentary Crip Camp said: “I guess you could imagine what it was like being fifteen and trying to hide the fact that you had to wear a diaper.” And I was just like – SAMSIES. It felt good to know that someone else had experienced the same. I used to do everything within my power to hide the fact that I was wearing a nappy/diaper from everyone because I was ashamed. Media once again pairs wearing nappies with helplessness and ridicule. But over time, it’s another part of my life that I’ve grown to accept. I’m now even at the stage when I can joke about it. For all you fellow nappy/diaper-wearers out there: you may not feel comfortable about it right now, but just know that it’s perfectly normal for numerous different medical reasons to wear one. Hopefully seeing me own up about it will show you that you have nothing to be ashamed about ❤ Society needs to be ashamed for saying that it’s wrong.

3. Eating in Public

Me at the Happiness Café with a vegan burger. Burgers are my FAVOURITE.

I unfortunately still struggle a lot with this one. I usually have to be fed at restaurants. It can get messy and people’s eyes are frequently glued to me which makes me feel uncomfortable – like it’s feeding time at the zoo or something. My mother and I recently went to a restaurant together and the experience was a little unnerving. It was not the celebratory treat that I had imagined it being. The food was incredible; however, I couldn’t help but regularly shield my face from people and wipe my mouth after every morsel (even though most of the time there was nothing there). Now that the lockdown is ending, I need to get used to the staring and pointing again. I didn’t realise it was something that I could fall out of practise with.

I just feel like the image of me being fed a vegan burger by my mother at the Happiness Café while sauce drips sloppily down the side of my chin, doesn’t line up with the image of the intelligent and creative girl that I truly am. I’m working on trying to take Billie Eilish’s advice by not allowing myself to feel like other people’s perception of me is my responsibility. I need to put my own enjoyment and freedom to be myself first. Thanks, Billie, for the great advice 😊

4. Asking for Help

Asking for help used to be my biggest struggle. I didn’t want to inconvenience anyone or be a burden to my friends by asking for their help. I also used to be ashamed that I required a helper to assist me by pressing the buttons on my calculator during my maths exams, I needed a nurse at lunch break, a wheelchair taxi driver had to take me home from school, etc. Every extra task I needed help with was another thing that made me less like my friends – less like everyone else. I’d sometimes struggle for up to twenty minutes to complete a task as small as picking up something from the ground that I’d dropped rather than ask someone for help with it.

Picture of an adult helping a child to walk by Alexandr Podvalny via Pexels.com

I view asking for help differently now. While watching Crip Camp, I noticed that all of the disabled campers would help each other out in whatever way they needed without any fuss. People would carry wheelchair-users into the pool, help people to walk or eat, etc. It seemed natural – someone needed help, so someone would go and help them. It made me realise that helping each other out is kind of a given in the disabled community: we’re accessible, we’re welcoming, and we’re always ready to lend a hand without fail since society has not always been willing to do the same for us. Helping each other out is something that brings us closer together and something that we should be proud of – not ashamed of.

I’ll let one of the characters from my comic book explain: “I used to think that being a disabled girl that was completely independent was the only way to show other people that I was just like them. Sometimes I needed extra help during my day-to-day, and I’d hate myself for it. But I soon realised that wasn’t right. Receiving help doesn’t make me weak or lesser than others. I’m not like them, I can’t be independent in the same way and that’s okay. I shouldn’t have to live like the able-bodied to be accepted by them. Doing things differently is our whole deal, right? We do it together, not alone.” (Willow, Obsidia 4 [still a work in progress!])

Photo of someone helping a blind person by Eren Li via Pexels.com

One of the people that they interviewed for Crip Camp said: “If you’re disabled and you happen to have a passive nature about you, you’re really screwed.” I know from personal experience that he’s right. I’m still trying to work on letting my voice be heard and fighting for what I want more. If you have a disability, no one hands you anything on a silver platter: if you want friends, you have to go up and speak to people because they probably won’t come to you. And if you want help – you need to ask. And never feel bad for doing so.

5. Being in a Wheelchair

Me with red, purple, white, and blue hair

When I was younger, I had the bad habit of sitting on my fingers so that people wouldn’t see them. My wrists and fingers are… well… different. My fingers are curled and my wrists flop down since they have no movement in them. When people stare at you constantly whenever you leave the house, it can be easy to feel like hiding or wanting to shrink away from the world. I admittedly still struggle with stares, but I’m trying to work more on being myself in public and not caring what other people think.

It starts out simple: it can feel like dressing so that you draw the least amount of attention to yourself is the easiest option. So, I’ve done crazy things with my hair like styled it in different colours or I’ve worn outfits that stood out like being the only girl in a suit when we had to dress formally for school. This is who I am and that’s never going to change. I should own it and be proud no matter how much people whisper or point when I pass by. (Keep in mind that you don’t have to dress crazy to be a proud disabled person. Do whatever you feel comfortable with!)

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As much as media and governments treat catering for disabled people or choosing to represent them as an inconvenience, I won’t let that be a reason for me to be ashamed of who I am. I’m proud to be disabled. Proud to be different. And now that I’ve found this pride, it’s going to take a lot to shake it. Thank you so much for reading this post ❤ What is something that you need to work on so that you can be more proud of yourself or the way that you look? Feel free to comment below! See you next week!

Published by The Wheelchair Teen

I am a black, disabled teenager and my blog shares my personal experiences, some of the struggles and triumphs I’ve been through, as well as posts that educate people about disabilities to help end discrimination against disabled people.

167 thoughts on “I Used to be Ashamed of my Disability. Not Anymore.”

  1. wonderful post! as for me, I need to work on how some days I can be really really hard on myself for not being more patient with loved ones & for not getting enough stuff done…

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    1. Thank you so very much for these kind words! ❤ I’m overjoyed that you thought that this post was motivating. I hope that the people that you mentioned will indeed be encouraged by this post. You’re welcome! Thanks so much for visiting and commenting!

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  5. Wow..! Am so proud of you my dear friend..! You are such a amazing and beautiful girl..! More power to my friend..! May God bless you with his abundance of love and blessings to you..! Much love dearie 💖🤗

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    1. Thank you! ❤ It means a lot that you’re proud of me. And thank you so much for calling me an amazing and beautiful girl! That really made my day 😊 I hope that God blesses you too and that you have a lovely weekend. Much love to you too! 💕

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    1. Thank you so much for these kind words, they truly mean a lot – especially coming from such a talented writer such as yourself. I’m so happy that this post touched you. I didn’t have very high expectations for it at first but it ended up meaning a lot of different things to a lot of different people which I honestly couldn’t be happier about. ❤

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  7. You are so strong and beautiful, always!!!! The vulnerability here is so inspiring, good job you!! Keep being fearless and awesome…you got this 🙌🏻🤗🖤

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    1. Thank you so much! I’m so sorry it took me so long to reply, I have no idea why your comments went into my spam. I’m glad that you thought that my vulnerability was inspiring – being honest here also helped me to come to terms with everything I was going through. Thanks, this comment honestly means so much. It truly touched my heart. Thank you so much for these amazing words ❤

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      1. No worries at all, WP does that to me sometimes 🤪…don’t know why! Really appreciate you checking and leaving such a kind reply! You’re most welcome, it’s my absolute pleasure! Keep inspiring 🤗🖤

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  8. Hi Simone, I’m a French-speaking white not_disabled old man, so far away from your living experience. But we have something in common: our names, your first, Simone, and my last, Simon. And something most important, we are both human. And you make me so proud of our common humanity. Thank you so much , your life and your writing are shining like the sun.

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    1. Hello, Andre! I’m happy that we have our names in common 😊 I believe that Simone is a popular name in France as well. True, we are all human – we all have our weaknesses, we all have our strengths, and we all need help sometimes to get by. No matter who we are. These kind words deeply touched me. You’re oh so welcome Andre 💕

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    1. Aw, thank you for these very kind and encouraging words ❤ It’s always been my dream to inspire and empower others so I’m so glad that my blog has given me the opportunity to do so. You are beautiful too, I hope that you have a lovely weekend!

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  10. Pingback: Two Blogger Award Nominations – The Wheelchair Teen

    1. Thank you, it makes me very happy that you enjoyed it 😊 It’s always great to hear feedback so I’m glad that you liked the time that I took to explain each section. Thanks for visiting and sharing your thoughts 💕

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  14. Actually we all are different someway , we just need to open up our eye to see our abilities, we do everything, what we thing we become and no one is disabled they just different and thanks for sharing your story😊

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    1. True, we are all different in some ways and we should all be proud of what makes us different. None of us are the same, however – I am proud of the term disabled. You’re welcome, thanks for visiting and commenting! ❤

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  16. Thank you for sharing!!.. we all have a disability of some nature and how we deal with that disability will determine what and who we become… you have nothing to be ashamed of while dealing with life’s challenges in a courageous and determine manner… you would serve as a inspiration to many!!… 🙂

    Until we meet again..
    May the road rise to meet you
    May the wind be always at your back
    May the sun shine warm upon your face
    The rains fall soft upon your fields
    May green be the grass you walk on
    May blue be the skies above you
    May pure be the joys that surround you
    May true be the hearts that love you.
    (Irish Saying)

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    1. You’re welcome! These are wise words – its true that we all have parts of ourselves which we may not like as much as others but we should still show just as much love to. Thank you for these encouraging and uplifting words, I hope that I am indeed an inspiration to many 🌻😊🌻

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  17. Being disabled has certainly not stopped you from being a gifted writer. You might also reflect how much my comment resonates with you because I was an English teacher?

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  18. Je moet je nooit schamen om hulp te vragen. We zouden allemaal veel liever voor elkaar moeten zijn en elkaar helpen dan zou de wereld zoveel mooier zijn .Je bent een fijne jonge dame en mag fier op jezelf zijn.

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    1. ik ben het met je eens. Als we allemaal aardiger voor elkaar zouden zijn en elkaar zouden helpen, dan zou de wereld een geweldige plek zijn om te leven. Ik probeer me minder te schamen als ik mensen om hulp vraag. Heel erg bedankt voor deze lieve woorden. Ik hoop dat je een fijne week zult hebben! 💕 [Ik woon in Nederland en volg elke dag Nederlandse lessen, maar het is nog steeds niet perfect. Sorry als er fouten in deze opmerking staan 😊]

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  20. Number 1 reminds me of something I heard a few years ago. For someone with impaired vision, wearing glasses is normal, right? In movies, television shows, books, comics: people wear glasses to help them see better. Things that help should be seen as benefits and good things to do as soon as possible! As you say, we need to show the things that help more positively!

    One thing I need to work on is being ok saying when I want something. This can be as simple as “I’ve had a tough week, so I want to play my XBox this weekend to rest” or “I’m not feeling up to writing that blog post today, I want to leave it for another day.” Too often I impose restrictions or obligations on myself which are unnecessary and reduce the enjoyment of that thing, as well as hampering my ability to do things I actually want to do at the times I want to do them!

    Thank you so much for sharing, and your encouragement to be more understanding of everyone we meet. You’re a gem, and the world is better for having you in it. ✨

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    1. I completely agree – modern media really needs to work harder to show the things that help more positively. That way, it would also be easier for the people that really need them to be able to accept them. Thanks for sharing – I can relate to not always wanting to say when I want something. You work very hard, so you deserve to fight more for the things that help relax you and that you want to do. You owe it to yourself to not deny yourself the chance to unwind. Sometimes I feel too embarrassed or shy to ask for more when I want it because I don’t want to inconvenience anyone. You’re definitely welcome, Hamish. Aw, thank you so much for those really kind words ❤😊❤

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  22. My dear friend,Your life is challenging but offcourse it’s full of inspiration, motivation,self help and personal transformation to other many people across the globe.I recommend you to practice yog,certain deep breathing exercises and meditation on regular basis under the the guidance and supervision of experienced and qualified yog guru ( Teacher).Bye for now,I pray for lots of happiness and success in your and God bless you 🌷🌷🌷🌷🌷🙏

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    1. Thank you so much for these kind words ❤ They really mean a lot. And thanks for the reccomendation, my sister is actually a yoga teacher so I’m sure that she can give me some tips on deep breathing exercises and meditation. I pray for lots of happiness and success in your life too 🌼🌼🌼 Have a great day! 😊

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  23. This is VERY inspiring and eye opening. I agree that media portrayals stereotype all people, and your examples are proof of that. I had to think about the chairlift thing. You’re right. In all movies, it’s elderly or people who are severely disabled (e.g., Me, Before You), and it doesn’t look fun at all.

    Thank you for having the courage to write and share this. I know it’s been helpful for me to reframe how I see people who are disabled.

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    1. I am so glad that you enjoyed this post and that you found it to be helpful. Yes, media is quite disappointing when it comes to the portrayal of disabled people. Me Before You was especially disappointing because it ended up becoming so popular and the portrayal of disabilities in it is extremely negative. For a lot of people, that’s the only disability film that they’ll be exposed to and they’ll most likely believe that everything within it is true. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts with me, have a lovely day ❤

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  25. Love this post and the chance to get to know you a bit. I read a few other posts too and have clicked follow so I don’t miss any new ones. You sound like a fun, encouraging, and creative girl. Definitely someone worth getting to know better. 🙂

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    1. I’m so happy that you enjoyed this post and getting to know me a bit better! 😊 I’m extremely sorry for taking so long to respond to your comment – I was taking a months break from my blog but I’m back now and I feel very bad for keeping you waiting. Usually I’m very fast when it comes to responding. I’m so glad that you decided to follow my blog and that you’ve read some of my other posts too. I hope that you’ll like the new posts that I’ve prepared to share. Your kind words made me smile – I’m honoured that you think I’m fun, creative, and worth getting to know. It feels good to know that I have such a thoughtful and nice follower. I hope that you’ll have a wonderful week! ❤🌷❤

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      1. No worries on timing. 🙂 I know how sometimes breaks need to be taken and how life can get in the way as well. Fast or slow isn’t a problem here. 🙂

        My own blog has fallen silent here recently for a bit as I had an accident and got injured. Put me on a break by default when that happened. Life. lol

        I look forward to catching up with your new posts soon. ^_^ Thank-you for writing back. 🙂

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