What does it mean to "overcome disability"? [CC]

[@eustacia03]

I watched a bit of the Paralympics and I think some people probably use the word overcome when talking about those athletes but... like... sled hockey players didn't "overcome" being amputees to play hockey. They figured out a way to play hockey without legs.

[@HeyRowanEllis]

I have been thinking a lot about my glasses recently- without them I cannot really see anything more than a metre or so away from me, can't read something that isn't right in front of my face, I wouldn't be able to find my way around outside, and can barely do it in my own house - they are something I have to wear all the time. They are, in that way, a device to help with accessibility - but they're treated so differently, and so am I, to other accessibility devices and people who use them. People understand glasses are liberating devices, but would consider wheelchairs as something that "confines" someone.

[@theannieelainey]

Yeah! The history of social response to visual impairment and glasses would be interesting to look at and compare with other aids like hearing aids, canes, and wheelchairs. It seems that with glasses and [typically with elders] hearing aids, people are willing to accept those things as a liberating permanent aid, maybe because they view it as a "fix", while mobility aids like canes and wheelchairs are often seen as something tragic and being able to move without one should be the priority.

[@ToeIn2194]

Excellent point!

[@annettes1432]

This is so true what you are writing. I habe glasses too, which make my eyes look tiny, but I dont look at my myopia as a disability because people dont treat me like I was disabled, so I dont feel handicapped. And if I still dont see things from far away, I make a joke about it, and it does not feel awkward. Or probably just a tiny little bit.

[@LoudlyListening]

We overcome ableism, not disability and we are often unable to do that because of our disability

[@janahijazi5899]

honestly that was such an eloquent way to put it

[@ToeIn2194]

I like this wording so much better because it acknowledges that the word "overcoming" in and of itself is not the problem. Ableism is the problem.

[@AshMurdock]

"it's not their disability that they overcame, it's an ableist system" hell yeah it is, nice job putting it into words!!!

[@fashioneyesta]

To me, it’s not that we overcome our disability. It’s that we overcome the stigmas and beliefs that society create towards disability. I’m very happy with the person I am, my disability included. For me I never saw myself as overcoming my disability, I learned to embrace it. When I did that and disregarded societies preconceptions of me I could move on and build a life for myself. Thanks for making a video on this topic Annie ❤️

[@ToeIn2194]

Completely agree! Thank you!

[@evelynkrull5268]

So many people in my life are so invested in me "overcoming" my disability. You know getting a degree (in what? No one cares. Because then I'm doing something and "succeeding" even though I have no specific passion and wouldnt want to spend that much on something I'm not passionate about) everyone's always talking about how I'm so inspirational and how I should overcoming my disability and succeed in... some field? In reality I would really love to be a housewife and a stay at home mom someday when that's a possibility. Working full time is EXHAUSTING and I have no energy outside of work to do my passions and side projects I love.... but whenever I talk about staying home when my husband has a career people always act as if I'm giving up. If able bodied people are allowed to just live their lives and be happy why cant disabled people? It's like were often held to a higher success standard than able bodied people sometimes too

[@GagaLuvr15]

The part about toxic comparisons, I recently thought about how ridiculous people would think it would sound if we said it about able-bodied neurotypicals. "This abled-bodied neurotypical is a gold medalist. What's stopping you?" Of course, not all of them are going to be Olympic athletes. It's the same thing, even if two disabled people have the same dx they can vastly different talents.

[@theannieelainey]

Yup! We are all so different with different limitations, just like the ableds, lol. Here is where I would offer examples with how differently EDS affects my friends who also have it and myself but more often I get wheelchair user comparison; moreso when I was a manual chair user people would ask me right away if I play wheelchair sports and I'd sincerely have to explain to them that not all wheelchair users are able to play wheelchair sports.

[@kieramaccourt8717]

So well said! As a former nurse (25 years) who was recently diagnosed with severe fibro and connective tissue disease (unknown), I am often asked if I don't just need "a little physical therapy?". There are former colleagues of mine who consider me to be "faking" about my pain or severity of disease because I don't complain all the time or go around looking sour or crying in pain. I feel it's important to be honest about things but not to belabor people with my difficulties. I alternate between a cane and a walker, so people assume that I could use the cane all the time if I just put my mind to it. Overcoming an injury, persevering during rehab until they reach the best goal, doing the best they can and having a full life despite overwhelming disabilities are all better descriptions than overcoming disabilities. People do not overcome a disability. They do what everyone else on this planet should do...Live their lives to the fullest, be treated with kindness and respect and do the same to others, have the right to love whom they please, experience joy, expect honesty from caregivers, and talk about what is important to them without ignorant people passing judgement. Love you and your channel, girl. Keep fighting the good fight

[@LoudlyListening]

Thank you very much for this video. As a disabled person who has had to leave an abusive ableist partner recently, this let me accept ny disability. It's been so hard to get out if bed and that makes me feel like a failure

[@aniaraguz]

LoudlyListening 💖💖💖💖💖

[@cbowd]

Know I'm late, but congratulations on getting out, even if it's still hard for you. I was in a DV situation where I was abused primarily for being disabled--not able to get out of bed, work, do chores, etc. I think people don't talk enough about how common it is for disabled people to be abused simply for having limitations (which is itself just usually a lack of help). It is very, very common for people to be abused by family or partners--physically, emotionally, financially, etc, just for being disabled or sick. And they often internalize it.

[@SWINDISATHEORIES]

This video is why you're the best! You put all of my angsty feelings into words. In high school, I was constantly being compared/pitted against the only other disabled kids in my school by phys. therapists/paras and I wasted an enormous amount of time resenting them for things out of their control because of it when we could have been bonding :(. Thxs for taking the time to discuss this issue.

[@punky19761]

WhatTheFeels YES! Exactly what I mean. 👍🏽

[@NovelistVampireGirl]

The only situation where I can see this language being appropriate is in reference not to the disability itself but the condition that causes the disability. Using myself as an example, I am on the Autistic Spectrum in the area of what used to be labeled as Asperger's Syndrome, which has made it difficult to read other people's emotions and intentions and fuels sensory issues and anxieties that can turn every day situations that most people don't see as a problem into things that make me so upset and overwhelmed that I just want to cry. For example, I went to the library today so I could be more productive than I can be an my house, but even the outside traffic noise or the guy clicking his pen was enough to completely derail me and the openness and publicness of it combined with being alone made me feel exposed. So I used a private study room, no traffic noise, no people noise, no fear, just me and my laptop. I overcame my Autism by working around my sensory issues to still get my work done. I also have Congenital Heart Disease, which can be fatal and killed half of all people from my generation who were born with it. I overcame that by surviving, by making it to my 18th birthday and beyond, through medical care, wonderful doctors, and a loving and supportive family. I also have Dyslexia, which for years made learning reading, writing, and spelling seem like climbing Mt. Everest, but I still found a way, my way, underlining, color coding, double spacing, things that I can do every day to make what the workings of my brain made super difficult, easy and fun.

[@maxfisher5777]

It's actually not my disability that stops me, for example, getting a job- it's employers perceptions of it.

[@CrystalMouse1]

Thank you. Sometimes I feel like I have to 'wow' people or I'm not trying hard enough. When I do ordinary things or I'm having a good day, I am content with doing what everyone else does just in my unique way. In my wheelchair, stylishly. There are some days though that I have to let myself rest every muscle and my mind. This means smoking a bowl of weed for pain and watching KZbin or sleeping. During this time, it hurts me when people expect me to meet up with them on their level and I'm not able to right then. Getting to the toilet is 'overcoming my disabilities' at that point. I wish people could be grateful for the moments I give them because if I choose to get out and spend time with you, it means a lot.

[@LaZebraHumana]

It has been a hard time for me since I was diagnosed with EDS, and even before that I struggled with pain and depression. Watching your videos made me realize that I am not fighting against my body, I am fighting against ableism, lack of understanding, and the invisibility of rare diseases. I have been looking for someone who does this kind of content for Spanish-speakers and, since I could not find anyone, I decided to do it myself. I hope you do not take this as if I was plagiarizing you since you are my greatest inspiration. Thank you very much for your videos, and your braveness when talking out loud for the ones that have been silenced for so many time.

[@HowCaseySeesIt]

I’m totally with you on all of this. You hit the nail on the head!!

[@minibus9]

Great video, I loved everything you said, the most interesting parts for me were the spectrum of disability part, I am Autistic and would like to be an Actor, and I can tell you that I have had a number of people be surprised about this when i have told them, as well as that people tend to congratulate me differently to the non-disabled performers when I am in a play, in that it is done in a patronising way.

[@dlaity107]

3:38(ish) Yes! Definitely!!! Running with that idea of 'what would happen if my professional space's "normal" was also adaptable for able-bods, I've designed a theatre and theatre gardens. It's disgusting that it's now 15 years since public spaces had to be accessible within 5 years and there's still, to this day, places I go regularly where I can't, for instance, access the toilets.

[@ChroniclesKV]

THIS!!! It's actually absurd how able-bodied society have been conditioned to view disability in such black & white terms that we, the disabled community, never asked for. I have a strong inkling the first person to coin the term 'overcoming disability' was not disabled. This reminds me of times when people from my M.E/C.F.S community have recently opened up about how the documentary 'Unrest' didn't represent their M.E experience. Apparently, since watching the doco, their families/friends believe even more strongly now that they're "faking" their disability. Like, everyone's on a spectrum, why is this so hard to grasp? Unrest couldn't represent every single narrative on the spectrum. It all makes me livid. Overcoming all this able-bodied nonsense is truly the real challenge. -V

[@MamaVapeR]

Thank you so much for stepping forward and saying this. Even within the community, there are those that use the terminology of comparisons and live in a black and white world. My albatross is “is you’re willing to do the work”, as if what works for one individual is a route for someone else if they only work hard enough, otherwise they are weak. I really love watching your videos and hope you keep it up for years to come

[@louhornung3298]

I sometimes feel very alone in the battle of ableism especially because 3 of my disabilities are invisible to people on the street. When people find out I have severe Juvenile Fibromyalgia they look at me like I’m insane. In their minds I am too young and not in a wheelchair so I must not be disabled. I’m am frequently told I’ve overcome my fibro because it’s not bad enough that I’m in the hospital. I still live with the same pain if not more but I’ve learned to live with it and accept it. Im so sick of being told how much better my fibro is because it’s not and just because I’m not screaming does not mean I’m not disabled still.

[@alexba1ley]

Thank you for this perspective, Annie. My partner and I are working on a creative project about his rehabilitation from Tension Myoneural Syndrome and this is very helpful in planning how to frame it. It's such a delicate topic, especially because it's tempting to say he "overcame" it or "got better" when really, he learned to manage a complex mind body condition and went from needing 24/7 care to being totally independent but still having symptoms/sensations. I have the same condition, but for me it has never been chronic or as disabling as it once was for him. Like so many other conditions, it exists on a spectrum. I think these experiences are often more complex than our language or social customs allow us to express. I think it's important to ask what we are trying to achieve with these narratives. For us, we want to tell this story to A) raise awareness of a condition that is highly treatable but that most doctors don't believe actually exists and B) illustrate a personal experience of a person who benefitted greatly from support but was ultimately the only one with the ability to improve his own health.

[@papakumabear]

Thank you for every one of these videos. Every video you've made has been a help in one way or another for my own journey. I greatly appreciate your effort and the outcome.

[@rambleonrose2993]

Thank you Annie! You do so well at expressing what life is like with EDS, being disabled, facing ableism and in accessibility. Your videos have helped me feel less alone and find the right words to help those close to me understand a bit more what my life experience is like. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and perspective.

[@zebrazebra7243]

I find that my many chronic illnesses 'disable' me more than my inability to walk. I lost the strength in most of my muscles a few years ago due to a medical error but I'm slowly regaining my strength through lots of physio/pilates and hippotherapy. It's a lot of hard work, so some people might call that trying to overcome my disability... I see it as me wanting to be able to be more independent.

[@jj-qr4ro]

Love this video.. btw if you want some good disability rep check out the 100 (it’s on Netflix) one of the characters becomes disabled and loses quite a lot of ability but they still manage to do what they want to just in a different way.. it really portrays the frustration of losing your abilities and I just love it

[@jessicalee4898]

Hi! Not sure if you get a chance to read all of your comments, but I'm a new subscriber after clexacon this weekend :) My girlfriend and I attended your panel and we both thought you stole the show! Everyone had great contributions of course, but you were so eloquent and succinct that your experiences and insights were that much more powerful. Looking forward to your videos, and thanks for your contributions to the community!!

[@rileyrobin2]

I think this is a really eloquent discussion of how disability is portrayed in relation to personal achievements in mass media. I get that headlines being sensationalist is kind of their thing, but there are certainly more respectful word choices that don’t alienate the subject from their identity.

[@leahbeltran2431]

You go girl! You are right!

[@Nanax]

This is so important 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@Stephie2007]

I consider myself a "recovering epileptic" (I had seizures until about 17 years of age) and because of my prior history with seizures, I wasn't able to enjoy some of the rites of passage that my peers took for granted (driving, dating, college). It wasn't until I turned 30 that I passed my test for my driver's permit since I had been seizure free for more than a decade. I am now studying for my driver's permit test for the next state I'll be moving to (Arkansas, where I'm originally from). I am still on medication although I must admit, being on it is causing my hair to fall out. *puts hat on* I'm slowly being weaned off my meds tho. I am also on the low needs end of the autism spectrum (was diagnosed in 1993) and have an autoimmune condition (was diagnosed in my late 20s) so when I do get my license, I will be getting the disabled tag or license plate.

[@chrissandrajackson829]

I don’t know much about you, but I appreciate your KZbin content! Thanks for sharing these videos 😊

[@nicole-dearest]

Wonderful video. Thanks for sharing; I completely agree.

[@traciehendrickson976]

This is excellent. Thank you.

[@ThirdEyeAwake]

BIG THUMBS UP FOR THIS

[@fig_henry]

FRICKIN THANK Y O U

[@YNergy]

I LOVE your videos! 😻

[@cartograp]

well said, great video

[@Eli_Arch]

This is awesome

[@mycavernomastory9897]

I love your videos

[@youngchronicpain]

Yep, if anything I'm overcoming the shitty ableist comments of strangers that try to further my internalized ableism and make me afraid to be visibly disabled in public.

[@elir3986]

Apparently I have 'overcome my disability' by not using a cane, when in fact I am actually too embarrassed to use one.

[@jennahumphrey1]

Hi Annie just wondering if you take Diamox? I have EDS too and Diamox takes away the dysautonomia completely for me. I try to tell as many people about it as I can because it's such a new treatment. Check out the Driscoll Theory if you haven't heard of it yet. I am telling you the dizziness, thirst, and cold intolerance were gone overnight and I could walk without holding onto something. Anyway thanks for putting out these videos to help people fighting this disorder.

[@tonia8168]

Overcoming disability narratives are so harmful. I echo the comment below (and you, in the video) that we overcome ableism, not disability. Thank you!

[@yellowskycreations4542]

How would you guys write a character overcoming *internalized ableism* and learned how to cope and learn how to manage her disability? For context, I am disabled, and my character shares one of my heart defects, and that heart defect is wolf Parkinson's white syndrome. She lives in an extremely ableist secret society that doesn't provide a lot of the accessibility people with invisible illnesses need.

[@Catlily5]

I don't think I will ever "overcome" my disabilities. I would like to do things in spite of them but I am not sure it is possible.

[@jemmabrown1988]

Love you as always! However there is a danger with this and that is that we don’t celebrate our own achievements as disabled people. I’m talking about the little things that able bodied might not think about like for me today I have overcome my EDS chronic pain and fatigue and I have got myself out of bed - that’s an achievement and something to celebrate. I guess sometimes we have to overcome! I do totally agree however with all the talk about people over coming there disability in the media that sucks and is such a regular thing.

[@theannieelainey]

That's interesting! Though again, I wouldn't identify my physical achievements as overcoming EDS but rather me working WITH my EDS. I still have it even on the days where I can do something that I typically cannot do or in the moments where I struggle hard to complete a task because of my limitations. My disability/illness can make doing things tough but doing those things doesn't equate to me "overcoming my disability", EDS is not gone or defeated but doesn't mean I won't celebrate small achievements or finding accessible ways to be able to certain things.

[@roisinhackett]

PERFECT

[@gregshanor669]

I've just had a similar conversations with my family. Over getting a meaningful job . which I haven't been able to do. Sadly. You see I've got CP yes thanks for also saying there s a spectrum of symptoms related a disability & how it affects each person differently. I think the problem that non disabled people have in part is that they're "visual learners" or learn by actions as well. So as u said if one disabled person can Y can't you is so hard to change because that s the factual truths to a non disabled person. But that's not the same factual truths to a person with a disability. Etc . it was funny my aunt who's a nurse sent me texts of places hiring in my area I've been to & rejected by because I wasn't a good fit. Or they're out of my not being able to get there because I don't have car... Which employer s oftentimes won't hire u if u don't have a car because it means ur unreliable or don't want to work or something. Showed her the stats etc but she refused to listen .oh well her son my cousin is autistic with iq of a 5-6yr old , who needs 24-7 care. I'm just the opposite . my issues r more physical mobility, chronic pain n fatigue with some depression, anxiety& ptsd as well.

[@aaronstant5154]

Hey Annie! I emailed you a few weeks ago about getting a Disabled Joy shirt/sweatshirt sponsored as you announced on Twitter but I did not get a reply. Even if you can’t get me a sponsorship could you still let me know you’ve seen this? Thanks and keep making your awesome videos!

[@bjsoales]

👏🏼👏🏼🙌🏽👏🏼👏🏼

[@Just_One_Tree]

🤯🤯🤯

[@leerfarmer]

Another word to describe overcoming and disability would be more like overcoming Society and it discriminatory act towards people with disabilities. My opinion, please do not over think it...

[@punky19761]

Comparing disabled people is so toxic and destructive. It makes me so sad when it keeps disabled people from being friends. By birth, I’m missing a section of my spine. “Overcoming disability” is not only a phrase I don’t understand...like I don’t understand what it means, or what people mean when they say it, I think it serves to divide our community. Unless somebody has a new spine, I’m not going to accomplish what able bodied people mean when they say “overcoming disability.” Do they know what they mean when they say it lol?

[@theannieelainey]

I'm pretty sure they mean "disability is dreadful and no good can happen while you are disabled so if good happens then you "overcame" the horrors of being disabled"... like... that has to be it in order for it to make sense.

[@punky19761]

Annie Elainey I guess it’s kind of more like I don’t relate to that at all lol. Able bodied folk sure do like a feel good story. 🤣

[@johnroberts262]

I think Annie is is beautiful and a real turn on.

[@SubaruImprezaWRXSti-fv8ng]

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