Disability Advocacy Lifestyle Personal Growth Personal Story

4 Things I Learned From Speaking On UIC’s Disability Pride Panel

Last week, I had the opportunity to do something I’ve always wanted to do. On Thursday, April 1st, 2021, I spoke on a Disability Pride Panel for the Disability and Human Development Undergraduate Student Association at the University of Illinois at Chicago. It was such an incredible experience and I am very grateful to have been asked to be a part of the event.

Because this Disability Pride Panel was hosted by a student organization at UIC, attendance was not open to the public. Though I was disappointed more people didn’t have access to the wonderful dialogue taking place, the small numbers allowed more time for questions and discussion.

Since this was my first time speaking on a panel, specifically a disability pride panel, I thought it would be fruitful to share my thoughts and feelings on the event. By doing so, I hope other institutions and organizations can learn about the importance of events like this one and hopefully host their own versions in the future.

Without further ado, here are the top 4 things I learned from speaking on UIC’s Disability Pride Panel.

Disability Advocacy Lifestyle Personal Story

My Covid Vaccine Experience And The Privilege of Being Visibly Disabled

I received the first dose of the Pfizer Covid Vaccine last week in London, England. This blog post documents my experience. Remember, everyone will have different outcomes and nothing I say here is guaranteed to happen to you! I hope you will get vaccinated as soon as it is available to you and your demographic. Let’s end this pandemic, together.

Maternity Rolls Book
Disability Advocacy English Major Corner

Maternity Rolls Book Review – The Importance Of Diverse Stories

Before I dive into my review of Maternity Rolls, I just want to thank Disability Maternity Care for sending me this book! Disability Maternity Care is an amazing non-profit that helps support women with disabilities who want to become mothers. As a woman with a disability, their message resonates with me so deeply. I was over the moon when they reached out a couple months ago asking to work together on this partnership.

So, as you read this review and decide whether or not you’d like to read Maternity Rolls for yourself, know that by making a purchase using my affiliate links, you will not just be supporting me and my blog, but you will also be making an impact on the wider community!

Disability Advocacy Lifestyle Personal Growth

5 Easy Steps That Will Help You Love Your Body By Valentine’s Day!

Below I have outlined some of the steps I have personally taken over the last few months to help me appreciate my body more as well as some that I am planning on implementing into my daily routine in the upcoming weeks. While I haven’t been able to test out my progress at a proper social event, I can already tell that my confidence has improved drastically!

Keep reading to see how you too can learn to start LOVING YOUR BODY by Valentine’s Day!

a search bar on a red background with the words "ableist language to avoid - 'Dumb'"
Ableist Language Series Disability Advocacy

Ableist Language To Avoid And Acceptable Alternatives – “Dumb” Edition

Definition of “Dumb”

1a: lacking intelligence: STUPID

1b: showing a lack of intelligence

1c: requiring no intelligence

2a: lacking the human power of speech

2b of a person, dated, offensive, lacking the ability to speak: MUTE

3: temporarily unable to speak (as from shock or astonishment)

4: not expressed in uttered words

5: SILENT

*All definitions are from the Merriam Webster Dictionary

You Are A Badass At Making Money Book leaning against an entertainment center
Disability Advocacy English Major Corner Lifestyle Personal Growth Personal Story

You Are A Badass At Making Money Review – Internalized Ableism And $$$

I started to read this book slowly, and quickly realized that I wanted to make it my January book of the month for 2 reasons:

1. I think talking about the ways in which my disability has impacted the way I view money is important to the wider conversation of ableism and disability.
2. Everyone deserves to feel empowered to make the money they deserve after the hellish year we have all been put through.

a search bar on a red background with the words "ableist language to avoid - differently abled
Ableist Language Series Disability Advocacy

Ableist Language To Avoid And Acceptable Alternatives – “Differently-Abled” Edition

How Is “Differently-Abled” Ableist?

To understand the answer to this question, we must first examine the reason WHY people use “differently-abled” as their go-to term to describe someone with a disability.

The simple answer is this: they believe “differently-abled” is less offensive than the disabled person’s actual identity (disabled).