People see me as a woman with problems.
They're right about one thing. I do experience problems.
Like the problem of people seeing my disability before they see me.
And the problem of one disability being seen and considered valid, and the others being deemed invalid, or deemed my excuses to do less than everyone else.
Or the problem of working my hardest and still often falling behind because the world has been designed with one type of person in mind.
Plus the problem of being labelled as playing the victim when I talk about how communities treat people with disabilities.
And there's the problem of my accomplishments being astonishing because I'm disabled. But not enough when looked at without my disability.
Or the problem of having to fight for what I need, that many people take for granted, with less energy.
And there's also the problem of being labelled incorrectly by people who have chosen not to talk to me.
I am, in fact, not a woman.
My gender identity is valid, my own unique experience, and not up for debate.
My disabilities do not define me.
My worth as a human being is separate from my identity.
I have so much to offer the world.
The issues I've listed above regarding ableism are not my problems.
But they are unnecessary obstacle's faced by myself and so many other people with disabilities.
So if you related to any of what I've said,
I see you.
You, in your full individual glory, are valued.
You are not the equivalent of the labels people have chosen for you.
You are a beautiful soul, unbroken and unbound by the ideas and concepts that society has marked you with.
Your access needs matter and are totally valid.
You are allowed and encouraged to advocate for yourself when you can.
Your best is always good enough.
You are always good enough.
The way you experience productivity is valid.
Rest is productive.
You are loved and completely necessary in this world.
Just because you aren't feeling seen, does not mean that you deserve to be invisible.
There are other people who see you and love you.
Make absolutely sure that one of those people is you.
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Hi I'm Vermilion! I've been blind since birth and love learning about accessibility and technology. I love most things magical and mystical like tea and coffee rituals, tarot, and self-care magic. I have been on my magical journey since Imbolc 2022. My lens through which I see the world is vibrant and vivid. It's tinted and filtered through my experiences as a blind and transgender nonbinary person identifying as agender, existing as a high-masking / low support needs neurodivergent brown person socialized as a feminine person, and experiencing and healing from trauma. Synthesizing my life through words has always been a very cherished part of healing and sharing. So putting my thoughts into words is rewarding on its own, but if I can make one person feel a little less othered, broken or too weird, then even better.
Find me on Medium
