Seizure Aura is weird..
Its kinda different for most people I think, but for me, the best way I can describe the most prominent sensation is like my spine filling with styrofoam. No, I do not know how to explain what that means.
Of course there’s like the normal deja vú and dizziness and stuff but.. spine styrofoam..?
Do you guys have a favorite charity that supports people with intellectual disabilities?
… wha- okay so I could’ve sworn this ask was on my side blog (@pocketpc-asks) but no, It’s the main…uh, hello!
First things first; a few questions you should be asking yourself and bearing in mind as you create; these are things to think on, rather than reasons not to. They make for more respectful media.
The fact you’re reaching out to a disabled person in the first place and are willing to learn is very encouraging.
I can’t give any super specific examples for where to find resources for the disabilities your OCs have as right now I don’t know… but some general ones for info
If you let me know which disabilities your OCs have, I can send specific resources (if I have them).
Why is it that most invisible disabilities get ignored completely or just viewed as ‘silly’, 'non-issues’ or 'not that bad’.
This goes for both mental and physical ones.
I swear to the horrors of this universe if I get ignored because of this issue again I’m going to lose it :/
-🦇
Mr. Peirce says: “Living with a chronic physical disability, I’ve turned obstacles into stepping stones, achieving my goals against the odds. Through my podcast and engaging with audiences worldwide, my mission is to inspire resilience, encourage the pursuit of dreams, and broaden awareness about the diverse experiences of individuals with disabilities.”
In the trailer, Mr. Peirce voices a key mission of the show: “How the modern world is changing the way society sees disability.”
Hollis Peirce explains: “My approach and work have earned me honors and accolades that I’m immensely proud of, including the Ottawa Celebration of People Award in 2008 and, most recently, in 2024, I was a Meritorious Service Medal Award Winner.
“I hold both an undergraduate and graduate degree in History from Carleton University. Majoring in History has provided me with a profound understanding of the world and how it’s evolved over time, allowing me to interact with and perceive it in a more constructive, critical light.
“I am passionate about education and philanthropy. I am proud of my participation in a panel at the Canadian History Association’s Annual Meeting at the University of British Columbia in 2019 and guest lecturing at Carleton University in classes on Disability Studies and Social Work.
“In 2023, I established the Hollis Peirce Bursary for Students with Disabilities at Carleton University to help students with physical disabilities achieve their own academic goals in spite of financial burdens or hardship.
Each episode of Twenty-First Century Disability begins with an acoustic guitar, then Hollis Peirce introduces the show, repeats the primary theme, and then says playfully, “Hop in, let’s go for a ride.”
Despite Mr. Peirce’s difficulty talking, he commands the show with wit and wisdom. He started the show in October 2023 and has completed 33 episodes as of this review. Episodes can run from 20 to 40 minutes, and Mr. Peirce knows how to turn the spotlight over to his guests on each episode.
On the June 19, 2025, show, Intimacy Unplugged, Hollis Peirce talked with Maria, a full-time wheelchair user with Spina Bifida and a devoted mother of two. Maria passionately discusses her campaign advocating for the sexual rights of disabled individuals, shedding light on the critical need for awareness and education surrounding this often-overlooked topic.
Throughout the conversation, Maria highlighted the numerous challenges that disabled people encounter in accessing appropriate healthcare and sexual health education. She emphasized the importance of fostering spontaneity and intimacy in relationships, which are crucial for the overall well-being of individuals with disabilities.
As the discussion unfolded, Maria called for the creation of more inclusive environments that support the sexual rights and well-being of disabled individuals. She also underscored the necessity of collaboration among advocates, healthcare providers, and educators to address the multifaceted issues related to sex and disability.
This episode explores the main themes of the show — that disabled people aren’t helpless, can live normative lives, and that technological advances continue to improve their quality of life.
In the September 18, 2025, episode, Mr. Peirce dove into the inspiring journey of Laila and her pivotal role in founding Sielo Robotics, a groundbreaking company dedicated to creating assistive robotics. What began as a university class project has transformed into a promising startup, making significant strides in the field of adaptive technology.
Mr. Peirce has courage to spare, and his commitment to the disability community is unwavering. As a person fortunate enough not to be disabled, I learned so much from Twenty-First Century Disability. I do not think this show is ONLY for people who are disabled. There are copious lessons to be learned from Hollis Peirce and his guests.
I think the famous physicist Stephen Hawking nailed it when he said, “My advice to other disabled people would be, concentrate on things your disability doesn’t prevent you from doing well, and don’t regret the things it interferes with. Don’t be disabled in spirit as well as physically.”
Shout out to the legally blind people and people with epilepsy or live in a country where photo IDs are not common! I love you all ♥️♥️♥️
my visual impairments may have been so bad as a kid that I needed surgery BUT I looked great in glasses AND I wore an eyepatch like a pirate
As we age, our immune systems naturally weaken — but did you know they can also turn against us? Autoimmune diseases affect millions of older Australians, and with over 80 known conditions, many cases go undetected for years. From rheumatoid arthritis and lupus to Type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis, the signs can be easy to miss — fatigue, joint pain, skin rashes, even tingling in the hands and feet. The good news? With the right awareness, lifestyle habits, and support, these conditions can be effectively managed. Don’t ignore what your body is trying to tell you — read more and share with someone who needs this today.
guess who got harassed twice and got my mobility aid taken away today!!! THIS GUY!!!!!! if you are on any sports team sorry to say I will instantly assume you are ableist because it has been only sports dudes
people judge me for bringing my phone into the shower like “mleh you can’t live without that thing, can you?” um first of all no, i can’t, im addicted to this little screen and secondly i live alone so if i slip and fall and badly injure myself, my phone needs to be within arms reach DUMBASS
She was an advocate and an author. Born in 1974 in Indiana and died in California in 2025.
Alice Wong (March 27, 1974 – November 14, 2025) was an American disability rights activist and writer based in San Francisco, California. Dedicated to amplifying the voices and experiences of the disabled community, her career focused on challenging systemic ableism through storytelling, advocacy, and…
I would hate it because, right now, all of this self censorship people do is SO bad for people have to use screen readers.
I’ve seen people use “jello shot” as a censorship for “genocide”. I’ve seen people use “panini” as a censorship for “pandemic”. We all know about “unalive” already; maybe with the popularity of that one, people could get used to it eventually over time.
However, with other things, other more and more “creative” censorship jobs, I don’t know how someone who needs a page read to them by a device can navigate the internet.
And all of that is before we even get into the asterisk. Screen readers don’t know how to read “r*pe”. (If anyone is using a screenreader, I said “rape”.) Asterisks are a nightmare for someone who can’t see and needs the internet read out loud to them.
I’m not even necessarily accusing self censorship of being ableist. I am only saying that right now, in this age of extreme self censorship, it must be nearly impossible to understand what anyone’s actually saying if you don’t have a sighted friend to help you.
The reason I made this event is because I saw the injustice that these canonically disabled/ill characters got in their story, specifically for those ailments, and I wanted to create an event around fanworks that brought those particular aspects to the forefront. Anyone can become disabled or ill at any point of their life, no matter who or what or where they are. Disability does not discriminate, and neither should we.
I am therefore making it my own obligation not to be too restrictive on creative expression during this event. You are all free to be as subtle or obvious with your visibility/representation as you wish, but please do it all in good faith.
You don’t have to be 100% accurate — everyone’s struggles and triumphs are and will be different across the board no matter what — and you don’t have to explain or justify it either; the experience of living with disability/illness is different for everyone.
With that being said, the core purpose of this event is to create fanworks for Squid Game with visibility and representation involving disability and/or illness. Because of this, I have to make sure we are clear on what I can’t showcase at this event, as well as what I can.
The following are not allowed:
— ANY WORKS THAT ARE THE PRODUCT OF/USE GEN AI
— ART THEFT/PLAGIARISM
— Works depicting/portraying fictional ailments such as hanahaki, vampirism, ‘vault depressive syndrome’, etc.*
*note for clarification: if you are choosing not to specify any ailment at all and are simply presenting symptoms, health and/or mobility aids, etc., that is also valid and does not violate this exception as long as the portrayal shows real life effects (ie, no coughing up flower petals as in hanahaki)
Anything else is perfectly fine! Yes, even if you are depicting the disabled/ill person as a bad person or in a bad situation. That isn’t and never has been the issue; while disabled people are too often depicted this way in mainstream media, we are fan creators making fanworks for a series that depicts nuanced characters. There have been plenty of times where these characters were put in bad situations canonically, regardless of their moral standing.
With that being said, letting their ailments be an element of this, whether it victimizes or villainizes them, is okay and completely encouraged — as long as you are passionate about it, and doing it for the love of visibility and representation.
As long as your creations do not involve any of the listed bullet points above, it is a valid, incredible work, and counts for the event.
Paul “Did Jimmy tell you have Parkinson’s?”
Sean “No, he didn’t. That sucks.“
Paul “Yeah, it’s not my favorite. So you know about it. This smuck knows about it, but I haven’t been able to tell my own daughter.”
Sean: Why not?
Paul: I’m scared, I’m afraid she won’t see me like she used to. Won’t be just her father, I’ll be this sad old man that needs to be taken care of. I know it’s bullshit, but I’m stuck.”
Season 1 Episode 5 Shrinking
Photo by Felirbe from Unsplash
Being scared of perception changes after confiding in anything personal, such as a disease/diagnosis, sexuality, or gender identity.
All of it hinges on feelings and reactions from those around you. The person who comes out and shares doesn’t control others.
Which makes it scary not to know, but to have a general experience that builds a foundation for assuming others will pity you and never see you the same after that. People need a community to fulfill social and emotional needs.
The experiences of elderly people acquiring a diagnosis of Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s are different from having a diagnosis since birth.
Elderly people may have lived their lives in a mindset of fear of disablement. The person and their diagnosis shape the experience of living with a diagnosis in many ways.
I am not familiar with progressive conditions myself. I have seen grandparents go through dementia and become dependent on oxygen and canes or walkers. Which are devices not exclusively for old people? The adjustment to the new equipment I went through when I got my wheelchair. Shrinking is showing the progression of Parkinson’s disease.
Photo by Jordy Muñoz from Unsplash
From r/shrinking or Reddit;
Mean-Lynx6476 “At this point, PD is mostly looming on the horizon for Paul, but with medication and appropriate diet and exercise, it’s not impacting his quality of life terribly drastically beyond how just plain ol’ being old impacts quality of life.
Although he’s certainly dealing with some of the physical issues, at this point, it’s the psychological impact of knowing what’s ahead that impacts him the most. And that’s not a trivial impact at all, but it’s largely invisible.”
The real-life experience of being diagnosed with Parkinson’s comes from Emma Lawton in a Ted Talk.
Parkinson’s more often affects men than women, which puts her in the minority. Death is a legitimate reason to root against things that have that possibility.
But it doesn’t actually change the physical treatments or other interventions needed to happen to prolong life when it is that kind of diagnosis.
And as a condition’s symptoms, like tremors or spasms, are defined, the reason you’re having them can make it a more concrete problem to solve.
“[29.04.2013] This was eventually my diagnosis date. It took a little while to get there, but it was actually a day that, for me, was a day of decisiveness
“I know it breaks their heart to hear Parkinson’s. And people would let me do nothing with Parkinson’s as a reason” (Emma Lawton, 2017 TEDxSquareMile)
Breaking someone’s heart because of your set of circumstances is where pity first enters the conversation.
“The end of my life’s going to be hard. And I can either be a self-pitying shithead, or I can suck the marrow out of what’s left of this amazing life. No more living in me land.”
This realization from Paul is a progression in how he comes to terms with Parkinson’s and moves beyond assumptions about how he sees himself, as others do. And the real growth and point people have a hard time with is finally asking for help, without the thought that it’s all pity, and the last thing you want is to lose independence in your own life. “ I need a favor to keep me in check, you see me sinking, pull me up.”
References
Goldstein, B., Segal, J., & Lawrence, B. (Producers). (2023). Shrinking [TV series]. Apple TV.
Lawton, E., & TedxSquareMile. (2017, June 30). What Parkinson’s Taught Me [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hs-vPqfsO0Q
[Mean-Lynx6476].Parkinson’s & your experience [Reddit]. (2024, December 12). r/shrinking. https://www.reddit.com/r/shrinking/comments/1hcfihj/parkinsons_your_experience/
Hey I’ve seen posts on here about “I need accommodations for my disability/ADHD/etc but I don’t know what to ask for” (This is a USA specific post, ymmv in other countries)
The Job Accommodation Network maintains a website of disabilities with a list of accessibility ideas and resources!
We have gone 0 days without a progressive Tumblr user calling people with cognitive/neurological disabilities idiots.
