Scroll With Me: What's So Hard About Making Disability Visible?
My Office Romance gripe, my go-to hand pain relief, and a round-up of the latest hard-hitting disability headlines.
Hey there! We’re back with another edition of “Scroll With Me.” Want to jump to a certain section? Just click a link below. Let’s roll!
🎬 Representation Report: Office Romance
A quick representation-related note: I’m super excited to be joining GBH on June 25 for Disability ReFramed: Celebrating Our Childhood on TV. If you’re in the area, would love to see you there, but you can also join virtually! I’ll be chatting about seeing myself on screen, my time on Sesame Street, and how that shaped so much of my self-image.
And now, on to my little report: I’m typing this moments after my husband and I finished watching the new Netflix movie Office Romance. I was so delighted that Ali Stroker was cast in it, thinking it was a nice little win for disability representation. But the movie left me SO frustrated because it felt like the team behind the camera intentionally cut off Ali’s wheelchair in every scene she was in. She was always visible only from the waist up, with maybe a hint of her wheels showing. Even in the moment when she was pushing her wheelchair, you could barely tell she was a wheelchair user.
I love when disabled people are cast without the intention being that they’re specifically token disabled characters, but that doesn’t mean going so far in the opposite direction that it’s ignored almost completely! The filming appeared to be totally done through an abled gaze, with zero consideration for varying heights or someone sitting down.
I know this seems nitpicky, but when I see disability, I actually want to see it, you know? If you’ve seen the movie, I’d love to know your take!
What’s on your disability media radar lately? Gems that got it right, disasters that got it wrong? Leave your recommendations (or critiques) in the comments!
🛍️ Tried, Tested, Accessible
I’m about to turn 35, but I have the bones of the Crypt Keeper. They’re arthritic as heck, and pain flares are a pretty standard part of my day-to-day. At the moment, I’m coming down from a flare in both my thumbs, caused in part by my typical millennial overuse due to typing and texting, but also because of my constant reliance on my hands to move around as a wheelchair user.
One of my go-to ways to ease pain: compression ice packs. When my hands are acting up, I use a Cooling Compression Sleeve for the Thumb and Wrist. I keep two on hand (pun intended) in my freezer so I can either wear them on both sides at once or switch them out. They get so cold I almost feel numb, which I weirdly enjoy. And once the cold wears off, I keep them on a bit longer for the compression.
I also should try to use my phone less, but let’s be real, because I won’t. So I’ve been relying on my Love Handle Phone Grip. It sticks to the back of my phone, and either snaps open to function as a stand, or closed to function as a handle. As an added bonus for me, it makes it easier to grab my phone when I drop it (which happens often, because my hands aren’t so great, clearly.)
Would love to know your go-to pain management products and hacks!
In case you missed it: Last month, I waxed poetic about this 2-Tier Snack Carousel. As someone who vastly prefers snacks to meals, I cannot overstate how important snackcess is for me. Get yourself a Snack Stack!
A quick note: Living in a disabled body often means becoming a product researcher by necessity. It brings me great joy to share my findings with you. All my picks (from accessible kitchen tools to cute adaptive clothes) are gathered on my ShopMy page. Some links may earn me a small commission. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, and it helps sustain my writing and advocacy. Your trust is the most important thing to me, so if I’ve listed something, please know it’s because I’ve personally used it and would recommend it regardless.
📰 Disability Dispatch
Media Access Awards Relaunches as Easterseals Disability Arts & Culture Awards (I am so psyched and proud to be part of this! Submissions are now open until July 15!)
Moving Special Education and Civil Rights Out of Education Department Risks a Patchwork of Rights for Students With Disabilities (Sounding ALL the alarms. Here’s a video with my take on this.)
People with cancer or HIV could lose Medicaid under new work rules, advocates say
Kansas drops out of lawsuit targeting senior and disability rights (A small but important win!)
Her scooter was damaged on a flight. She says it keeps happening (This isn’t about my situation, but I did connect my friend with the journalist.)
Native kids with disabilities were held in wooden boxes. Sweeping reforms are coming (Horrifying.)
The Met Gala’s Inclusion of Disabled People Proves Fashion Can’t Exist Without Body Diversity (Two things: First, the Met Gala is generally just a spectacle of wealth and power that’s frustrating to witness in light of the current state of the world. Second, it’s still deeply meaningful to see disability representation among the attendees in a truly groundbreaking way.)
What ‘Special Needs Mommy’ Influencers Get Wrong About Parenting Disabled Kids (+1)
Leading Disability Organizations: Delaying Section 504 Compliance is Unacceptable (This administration will truly do anything they can to throttle progress.)
‘Love on the Spectrum’ Star Dani Bowman Slams ‘Euphoria,’ The Rock For Using R-Word (Love TMZ reporting on this.)
Accessibility journalist shares tips to prepare for the ‘ability drift’ (I appreciate this framing.)
Screens are leaving schools fast, though some students with disabilities rely on them (Tech is an essential form of access.)
Thanks for scrolling with me! It would truly mean the world to me if you:
❤️ Like this post or 💬 comment. (It nudges the algorithm to send people over.)
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☕ Subscriptions not your vibe right now but still want to support? It’d mean a lot if you buy me a cup of tea. (A one-time contribution.)
📖 Read my book, Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally. (An approachable, actionable guide to how you can help make the world a more accessible, inclusive place.)
Snacks over meals forever!