if youre considering using a mobility aid, youre probably thinking about getting a cane. even if it seems like youre issues arent bad enough, you should probably still consider other mobility aids. please look into the pros and cons of several different mobility aids, especially in conjunction with your specific disability/diagnosis/needs.

i got a cane at first because i thought my issues were "mild" and therefore i needed a "mild" mobility aid. but canes are moreso for stability than support. i damaged my wrist and worsened my scoliosis by deciding to use a cane without an educated opinion.

i now use forearm crutches primarily, a rollator for longer outings, and a wheelchair for worse days and longer events. dont make the same mistake as 16-year-old me. dont choose your mobility aid based on palatability, consider your needs and address your internalized ableism if need be.

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Bora! She’s blasian (black and korean!) she has POTS (postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome) and Chronic Pain! 🩷💜

She takes her rollator everywhere!

You don’t have to be on the brink of collapse to use your mobility aids.

You don’t need to be limping to use your cane. You don’t need to be staggering to use your crutches. You don’t need to be falling over to use your rollater. You don’t need to be too weak to stand to use your wheelchair.

They’re there to help you and you are never too “strong” to be using something that helps you.

Using a mobility aid when you need one is an act of self love <3

Completely unrelated to my previous post: I had an older lady come up to me as I was exiting my therapy appointment and waiting for my ride, I had my rollator with all my stickers and my butterfly bag on it. She also had a rollator- and as she got closer;

She grinned and said "Race ya."

yall it was the highlight of my day. I didn't get to thank her for the giggle it got out of me before she was already inside the hospital building. But it was one of the first positive interactions I had with taking my rollator with me out of the house.

maybe things will be alright.

does anybody else have like “ dream “ mobility aids they wish theyll have one day but probably wont ( at least for the foreseeable future ) because their disability isnt bad enough as other people who actually need that stuff

the vulnerability of using mobility aids out in public is so frustrating

I don't feel safe going on walks alone with my wheelchair because I might be assaulted, someone could grab my push handles and take me anywhere they wanted. I have a knife but it's useless against someone behind me

even with my other, safer mobility aids I'm still at risk. I've been followed to my house by people who thought I looked vulnerable and weak. I've had to threaten people with my cane multiple times. I don't feel safe walking with my rollator because it's much harder to use as a weapon. I'm limited to my canes and crutches but I often need more support so I'm stuck in the house out of fear that I'll be harassed or assaulted.

I just want to be able to go on a walk safely, without fear

Make jaywalking easier for mobility aid users

it's so disheartening when you realise that even the people closest to you doubt the validity of your disability.

believe people when they say they have a disability, don't deny them because they don't fit the criteria of what you think is 'disabled'.

if you use more than one, choose which you use more. if you use them equally, choose which you like the best or find the most helpful

you don't need anyone's permission to use something to help with your mobility. use those cane, crushes, rollator, walker, wheelchair, etc

Rollator Rockstar ⭐️🎸‼️

" Young disabled people are all faking it, there's nothing wrong with them, they just want the attention! "

Me, literally sobbing in union Station because I was so angry about having a mobility aid and not being able to do the same activities as my friends because of it and shaking because I kept getting stared at:

young disabled ppl are valid and if you think otherwise unfollow block whatever this is not the place for your bigotry.

more emotes for this post !! here we have (forearm) crutch user & rollator user , both w/ and w/o text !!

i cut off a friend because they reposted something that used unemployment as an insult. the sentiment was along the lines of "you still cant get a job". i tried to inform them but they said that im just being ridiculous and insecure, as well as drawing a boundary that it isnt okay to tell them that something they said was ableist.

today they informed me that they have no intention of apologizing because they know for a fact that it wasnt ableist. they believe they have authority over whether it qualifies as ableism because they are autistic and mentally ill. however, they are low-support needs and able to maintain a fulltime job and relationship without detriment to their hygeine or health. personally, i think that since im unemployed and low functioning my voice should maybe take precedence in this kind of conversation. but maybe im missing something with that mindset, so i wanted to see what the internet thinks.

please only vote if you are disabled. reblogs for sample size are highly appreciated <3

i wish i lived a life without pain, for at least fifteen minutes. im always in pain. i barely notice my pain at this point, but its there. its constantly buzzing inside of me, screaming for my attention.