Yuuup.

♥

♥

She is AMAZING!!!

I’ve seen some of these before, but not all. Even still, REPOST!  She’s just so dang good! ♥♥♥

♥

Cosplayer Kiera Please!

IG: kieraplease

How do You Identify..? VI, Blind? Etc..?

When it comes to my vision, personally I identify as "visually impaired." Because to me, it denotes the least feeling of lesser-ness, incomplete-ness/lacking/being sub-par as much as our terms and language go in widely accepted terms thus far.  

In my experience, "low vision" sounds base and somewhat mean, so I don't use that at all. I hated the way that sounded when people tried to make me use "low vision aides" as a kid, and as an adult, have found that most lay-folk have NO idea what "low vision" means anyway, if they have no experience w/blind folks.  (Plus, I've always felt like "low vision" sounded, or makes one sound, rather slow-witted- again, probably associated w/that feeling of being baser/looked down upon  -And I feel like we Blind & VI people get saddled with that often enough w/o cognitive disabilities anyway, so it just generally makes me cringe, yanno?)  

Alternatively, I sometimes use "legally blind" if I have to clarify things, because I've found most folks also don't grok what "visually impaired" means, unless they've had exposure to our community. (I generally get the deer-in-headlights look, until I further explain "I can't see very well" when asking for directions, etc.)  On the other hand, sometimes when I say "legally blind" people seem to only hear the "blind" part, and thus they assume I have no vision at all.  -Which is why I also don't use the term "blind," because I, and most others in my experience, associate that w/folks who have absolutely NO vision whatsoever.  

As a performer, when I get asked about my vision, I generally try not to use any language that indicates being lesser, incomplete, inadequate, etc- especially to kiddos.  I try to say things like "my eyes were made differently from most other peoples'," or "I don't see the way you do," etc, so they know that while my eyes and sight may be different, different doesn't necessarily have to mean lacking,, sub-par, etc.  That way hopefully they learn that different doesn't have to mean lesser.   ..I hope that makes sense! ^_^

What about you? If you have a visual difference/dis/ability, how do YOU identify..?

♥

What is this thing and where do I find it???

♥

Grief comes in great gusts to blow you down. The things men do. Shh, breathe, my love.

I did my first sting of Weight Watchers at 10.  At TEN.  Stressing over Easter candy and how much weight I lost w/all the eggs I was eating.  My mom put me on rice cake diets, I went on all-cabbage diets, Deal-a-Meal, and Jenny Craig- all under the age of 17.  I went to Germany with my choir and instead of eating what my host family ate, my unbelievably kind host mom made my prepackaged JC food. (*headdesk*)  And when I came home, I found chocolate in the freezer downstairs and binged it ALL. *further headdesks*  Gee, I wonder why I have a disordered relationship w/food.. and will forever have my “goal weight” set in my head (from that first stint at WW) at being 93-100lbs, (For a person of my height at the time.  Not my age, not my bone structure- my height. XS)  

And 2 years ago when I injured my knee kneeling into the couch, could barely stand (let alone walk), I went to get an MRI which the doctor refused me, saying I “should just lose weight.”  Turned out when I got the courage to go to ANOTHER doctor 6mos later and get the MRI I SHOULD’VE gotten months before- that I had a torn meniscus and there was a tendon in my knee that was was literally out of joint.  And at last I got the PT and care I needed to treat the problem. XP  TWO YEARS LATER I’m only just now able to function almost back to normal, but my knee is still crunchy, grindy and needs popping a few times each night.  

I can only imagine if I’d gotten the care I needed at the time, & I wouldn’t have had to go to florida on a dream trip to swim with manatees that same year injured and hobbling, rather than walking & swimming healthy & strong. XS

♥

I work at a daycare with infants.

One of our baby girls is fat, in the 99th percentile for her age. She is super cute and sweet. Lately, she has been sick with various breathing issues, so she has been reluctant to take her bottles. Normally, she’ll take 4 ounces of formula at lunch and 8 ounces in the afternoon. Today, I was lucky to get to her take 5 all day.

There was a substitute covering a lunch break in my classroom today. We emphasized to her that we need to keep trying to get the baby to drink her bottle until she finished it. She said, “Why are you guys so worried about taking her bottle?”

My coworker replied, “That’s where all her nutrients are. She needs the nutrients and the water.”

To which the substitute replied, “But she’s so fat. She doesn’t need it.”

Thin privilege is a small, pretty baby getting better childcare because the caretaker doesn’t think she’s too fat to be allowed to eat.

Please watch this through to the end. It’s super worth it. XD

♥

Please watch this series of Japanese gum commercials

You won’t regret it I promise

There is so much breathtaking beauty here.. I can’t even. ♥♥♥

♥

If this aint the most ignorant shit

Rant

Today I calle a store.. and was literally on hold for an HOUR because no one spoke enough English to know what I was asking for, or how to get done what I needed w/o transfering me back and forth, putting me on hold for LITERALLY half an hour, and twice, eventually disconnecting me w/no human interaction whatsoever. XP And all I needed.. was to find out IF they had a certain setting spray. SETTING SPRAY. Not that complicated.

And last week I had an experience w/Greyhound on the phone that left me feeling equally as frustrated. Apparently they’ve outsourced to the Philippines, and no one in their call center speaks enough English to understand “service fee.”  

Alllll this.. in UNACCEPTABLE.  If Customer Service doesn’t speak enough English to get the job done, THERE IS NO ACTUAL CUSTOMER SERVICE TAKING PLACE.

I don't mind dealing with someone with an accent (after all, we all come from somewhere else- unless we're Native American).  And I don’t mind if a person doesn’t ahve perfect English. -I- don’t speak perfect English, and I was born here.  But I DO mind when someone doesn't have enough of a grasp on the English language that they can't understand what I'm saying. as someone with absolutely -no- accent at all, and they’re supposedly working w/folks in the US.  No, we may not have an official language,” but that doesn’t mean that when a person walks into a local KFC, they expect the person behind the counter to speak Farsi, Swahili, or Inuit.  The US, like it or not, is a largely English-based entity.  Because we were colonized by English speakers.  It’s our unofficial, official laugnage.  It’s what people greet each other on the street with.  It’s how we answer the phone.  Not with “Bonjour!” or “Moshi Moshi!” But “hello!”  So whether in person or on the phone, if you don't speak enough English to do even the BASICS of your job, there is a biiiiig problem. 

If I'm in a taxi and the driver doesn't understand "turn right up here," or I'm at a sandwich shop and the guy doesn't understand "I'd like 2 slices of provolone, please," that's an issue.  And before you get all uppity about this being petty or trivial, please note that this issue can be a matter of personal safety for many.  I ride paratransit and taxis frequently, and my basic, personal safety can be put in jeopardy if the driver of my vehicle doesn't speak adequate English. If they go to grab my elbow as I get out of the vehicle and I say "I've got it," they need to understand me so they don't grab me and push/pull me, causing me to fall & potentially injure myself. Or if we’re heading to the vehicle, they jaunt away leaving me alone to navigate dangerous terrain in the dark and ask “can I please hold your arm?” or let out a plaintive “hello? Can you come help me, please..?” and they don't understand, again, I could get hurt.  Literally, PHYSICALLY HURT.  Or (and this is much scarier for folks like me), if I'm in that taxi and the driver doesn't understand "turn left at the light," then God knows -where- they might be taking me, inclined to leave me, how long it might take me to get home, or how much they may be charging me (or the paratransit company that sometimes uses their services) to get me home.  I've BEEN in cabs where they couldn't figure out where to go, even though both the GPS AND I were TELLING them how to get to my address- because they didn't speak enough English to understand me or the machine.  And I assure you, that is both extremely frustrating, and pretty damned scary.  Last time it happened the guy wandered around w/me in the car around 11 at night, pulling into little alleys, parking in vacant lots and empty bank drive through lanes to do u-turns, get his bearings, n’ stop to figure out where he was n’ needed to go. And when you’re in the car with a stranger as a young woman, that shit is scary.  (Nor would it have happened w/someone who might have been new/confused n’ not known their job well. At least an English speaking person would have been able to understand my directions, and that of the GPS.)

Beyond my paltry personal safety concerns, companies who hire non-English speakers are also setting their employees AND their customers up for failure (not to mention a world of frustration).  if I call Greyhound to get help with a partial refund that they TOLD me to call for back after my trip, it should not take me literally ELEVEN calls filled with numerous attemptsto get help, because no one on the previous call or department spoke enough English to understand what I need.  I got people who didn't understand how to put me on hold or transfer me (rather than hang up), I got people who didn't understand what I asked, and then couldn't understand "I'd like to speak to a supervisor please," etc.  And that's not okay.  Customers end up hanging up out of frustration which isn't polite OR productive, and CS folks probably have no idea why, because they don't speak enough English to grok the problem!  And that’s a waste of time and money for EVERYONE involved.  The company loss money from customers who leave them, and the customers lose money from giving up on items, services, charges and other issues they can’t gain access to & thus go addressed or uncompleted.  People buy from OTHER cable companies. OTHER sandwich companies. OTHER clothiers. And bills go unpaid. That’s not okay.

And as a customer, I do my very, VERY best to be courteous and considerate to the folks on the other end of the line, no matter WHO they may be, so please don’t accuse me of xenophobia, racism, etc.  I make pains to be calm and polite to CS folks because I've been one myself, and my family has generations of service industry people in it.  I know from years of personal experience what it's like to be behind the desk (or the phone) and have people treat you like garbage, or a non-person, forgetting that there's a -real- human being behind that phone- or that desk. I get it.  So I make pains NEVER to be -that- person.  

But if your customer service doesn't speak enough English to do even the BASIC TENANTS of their job, there's no -real- customer service happening.  You're essentially paying people to sit there and get nothing done, while your customers get ticked- or brushed- off.  Customer or CSR, we ALL have our limits, and putting people who doesn’t speak English in language-saturated jobs is like putting a VI person in a sight-dependant job.  I’ve been there. It doesn’t work, isn’t fun for ANYBODY, and sets EVERYONE up for failure.  Including your business.  I shouldn’t be put in a position to have to read smudged, 7pt font, just like someone who doesn’t understand more than “how can I help you” should be put in a job where complex English phrases are used just to get through ONE call.  Either way, the job isn’t getting done well or efficiently, or happily.  

But then.. I as an employee need to be honest w/myself and my boss, just like my boss must with himself, for the sake of his company’s well-being.  If I can’t read 12 point font in a sight-based job and tell someone I can, that’s MY issue, ‘cause I’ve lied to my boss and made my problem theirs.  But if I say I can’t and a boss hires me anyway thinking I can fudge my way through ‘cause they can’t be bothered to hire someone with the necessary skills, then that’s an even BIGGER one.  I don’t expect my taxi driver to understand fancy terms like “forced perspective” or be able to converse eloquently about poetry or plus-size fashion.  Sure, I get that English is a complex as HELL language, but a person should be able to do the basics of what they’re hired to do.  So if I’m not asking about complicated food additive ingredients like methyltriglycerodextro-something or other when I call about my cell phone bill, my expectation is that they’ll know enough about the job AND the language to get what I need done.  That.. shouldn’t be an unreasonable expectation.  -Because we expect businesses to be competent in whatever arena we’re PAYING THEM to be proficient in.  I’m not gonna ask my sandwich maker to find my house, nor my taxi driver to make me a sandwich.  And sure, new employees exist, and there’s ALWAYS a learning curve- to EVERY job. I get that.  But they don’t grok phrases inherent within the realm of their job description, that’s a problem.  No matter the origin, employees NEED to be able to function within their job arenas. Because it’s what they’re being PAID to do.  And "Turn right." "I'm looking for an item in your store, with the title X & item number Y."  Or, worse comes to worse, "I'd like to talk to a supervisor." are not neuroscientific terms that fall directly within certain, specific job descriptions/arenas.  I’m not gonna call Greyhound asking to fix my bank bill, yanno?  Most often these conversations are about pretty simple, relatable terms and needs.  Sandwiches. Cable bills.  Makeup. Shoes. Bus tickets. A ride home.  And if your employee can’t comprehend the basic job phrases, that’s a problem.

And please, please don't patronize people by arguing that nonsense about different native English speakers having different accents and dialects and thus, not being able to understand each other. Sure, I as a person w/no accent may not catch everything someone from South Carolina says, but if we’re at a lake and I hear something about a pole and fish, I’m not gonna think they wanna take me skydiving.. yanno?  If people around the world who speak Arabic, Spanish or French (some of the most widely spoken languages around the globe) can understand one another, regardless of country or dialect, then a person from Alabama should be able to understand a person in Boston- or vice versa. Sometimes it takes patience and time, and yes, sometimes there's a difference in colloquialisms, or ya might not understand eeeevvvery word, but if a person from Nebraska calls a person in Austin, TX, I'm pretty sure they're both gonna understand "I'd like to make an exchange," I need to refund a service fee" or "turn right here at the light, please."  Because they have a COMMON LANGUAGE.  

I’m not saying it isn’t hard to learn English.  I’m not saying it isn’t admirable for folks from other countries to movie here and begin to make a new life, which includes learning a HUGELY complex new tongue.   What I AM saying is that it doesn't matter where you're from; the simple fact is, you can't do your job if you don't understand the basic phrases INTRINSIC to that job.  Native English speaker or no.   And I’m tired of having to pay the price because companies aren’t willing or able to train their staff well, or hire well-prepared staff, capable of doing the jobs we’re both paying them to do.  

It’s more than just a sandwich. Or a cable bill. Or my electricity.  It’s my life.

Loooove!

♥

role reversal - jedi leia and prince luke

I’m not normally a fan of hairless cats, but when this little dumpling nuzzles that neck.. my heart melts. ♥♥♥ DAT FACE!!! ♥♥♥ I think I’m officially a fan now. ^_^ ♥♥♥

♥

this cured my depression. my anxiety. my bills. my job. everything’s fine. i hope you have a good day

Uninvited, Ignorant, Ableist Commentary

I just had to school somebody on why it's not cute to be flippant to people without knowing them or their situations; in a public fb event thread. Dear FB douchebag, your commentary is neither cute, clever, welcome nor wanted. Go back to tormenting people with your trolling on Reddit. The backstory? I asked an event if they had subtitles in the movie they were showing. (Y'all oughta know why that'd be an issue for me by now.) The event coordinators responded with an affirmative, I responded with something to the tune of "damn." To which this "Michael S." felt the need to put in his haypenny of clever wit: "Subtitles?? Dude, like this is the 21st century and stuff. Why do we even have to like, you know, I mean... Deal with this anymore? ;P" -To which I replied, getting angrier and angrier the more I read his little snipe: "Some of us are legally blind or visually impaired otherwise, and have difficulty keeping up with subtitles. It's not much fun watching movies where you have to choose between reading the dialogue or seeing what's actually on the rest of the screen, and oftentimes reading subtitles at all is impossible unless you're close enough to the screen to see the text, AND you actually have the chance to stop the movie at your leisure, so you can read what's being said before the next subtitle comes up. I know it might seem strange to some, but unless it's some cute animated short, dialogue in a movie is still generally pretty pivotal to understanding what's happening on-screen and in the plot, and without that, for some of us, taking in a movie can be an IMMENSELY frustrating experience. ..How would YOU feel if the only thing you had to clue you into what was going on in a film were the sound effects..??" Then I got a little angrier, frustrated by the tongue and cheek, dismissive, ableist tone of his comment, and amended my post with this little tidbitat the end: "Think before you speak and try considering other peoples' positions in life before you write something ableist, snarky & flippant on the internet dude. Your "smart" remarks might come out sounding anything but once you get the full story. (Even though others shouldn't have to explain themselves or justify their needs so people like you leave them alone.) Or.. wait.. do I need subtitles to help you parse all that out..?" ... Normally, I let this kind of thing go. I get snarky jibes like this all the time, and you generally learn to let it roll of your back. But I'm tired of experiencing crap like this without responding. I'm tired of taking it and not defending myself, and I feel like people like this need to learn, and KNOW why their comments are not okay. Maybe I went overboard in serving his foot sandwich to him, and to some it will sound like I drastically overreacted, but he had absolutely no place or a reason to involve himself in the conversation, and he CHOSE to step into the breach to be snarky. So.. for me, this was trolling, and I feel justified if for nothing else than defending myself, as well as people like me- who often do nothing when confronted with people like this. No, I did not lose my glasses. Yes, I AM looking a bit close at that. No, I should not have to justify myself or my needs to you. Yes, I AM looking at you. No, we don't need you insinuating yourself into our conversation with your ignorant, egocentrical commentary. No, you're not funny. -In any way. Go back to your corner dude. Your input was neither invited nor welcome here. -Signed, Every Disabled Person You've Ever Bullied, Marginalized Or Silenced by Your Verbal Manspreading.

♥

Little Paper Forest  -  http://www.littlepaperforest.com  -  https://twitter.com/paperforest_  -  http://littlepaperforest.tumblr.com  -  https://www.facebook.com/littlepaperforest  -  https://es.pinterest.com/paperforest  -  https://www.etsy.com/es/people/littlepaperforest  -  https://www.instagram.com/littlepaperforest  -  http://littlepaperforest.deviantart.com

He’s so beautiful! 

♥

Conchita Wurst.

“Therapy dogs, emotional support dogs and companion dogs are NOT service dogs under the ADA.”

“A service dog must be individually trained to perform work or tasks directly related to the handler’s disability, while a therapy and emotional support dog merely provides comfort and coping assistance to an individual in some fashion.“

“Therapy and emotional support dogs are allowed in housing under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), but are not permitted in public places as are service dogs.“

FUCKING THANK YOU.

I know that there are service dogs who help with epilepsy and other invisible illness, but as a person who grew up around REAL service dogs (guide dogs for the blind and who’s done TONS of research (including traveling to guide dog facilities to potentially get one), I am BEYOND tired of people running around with their PETS touting them to be “service dogs” when they have absolutely NO training and are in NO WAY an ACTUAL service animal. XP  You are ABUSING the rights that REAL DISABLED PEOPLE have fought TOOTH AND NAIL FOR, and giving ACTUAL service dog users a bad name because you can’t stomach leaving Fluffy at home- where she should be- instead of carting her upset and yarping throughout the grocery store. XS  YOU are the reason why SO many establishments have a problem w/”service animals.”  Not because ACTUAL service animals are poorly behaved and causing trouble, but because people like YOU bring your animals EVERYWHERE when they are neither welcome nor trained to safely & calmly cope w/such situations, causing distress to not only everyone else around you, but also YOUR PET.  

There reeeeeally needs to be a certification program given to animals/owners who wish to operate under the umbrella of “service dog.”  If an animal’s been bred and trained to do the WORK of a service dog, it deserves that license.  And if Joe Schmoe wants to take Fluffy into a private space or public area where dogs are not normally permitted, yer damned right I think he should be asked to present his damned license, and then freaking ejected if he can’t produce one.  I’m not saying there needs to be ANY mention of WHAT disability a person has or why the dog is there, but IMO there DOES need to be SOME sort of national system implemented regarding a universal SD certification code/law.  (So ANY type of service dog, once it’s done w/its training can get a certificate and a card for its owner to carry around once it’s done being trained, & owners of businesses and other private spaces can VERIFY these animals and owners have the RIGHT to go where regular animals cannot.  

I’m GLAD service animals are allowed everywhere by law.  This is an amazing, NECESSARY THING for people w/REAL disabilities.  But there is a REASON why untrained animals are NOT allowed in certain places.  It’s because some people may not be SAFE if they’re exposed to an otherwise untrained animal.  (Whether that be mentally, emotionally or physically.  Hygiene reasons can be just as valid as someone with misophonia, PTSD or anxiety issues being traumatized by loud, unruly or constant barking, physical disruptions, etc.) Service dogs are VITAL.  Service dog training is also VITAL.  -For the safety of their humans as well as the safety of the animal- in addition to the safety of the public.  Abusing these laws is not abuse of some meaningless, invisible law.  It’s abuse of the PEOPLE whose lives literally DEPEND on the use of a REAL SERVICE ANIMAL TO LIVE THEIR LIVES, EVERYDAY, AND COULD NOT SURVIVE WITHOUT THE ASSISTANCE OF THESE ANIMALS.  So if your health is not DIRECTLY and IMMEDIATELY jeopardized by the lack of the presence of your dog, and your dog has not been trained to cope w/various situations regarding SERVING SPECIFIC NEEDS for you as a disabled person (beyond the gifts of comfort and companionship), YOU DO NOT HAVE A SERVICE DOG.

I get it. As a person w/depression and anxiety, I understand the MASSIVE aid my companion animals offer me every single day of my life.  

But yanno what..? I’m also not gonna take my companion animals to the mall or the grocery store, because I know they’d be traumatized, I’d be upset by their emotional distress, and in the process we’d probably upset or cause harm to other people- either directly or indirectly.  It’s called consideration & honorability.  It’s called learning some basic freaking coping skills, and realizing what I want may not be okay for the rest of the world.  -Nor my PET.

In short, dear delusional (or blatantly fraudulent, manipulative) people, you DO NOT have the right to bring your untrained animals EVERY-DAMNED-WHERE because you or your animal SIMPLY cannot handle being alone. XP  And even if you DO have some sort of psychological issue, Therapy dog =/= SERVICE DOG.  Unless your animal has been expressly trained to serve SOME sort of actual DUTY (beyond “fetch,” “stay, etc), you have a therapy or companion animal.  LEARN THE DIFFERENCE, AND STOP MAKING THE WORLD PAY FOR YOUR BAD BEHAVIOR.  (And notice I didn’t mention that of your animal/s.. because that’s not their fault. As their owner/companion, it’s YOURS.)

/rant

Florence Welch, everybody. A living Waterhouse painting. ♥♥♥