Post by @chronicallyjenni

Throughout Disability Pride month, I’ll be exploring the different disability groups represented within the Disability Pride Flag, starting with physical disabilities. Thank you to @TheRollingExplorer , @LilGabiD and @MaxwellMcknight for being part of this collaboration! When many people think of disability, physical disability is often what comes to mind. But physical disabilities can look very different from person to person. Some of us have been disabled for as long as we can remember. Others become disabled later in life. Some of us have experienced both. Some people use wheelchairs, mobility aids or adaptations. Some don’t. Some need a lot of support in daily life, while others are more independent. Neither experience is more or less valid. One thing many physically disabled people have in common is that the biggest barriers we face often aren’t our bodies. They’re inaccessible environments, systems and attitudes. Many disabled people are underestimated, but needing support doesn’t make someone less capable or less valuable. For a long time, disabled people were taught to hide, minimise or apologise for our differences. Disability Pride is about rejecting that shame and recognising disability as a natural part of human diversity. There’s no single way to look, live or experience disability. Follow along as we explore more of the disability communities represented within the Disability Pride Flag and let me know which group you'd like to learn about next. Video description: A video of four creators talking about physical disabilities. The creators are: Jenni, a white disabled woman with auburn hair wearing a red dress with white polka dots and using a manual wheelchair; Jessica, a white woman with long dark brown curly hair wearing a bright red long-sleeved top. She has an upper limb difference and it sitting in an electric wheelchair; Lil Gabi D a Black woman with dwarfism and shoulder-length dark curly hair wearing a bright red T-shirt; and Maxwell, a young man with short dark curly hair wearing a red T-shirt, black padded gilet and cream shorts while seated in a powered wheelchair.