By Aubrey Gordon — 2020
Often, body positivity and fat activism exclude disabled people. It’s past time to change that.
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Expectations surrounding Black masculinity, such as the requirement to be strong and stoic, have often prevented Black men from seeking mental health care. But it's possible to overcome this reluctance and make mental wellness a priority.
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People are disabled in countless different ways, so there are few practical tips that will apply to everyone. Yet a few key things can improve your experience.
In the beginning, it was difficult to let myself rest, even with the ultimate doctor’s note. I felt like I still had to push past my (extremely limited) capabilities. I had to practice slowing down and allowing my frailties to become visible even when I had the choice to hide them.
I couldn’t keep “proving everyone wrong” and still do all the things I wanted to do with my life.
For some of the 61 million Americans with disabilities, the ability to work, learn and socialize from home has been an unexpected expansion of possibility.
We know that up to 90 percent of all individuals with MS report that they have experienced fatigue, and more than 50 percent admit it is their most disabling symptom. This “invisible symptom” is the most common cause of disability.
We should remember that while disabled people can become good at asking for help, few of us are entirely comfortable with it.
All students need to know that they have the ability to learn new skills — just as though they’re learning a musical instrument. A growth mindset is their ticket to becoming an adaptable and teachable individual, ready to explore the world.
According to the research of Stanford's Dr. Carol Dweck, both positive and negative labels, whether "gifted" or "seriously learning disabled," encourage a "fixed mindset," or the belief that nothing children do or think will change their intelligence.
“Use only that which works, and take it from any place you can find it.” ~ Bruce Lee The premise of his philosophy was efficiency—complete and utter efficiency of the soul.