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" We are a society that treats people with disabilities with condescension and pity, not dignity and respect. "

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" We often hear that people mean well: that so many just don't how to interact with people with disabilities. They're unsure of the 'right' reaction, so they default to condescension that makes them feel better in the face of their discomfort. "

" From pink water bottles for breast cancer to dumping a bucket of ice water on your head for neuromuscular conditions, it seems we're bombarded by requests to be 'aware' of one thing or another. "

" Many of us, particularly those of us with disabilities who have faced persistent discrimination throughout our lives, not least when trying to find employment in the first place, take enormous pride in our hard-fought jobs and careers. "

" Disability simulation fails to capture the nuance and complexity of living in a disabled body. And it certainly fails to give a deep understanding of systemic discrimination and abuse faced by disabled people. "

" The thing about living with any disability is that you adapt; you do what works for you. "

" I do sometimes painful things to my body in an effort to conform to culturally imposed beauty ideals. "

" I have always felt like a loved, valued and equal member of my family. "

" People get all up in arms when I describe myself as a crip because what they hear is the word 'cripple,' and they hear a word you're not allowed to say anymore. "

" By far, the most disabling thing in my life is the physical environment. It dictates what I can and can't do every day. "

" I've lost count of the number of times that I've been approached by strangers wanting to tell me that they think I'm brave or inspirational, and this was long before my work had any kind of public profile. "

" The purpose of our justice system is to reflect the values of our society and to punish those who violate our standards. "

" I have a condition that is included among the 200 or so classified as Dwarfism. "

" Let me make this clear: my impairment is such that without a wheelchair, I can't do very much for myself. I can't get out of bed. I can't get myself to the toilet. I certainly can't get myself to work. "

" I don't generally talk about medical terms when I discuss my position as a disabled person. I take a social rather than medical approach to disability, and so long Latin names for congenital conditions are not relevant. "

" In many ways, I'm incredibly lucky to have been born with my impairment and that it's visible. It means my path has been predictable. "

" It's undeniable that what we are taught as a culture to believe about disability is at odds with traditional notions of masculinity. "

" We all learn how to use the bodies we're born with, or learn to use them in an adjusted state, whether those bodies are considered disabled or not. "

" On the whole, my life is and has been wonderful. "

" Too often, we fall into the trap of thinking 'equal' means 'the same' and that we achieve equality by treating everyone identically. "

" I am repeatedly asked in interviews exactly 'what's wrong' with me, and I always give them the same answer; I don't identify the name of my condition in an interview unless it's relevant to the context of the story. "

" Death is not treatment, even if it's medically facilitated. "

" For lots of us, disabled people are not our teachers or our doctors or our manicurists. We're not real people. We are there to inspire. "

" I used to think of myself in terms of who I'd be if I didn't have this pesky old disability. "

" My parents didn't know what to do with me, so they just pretended I was normal, and that worked out quite well for me. "

" I currently live independently without any funded support. I'm educated, and I'm employed. I enjoy paying my taxes and contributing to the economic life of Australia. "

" For me, disability is a physical experience, but it's also a cultural experience and a social experience, and for me, the word 'crip' is the one that best encapsulated all of that. "

" As disabled people, we are taught from a young age that those who are attracted to us are to be regarded with suspicion. "

" People are uncomfortable about disability, and so interactions can become unintentionally uncomfortable. "

" In Australia, a deaf person attending an interview must take their own interpreter at their own expense, or ask the employer to provide one. Believe me, nothing says 'I'm the best person for this job' quite like asking an employer to pay to interview you. "

" My disability exists not because I use a wheelchair, but because the broader environment isn't accessible. "