In Praise of Moss
Feb. 25th, 2025 08:47 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rynlingI'm currently working on a zine called In Praise of Moss: An Argument for Sustainable Disability Positivity. I'm feeling good about the opening section, so I thought I'd share the first draft here.
This is a zine about disability positivity. What I’d like to do is demonstrate that it’s vital to the continued health of a society to celebrate the value of a diversity of contributions.
Still, it’s important to acknowledge that living with a disability can be difficult. There’s a certain charm to the expression “differently abled,” as different modes of living enable different sets of skills. Speaking personally, I don’t usually perceive myself as “disabled,” as I’ve established numerous support structures to help me get through the day. Disabled people have agency, and we have more than sufficient ability to shape and change the world around us.
Problems arise when our support structures are removed or called into question. To be “disabled” doesn’t mean that we’re pitiful creatures in need of help. Rather, on a fundamental level, there are certain things that we simply cannot do.
If a disability is made visible by means of concrete supports such as a cane or a wheelchair, most people consider it rude to doubt the validity of accommodations. When a disability isn’t immediately apparent, however, it can create social tension. In my own experience, I’ve been accused of laziness, irresponsibility, and “not pulling my weight.” These accusations weren’t based on my actual performance, but rather in response to my requests for patience and understanding.
Most disabled people have no desire to seek undue attention; we just want to be treated normally. This leads many of us to mask or downplay our disability so that it never becomes an issue in our everyday interactions. We may even seem to “overcome” our disability for limited periods of time. Unfortunately, masking disability requires extra physical and emotional energy, and it comes at a cost. This is why it’s necessary to set and maintain expectations by requesting accommodations.
The vast majority of these accommodations are nothing onerous or unreasonable. Please allow a slight deadline extension. Please don’t expect me to answer emails outside of working hours. Please understand that I am unable to engage in uncompensated work-related travel. Please provide sufficient advance notice of time-sensitive tasks. In truth, the accommodations requested by disabled people should be demanded and enjoyed by everyone.
Unfortunately, neoliberal capitalism forces us to self-optimize so that we can be competitive on a market whose goals and priorities are constantly shifting. In order to be successful, you have to be at the top of your game and willing to devote your entire being to the hustle and grind. Compliance with this economic system has become so baked into our culture that even people who consider themselves to be politically progressive have come to expect productivity and high performance from themselves and everyone around them.
Working all the time is not sustainable for anyone, disabled or otherwise. As we attempt to grow and nurture an alternative mindset, it can be useful to set aside concepts like “success” and “productivity” in favor of long-term sustainability.
As an aside, one half-letter page accommodates 250 words, so I need to cap each section of the essay at 500 words maximum. I'm not the sort of person who can snap my fingers and watch the words flow, but there's still an element of skill involved in being able to communicate a fully-formed idea in such a restricted space. I wish I had the skill to concentrate ideas like this into a tweet, but alas. I am very bad at social media. Still, as I argue above... that's fine.
This is a zine about disability positivity. What I’d like to do is demonstrate that it’s vital to the continued health of a society to celebrate the value of a diversity of contributions.
Still, it’s important to acknowledge that living with a disability can be difficult. There’s a certain charm to the expression “differently abled,” as different modes of living enable different sets of skills. Speaking personally, I don’t usually perceive myself as “disabled,” as I’ve established numerous support structures to help me get through the day. Disabled people have agency, and we have more than sufficient ability to shape and change the world around us.
Problems arise when our support structures are removed or called into question. To be “disabled” doesn’t mean that we’re pitiful creatures in need of help. Rather, on a fundamental level, there are certain things that we simply cannot do.
If a disability is made visible by means of concrete supports such as a cane or a wheelchair, most people consider it rude to doubt the validity of accommodations. When a disability isn’t immediately apparent, however, it can create social tension. In my own experience, I’ve been accused of laziness, irresponsibility, and “not pulling my weight.” These accusations weren’t based on my actual performance, but rather in response to my requests for patience and understanding.
Most disabled people have no desire to seek undue attention; we just want to be treated normally. This leads many of us to mask or downplay our disability so that it never becomes an issue in our everyday interactions. We may even seem to “overcome” our disability for limited periods of time. Unfortunately, masking disability requires extra physical and emotional energy, and it comes at a cost. This is why it’s necessary to set and maintain expectations by requesting accommodations.
The vast majority of these accommodations are nothing onerous or unreasonable. Please allow a slight deadline extension. Please don’t expect me to answer emails outside of working hours. Please understand that I am unable to engage in uncompensated work-related travel. Please provide sufficient advance notice of time-sensitive tasks. In truth, the accommodations requested by disabled people should be demanded and enjoyed by everyone.
Unfortunately, neoliberal capitalism forces us to self-optimize so that we can be competitive on a market whose goals and priorities are constantly shifting. In order to be successful, you have to be at the top of your game and willing to devote your entire being to the hustle and grind. Compliance with this economic system has become so baked into our culture that even people who consider themselves to be politically progressive have come to expect productivity and high performance from themselves and everyone around them.
Working all the time is not sustainable for anyone, disabled or otherwise. As we attempt to grow and nurture an alternative mindset, it can be useful to set aside concepts like “success” and “productivity” in favor of long-term sustainability.
As an aside, one half-letter page accommodates 250 words, so I need to cap each section of the essay at 500 words maximum. I'm not the sort of person who can snap my fingers and watch the words flow, but there's still an element of skill involved in being able to communicate a fully-formed idea in such a restricted space. I wish I had the skill to concentrate ideas like this into a tweet, but alas. I am very bad at social media. Still, as I argue above... that's fine.
no subject
Date: 2025-02-28 08:52 pm (UTC)Sometimes, a migraine takes me out for three or four days and I get nothing of use or value done during that time.
Other times I blow through what "should" be a week's worth of work in a half day.
It evens out over time, but that doesn't stop me being real fucked up and bothered about the downtime.
no subject
Date: 2025-03-07 10:20 pm (UTC)I think "laziness" should be encouraged and celebrated, and no one should be held to an unrealistic standard. I remember that it was actually Auronlu who completely changed my worldview by saying something like, "If at first you don't succeed, lower your standards for success."
Migraines can still get fucked, though. That's not downtime; that's time stolen from us by Satan himself.
no subject
Date: 2025-03-13 08:24 pm (UTC)Migraines are the worst and I have been pretty consistently knocked out by one for over a month. I hate it. I get like one free day that feels amazing and then, nope, fuck my life again.