Kansas City Disability Collective Blooms in KC
Expressing ourselves effectively through the written word has become even more vital with the rise of AI. Every single one of us uses writing every single day to accomplish our tasks, whether it’s sending a text message, writing an email, posting online, or jotting down a list. Like many of you, writing has been a part of my life since I was very young. A little kid with a lot of feelings and thoughts, I was encouraged to write them down. Writing is the skill set that has carried me through many industries, companies, relationships, and has helped me to express myself effectively in a multitude of circumstances. As my diagnoses started trickling in (starting at age 11), I knew words were a powerful tool to communicate my experiences. Whether those were incidents of pain or joy, I began to see the outcomes of sharing my story.
Disabled stories matter because “an estimated 1.3 billion people – or 16% of the global population – experience a significant disability today” (WHO). Disability will impact every single person at some point - either through their own experience, or that of a loved one. It’s a population someone could join at any time, and one with which people resist identifying due to social stigma and accompanying shame. Even as their bodies decline or struggle to fit into the traditional mold. We live in a society that confers worth based on the measure of ability or capacity each individual has to contribute to the economy - a sentiment that quickly gets challenged and dismantled once faced with the reality of disability.
So many people with disabilities find that a typical 9-5 or shift job does not allow them to take care of themselves like they should, burning out or worsening their flares - if they are able to work at all - and many end up looking outside the normal or expected career path for their own livelihood. Many people with disabilities often choose entrepreneurship reluctantly - not because they dreamed of freedom or independence, but because they couldn't fit anywhere else.
Stories about disability matter deeply because they end up as a script, a potential blueprint for others in similar situations. These stories can influence social norms around self-determination, identity, and speculative possibility. Despite a growing presence of disabled characters on screen and across the media landscape, these narratives are rarely written or produced by disabled creators, and they often rely on sentimental or inspirational tropes that reinforce rather than subvert ableist and gendered hierarchies. Chrononormativity (the societal expectation that individuals should follow a standardized, linear timeline for life events) in non-disabled lives cannot be the framework of success for how a disabled life should unfold. Each disabled person should be able to dictate the gold standard for themselves, but that will require a collective reimagining of disabled and non-disabled futures.
We must contend with the political economy of storytelling - the structural barriers that limit disabled participation in sharing stories and getting in front of an audience - tasks that typically involve a mountain of work too high to scale. These barriers shape the authenticity and diversity of the stories that reach audiences. We have the opportunity to share our own stories - our bid for representation operates not only as reflection but as cultural production: a site where ideology and praxis converge. Illuminating and amplifying marginalized voices to include (to a higher degree) disabled ones can shift collective understandings of disability from frameworks of tragedy and inspiration to ones of relatability, complexity, and agency.
Check out our KC Disability Collective Facebook Community!
I myself have had to contend with an unconventional approach to vocation. I am in my mid-thirties and am going back to school for a second Master’s - this time in Social Work. I am aiming to have a career that I can operate from home and eventually (after years of supervision and full time work) choose my own schedule as I prepare for my disabilities to worsen as I age. I tried the 9-5 route with massive tech companies, small start-ups, clients through my own LLC, and nonprofits. None offered the flexibility and support I need to effectively show up in a workplace, so I am forging my own path. I know I am not alone, due in part to the wonderful work of support systems provided by The Empower Network, a nonprofit organization specializing in supporting entrepreneurs with chronic illness & disability.
July is Disability Pride Month. This year’s theme is “The World Works Better With Us” and I couldn’t agree more. The more we share our stories, the more disability will be a top-of-mind consideration for non-disabled folks. Please consider sharing your story with us here, and you’ll have the opportunity to be featured in an upcoming Empower Network newsletter. For Disability Pride Month, we are looking for many stories (self-promo is allowed/ encouraged) so please apply! Specifically we are looking for: you to share your story about why you became a writer, and the overlap between writing and disability. Disabled community around the world is growing and you have a chance to be a part of its blooming - won’t you join us?
Author Bio:
Callie lives in Portland, OR with her dog Oakley. They love to enjoy the beauty of nature, play D&D, and spend time with friends. She volunteers with The Empower Network, a nonprofit based in Kansas City, supporting entrepreneurs with chronic illness & disability. By joining, you’ll be getting tools, education, and support that were rebuilt from the ground up, specifically for people whose energy, capacity, and circumstances the traditional business world has never bothered to account for. To join The Empower Network, sign up here!
Plugs:
Midnight Gardens is trying to build a better ecosystem for independent authors, which directly benefits disabled writers. (Sign up for the Newsletter to receive information on our upcoming events, free writing groups, and information about our company.) Connect with us on Facebook!
M.L.S. Online (Modern Literary Salon)
Pink Blazer Co Online Body Doubling sessions with Izsie Robinson: https://shop.pinkblazersociety.com/pages/join
