Mobility Aid User - Tumblr Posts

Hi guys! Here’s some advice from a cane user on how to spot a fake cane user/disability faker!

YOU CANT

You can not spot a “fake disabled” cane user. You can not know if someone’s “really disabled”, much less by just looking at them. Here are some common misconceptions.

“Cane users always need their canes. If they walk without it or put it away when it’s inconvenient, they’re faking”: WRONG! Many cane users are what we call “ambulatory” cane users. This means they don’t always need their canes to walk. I’m an ambulatory cane user, and I experience really horrible leg pain on the daily. However, I don’t always use my cane, and when I don’t need to walk or stand a lot in a certain place I don’t use it. And when I do use it, I may lift it off the ground or carry it in places that are sandy, gravelly, or otherwise hinder my cane.

“Cane users walk abnormally without their canes, someone who walks normally without their cane is faking”: WRONG! Many ambulatory cane users can walk in a way that seems “normal”. This doesn’t mean they’re not in pain, or not “really disabled”. This just means that their condition doesn’t cause a noticeable difference in walking, and likely manifests in a different way.

“Cane users always need their cane, someone who doesn’t use their cane at home is faking”: WRONG! Cane users may not use their canes at home, because at home they may be able to do things like sit down wherever and whenever, regain more spoons, and use other mobility aids. Additionally, some ambulatory cane users only need or use their canes when they are doing something physically taxing, like going on a hike or standing in a long line.

“My cane user friend told me this person looks like they’re faking, so it must be true”: WRONG! Being a cane user doesn’t immediately make you an expert on all different conditions and experiences. Your friend does not know the random cane user walking down the street, they are going off looks and stereotypes. Disabled people are not immune to being ableist.

“They enjoy their cane too much/they’re too happy/they decorate their cane, so they can’t actually be in enough pain to need a cane” WRONG! We’re people like everyone else, and we experience positive emotions too, even if we go through a lot of pain. To me, customizing my cane is like getting a tattoo or putting streaks in my hair, it’s a way of self expression. And we deserve to be able to talk openly about our full experience, which include the parts we’re neutral or happy about.

“They’re one of those cringey teenagers who name themselves arson and like dsmp, so they’re probably faking” WRONG! Do I even have to explain why saying someone isn’t disabled because of their name and interests is messed up and also stupid? Or did you already know that and just wanted to make fun of a disabled teenager?

“They’re too young to be using a cane, so they must be faking” WRONG! there are lots of disabilities or injuries that can cause young people to need a mobility aid. For example, I use a cane for my fibromyalgia.

“They only use it in private places, and never in places where people recognize them, so they must be faking” WRONG! In a world where anyone can just randomly take out their phone, take a picture of a cane user, and post them online to be made fun of, it can be stressful to use a cane in public areas. Also, they may not want people to ask questions, or they may feel embarrassed about it.

“I saw them switch hands, so they must be faking” WRONG! There are different reasons a cane used might do this, but I’m going to use my experience as an example. My fibromyalgia is not consistent. Sometimes one leg hurts more then the other. But as I said, fibromyalgia is inconsistent, and sometimes my other leg will start to hurt more or need more support, which is when I switch hands. And when both my legs hurt equally, I may switch my hand if it’s getting too sore.

“They told me they feel like they’re faking when they use their cane, doesn’t that mean they don’t really need it?” WRONG! Imposter syndrome is strong in a lot of disabled people, especially when for a lot of our lives we were told by doctors that we were fine and just being dramatic. Anxiety is also comorbid with a lot of physically disabilities, which only strengthens this. To add to this, something that I’ve felt and seen other disabled people talk about it, when their disability aid lessens the pain, they start thinking “well I’m not in that much pain so I don’t really need it” even though the reason they’re not in that much pain is because of the aid. I know it seems dumb, but imposter syndrome can be that strong and affects disabled people a lot.

“They don’t have a diagnosis, so they must be faking” WRONG! First of all, diagnoses are expensive. On their own they’re often already expensive, but counting the tons of tests you have to take to confirm the diagnosis? Absolutely ludicrous. Some may also choose not to get a diagnosis, so that they don’t have to deal with the prejudice and setbacks of being diagnosed. Also, some people use a cane for injuries, and for stress or fatigue related pains.

These are only a few of the things I commonly hear from fakeclaimers, and I wanted to just put out a reminder that fakeclaiming hurts the disabled community much, much more than it does ableists. Next time you see someone with a cane switch hands, or someone with a wheelchair stand up, or someone with crutches put them down, before you immediately call them out to a friend, take a picture, or write a post: does your fakeclaim rely on stereotypes? Are your reasons things that apply to ambulatory aid users?

If so, just stop. Be mindful. Please.

Going to a disability shop tomorrow to get some compression gloves, ring splints and other stuff!!! Very excited XD

Using crutches is so funny to me because ideally you would be walking around on all fours but society isn’t built like that

I HATE cobbled streets with a passion OML my cane and crutches both struggle with them and keep slipping into cracks especially since it rained today

Got some hinged knee braces (from Amazon) and honestly they help some but I can’t adjust how far back they can go so they stop at 180 but to keep myself from hyperextending I would need a smaller ROM but they at least do something. My main problem is that they don’t fucking stay up! Granted I’ve never had a brace that stayed up on me but still it’s annoying and kinda pisses me off cause it just means I have to constantly adjust them and pull them up. Also when I sit the top of the brace majorly gaps. Like it turns into a fucking handle basically.

Also they are so far from sensory friendly because of how much they slide around.

All that said they’re helpful for now and hopefully I’ll be able to get custom braces soon if my insurance will approve them (I really hope they do soon because fuck my knees suck). Being disabled and being fat (1) and having big thighs as a result really makes this shit hard because prefabricated braces don’t fit me.

Also the socks I’m wearing are from Not Your Grandma’s and they’re compression socks and they’re fucking amazing and so comfortable 10/10 honestly. They’re about £15 (idk what that converts to in $ I think it’s like $17??? I’m American (eww) but the company is from the UK) so not cheep but the material and patterns are so good!!! Highly recommend. I have their dinosaur, shark, and sea life patterned socks.

(1) I really don’t know if I qualify as fat. I feel like I do but I’ve also been told I’m not “fat enough” which is ridiculous like maybe I’m fat lite? Or something idk either way I’m a large person.

Why are people (specifically my parents) so fucking fixated on me not using my mobility aids? Like I use them because they help me why do they not want me to use something that helps me?? Also why is their only suggestion to work out? Like uh broskis I’ve tried that and uh it doesn’t fucking help it just leaves me in more pain. Sure being strong in nice and all but I already am strong and that ain’t helping.

Okay, so i'm studying marine biology in college so I have to take a general chemistry lab, I also have POTS. I have now learned that these do not mix well. The lab obviously has many safety measures that it needs to follow. When in the lab everyone has to wear a knee length lab coat, full length pants, long socks, latex gloves, safety goggles, and closed toed shoes. The dress code makes me over heat extremely quickly and makes my heart rate spike super high too. As a result I become very dizzy, light headed, and feel as though I am going to pass out. I'm terrified to pass out in the lab since we are at tall lab benches and we are working with chemicals that can have serious health effects. I told my professor, my TA, and the office for disabilities (OSD) on my campus but nothing has been helpful. I'm honestly scared to go back into the lab but the class is required for me to graduate. I don't know how i'm going to be able to do this class. I also have chronic pain and generalized hypermobility (working on getting an EDS diagnosis) and I use forearm crutches or smart crutches and knee braces which also make moving around the lab difficult.

If anyone has any suggestions on how to make this class easier please tell me or if anyone has any suggestions as for how to make the professor/osd understand

edit: I dropped the class because it’s just not worth the risk

Why are physically abled people so stuck on getting off of or out of mobility aids????

I hate feeling guilty and letting my parents down for using my crutches because they see me not using them as “doing better”.

I’m literally an adult who lives in AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT STATE from my parents why does their opinion on my disabilities (or lack there of in their opinion) impact me to the point I have to battle myself every time I use them.

I just don’t understand how they don’t see that I’ve had so much pain and other issues my whole life with the sheer number of times we had to go to urgent care for my constantly hurt ankles, knees, hips, shoulders, elbows, hands etc. While I was growing up.

For context my parents are of the mindset that I’m lazy and just need to exercise and eat well and I’ll be fixed and have no more problems.

My legs fucking hurt so bad. Every inch of them is screaming at me. Fuck chronic pain

guess who got called a cripple by a teacher in front of the entire class today

meeeeee

gotta love America 🥲

Edit: I should clarify he meant it jokingly, not maliciously, but still

You know what? I hate how most people think I'm 100% dependant on my mobility aids. Sure I hobble around with my cane and scuttle on my crutches, but I'm not helpless. They're so surprised when they find out I don't use them at home, or that they can hurt as bad as the disability itself, or that my dependence on them is a fluid thing and changes day by day. We have this idea of how disabled people should be— bound to their aids, miserable, defenseless. These ideas only helped me reject the idea of something wrong with me longer, because I didn't look like those people. Most of the time now, I use my aids when I don't need them just because I feel like I have to look "disabled enough" for people. We've built expectations for disabilities, which is funny, cause you couldn't have picked a more unpredictable thing.

I don't expect everyone to be educated, there are so much more pressing things to worry about, but when you have a friend or family member that's disabled, the least you can do is glance at a few resources online or ask them about it. I'm just so sick of family treating this like a big deal, or nurses holding on to me like a toddler still learning to walk when I need to get on a scale, or co-workers treating my cane laying around like a reverent item i will strike them down for disgracing. It's a piece of shitty metal y'all. I don't have a sliver of trust for that thing. Complaining about how cheaply made a lot of aids are to be priced expensive is a whole other post.

I'm just saying, if there was an immediate danger, you won't see me struggling to get away. I'll have already thrown my cane at them and ran. Yes, I have a disability, but I am not weak. You think these beefy arms are for show? You think this hunk of metal I lug around is soft? You think I made it to the end of the day fighting tooth and nail just to sit down and die? I'm fucking feral, fight me.

Ough having bad legs is so fun like. I love theatre <3 I signed up for footloose <3 i love the dances <3 this was a good idea :) and my legs will just be down there going no it wasnt get your ass back on that chair you little shit >:( where cane? Where walky stick? Where aleve? And ill just. No. Let me dance. Fuck off. Then they take matters into their own hands.

i went out in my wheelchair to a festival today :)

it’s my first time being out for that long while in my chair. luckily, i had my partner and friends to help me whenever i got stuck/my arms got tired.

i did, however, get two blisters on my hands. do any other wheelchair users have suggestions for how to minimize blisters? or any at-home remedies for blisters?

I wish I could take all the hurt of those who were and are medically neglected and mold it into a tiny ball to be put inside a bottle and shipped off to sea. There's so much of it. So much grief and anger and pain. So many nights spent in agony while family and doctors and paramedics fail you over and over and over again. Having to watch everyone around you observe your suffering and seem entirely unphased. Confined to wheelchairs that aren't made for your body because they're the only ones available to people without a prescription. Your rage is warranted but I wish I could calm it for all of us. Just for one peaceful night of sleep.