What having a disability means?

​This blog post is different from what I normally post. This is just a free form write up on how having multiple disabilities affects my life. 

Having a disability means fighting everyday to prove why you’re worthy of receiving services.

Having a disability means fighting insurance, social security, and medicaid to prove why you need services.

Having a disability means having to explain what it is, what it means to you, and how it affects your life.

Having a disability is answering the same questions over and over again.

Having a disability means I may get judged just for having autism.

Having a disability means I have to protect my health especially in the season of COVID-19. 

Having a disability is deciding whether or not to disclose your disability to a friend or not.

Having a disability is deciding whether or not to disclose a disability on a job interview.

Having a disability is deciding when I need to mask my autism and when I don't.

Having a disability means when I mask my autism I pay for it later. 

Having a disability means the employer can decide to pay me less or to not interview me at all based on my application.

Having a disability is worry about if I’ll secure housing when I’m older.

Having a disability is worrying about if I’ll be able to provide for myself when I’m older.

Having a disability means having an ABLE account.

Having a disability means signing over power of attorney at age 18.

Having a disability means my parents have to sit in on IEP meetings through kindergarten to twelfth grade.

Having a disability specifically autism is having scripted language so you don’t stumble on words when I speak.

Having a disability specifically autism means I prefer to have text communication over spoken communication.

Having a disability specifically autism means social communication is exhausting for me.

Having a disability specifically autism means having backup communication like text to speech in case of a meltdown or medical emergency where I’m unable to speak.

Having a disability means I’m unable to drive long distances.

Having a disability means time flies by or it goes super slow.
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Having a disability means I be hyperfocused on a task for a long period of time.

This blog is also posted on Photography through Autism Blog.

Written by Emily Wachter

Emily Wachter is the owner and entrepreneur of Photography through Autism. She is a lifelong writer and photographer with a passion for disability rights, social justice, and psychology. She is a college student at Carroll Community College with dreams of being a social worker. In addition to autism, Emily has a plethora of other physical and mental conditions, which include: Attention Deficit Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Depression, 3Q29 Deletion Syndrome, Non-classical Diamond Blackfan Anemia, and Deaf in my right ear. Emily has spoken on a number of disability panels on living with autism and experiences of bullying. She is involved with a number of disability groups in Maryland, including YoungLife Capernaum, Disability Express Group, and Special Olympics. In her free time, she likes spending time with family and friends, coloring, and shopping.