HASL

09/03/2026

I’ve spent years advocating for disability rights and services in Wisconsin. I’ve met with state representatives, spoken about Medicaid before the entire Legislature, given speeches, participated in public forums, written letters almost monthly, and repeatedly explained the barriers disabled people face.

I’ve done the meetings, speeches, letters, testimony, and advocacy.

It has gotten me nowhere.

At one point, my own state representative told me, “We can’t always get what we want.”

This isn’t about getting what I want. It’s about having the support I need to live safely, with dignity.

I received a standing ovation after explaining what the system’s response can look like for someone like me: Wisconsin sends me a box of disposable underwear and literally says, “Somebody will clean you up later.”

A box of supplies is not a substitute for accessible, hands-on care.

I shouldn’t have to sit before the entire Legislature and explain why being left without the support I need is undignified and unacceptable.

Disabled people shouldn’t have to repeatedly prove that our basic needs are worth meeting.

At some point, advocacy has to lead to action.

09/03/2026

A few months ago, my husband had surgery.

The doctor was running very late, and in the rush to leave home that morning, I had forgotten the extra cushion I normally use in my wheelchair.

So I transferred into one of the chairs in the waiting room.

And almost immediately, I noticed someone glaring at me.

I knew that look.

The one that says, "Wait, if you can move, why are you using a wheelchair?"

That tiny moment says a lot about how misunderstood wheelchair use still is.

Yes, I can stand and transfer most days.

I can even walk very short distances with another mobility aid.

But being able to move is not the same as being able to walk safely, comfortably, or for a meaningful distance.

Being able to do something for a few seconds does not mean I can do it all day.

My wheelchair lets me go farther and stay out longer.

It helps me use less energy getting from place to place.

It lets me participate in more of my life.

That is what mobility aids are for.

They are not evidence that someone has "given up" on life.

They are tools that help us do more with the bodies we have.

If you ever see a wheelchair user stand, transfer, or take a few steps, please do not assume you have caught them in a lie.

Wheelchairs aren't only used when someone can't walk at all.

Wheelchair use can enhance someone's life even if they have some ability to move on their own.

Image Description: A picture of a woman with brown hair and glasses seated in a wheelchair. The backdrop is a gray wall with some brown flooring visible. Text reads, "Being able to stand does not cancel out someone's need for a wheelchair.

08/30/2026

The girl on the left didn’t plan on being Disabled ♿️

Before I became Disabled, I didn’t think much about accessibility. Not because I didn’t care. I just didn’t have to.

I didn’t notice dropped kerbs, check hotel bathrooms or plan journeys around whether a lift was working.

Why would I? None of it affected me. And that’s probably what you’re thinking now if you’re reading this as a non Disabled person.

Then one day I had an accident, became paralysed, and suddenly the world I’d lived in my entire life looked completely different.

Steps were everywhere. “Accessible” didn’t always mean accessible. Things I’d walked past a thousand times suddenly mattered enormously.

Which is why I understand when non-Disabled people don’t automatically notice accessibility.

I didn’t either. You don’t know what you don’t know.

One day you might be finding a wheelchair for your grandad 🦽, booking an accessible hotel for your grandma 🏨, or supporting someone you love who suddenly becomes Disabled.

And you’ll start noticing things you’d never had a reason to think about before.

I don’t expect everyone to understand what it’s like to be Disabled. How could you?

But we can all get a little better at noticing things that don’t personally affect us. 🫡

Maybe next time you see a blocked dropped kerb, you’ll understand why it matters. Maybe you’ll notice that the café everyone loves has a step at the entrance.

Not because I’m telling you off, but just because now you know something you might not have thought about before.

I spent 24 years barely thinking about accessibility. Then overnight, it became something I had to think about every single day.

You never know when something outside your world might suddenly become part of it. What is the one thing you wish more Non Disabled people thought about? Let’s chat in the comments ❤️

08/28/2026

08/25/2026

Accessibility Moment #82: Invisible Barriers Are Still Barriers

We fight for ramps and accessible parking spots. But what about barriers no one can see?

Depression doesn’t use a wheelchair. Grief doesn’t carry a white cane. Yet they’ll keep you home.

I know what it’s like to lose what got you out the door. For me, that was Logan. But this is the story of millions.

Accessibility isn’t just getting into buildings. It’s having support to get out of your house.

Depression and grief are real disabilities. They deserve real accommodations — and real conversations.

We talk openly about diabetes and broken bones. We need to talk about depression and grief just as much. The more we normalize it, the easier it is to ask for the ramp you need.

If your brain is the barrier today, you still deserve access.
Check on your people. Be the ramp between each other.

08/25/2026

Would you rather have:
• Disabled people not needing to worry about losing benefits when they get married?
• Or accessibility features as a requirement for modern communications platforms?

Why not both?

Support Disability Belongs®’ policy priorities, including the SSI Savings Penalty Elimination Act, the Marriage Equality for Disabled Adults Act, and the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act (CVTA). Learn how you can advocate for this legislation at www.DisabilityBelongs.org/Act