this post was submitted on 18 May 2026

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disabled

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Disabled Community Megathread from May 18th, 2026 to May 31st, 2026 (hexbear.net)

submitted 2 weeks ago by un_mask_me@hexbear.net to c/disabled@hexbear.net

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If you're reading this, I hope something nice happens to you today catgirl-smug

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Mask up, love one another, and stay alive for one more week.

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[–] un_mask_me@hexbear.net 1 points 20 hours ago

New Mega

[–] Dort_Owl@hexbear.net 5 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (2 children)

depressing systemic violence

Never read instagram comments. "Here, sign this petition to stop the Australian Labor Party from making cuts to the the already barely funded disabled support services that are notoriously difficult to access" and the comments are all cheering the cuts. I fucking hate people, there is fuck all humanity left in the world. People are dying without support and everyone cheers.

[–] un_mask_me@hexbear.net 2 points 1 day ago

Straight to the gulag with them.

[–] Keld@hexbear.net 5 points 1 day ago

Kill all Internet commenters

[–] Moss@hexbear.net 6 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I'm at a family wedding rn and my family are simply gonna have to accept that I'm the autistic ADHD cousin who cannot keep up with the neurotypicals. And actually my uncle just told my aunt to leave me alone, I think he gets that I'm not on their level. That was actually really nice of him, he's usually a very unseruous and sassy guy but he gets that I want to rest and not dance.

[–] un_mask_me@hexbear.net 4 points 1 day ago

Unc gets some bonus points for that one, hopefully you made it through without any more annoyances

[–] Keld@hexbear.net 5 points 1 day ago

Sometimes understanding comes from the oddest places.

[–] DisabledAceSocialist@hexbear.net 4 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I'm not getting any responses to my mutual aid post this month, despite reposting and having it up for the past three days. I'm getting so worried about it. I'm still up to the eyeballs in debt, I've received only a fraction of my backpay which was immediately taken towards debt repayment, and although I've received one of my monthly payments, the majority goes on rent and the rest was eaten up by interest payments on debt. I have no idea what I'm going to do without food aid. I'm really panicking about it now.

If the government just accepted that I'm permanently disabled and didn't keep making me go through reassessments this would not be happening. If I hadn't had to live off credit during my appeal I wouldn't have all this debt and interest to pay off. People literally starve to death and commit suicide en masse in the UK because of disability payments being wrongfully stopped:

https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/dwp-work-pensions-committee-deaths-suicide-starvation/

I'm always worried that I'll end up being one of them one day.

[–] un_mask_me@hexbear.net 3 points 1 day ago

I'm so sorry, love. It is the end of the month, maybe a response will come through in the next couple of days. meow-hug

[–] DisabledAceSocialist@hexbear.net 5 points 4 days ago

The NHS have released a warning list of medications that can make you extra-unwell during the heatwave. Guess what - NINE of the medications I am prescribed are on the list. Good thing I don't actually take them all.

[–] CupcakeOfSpice@hexbear.net 3 points 4 days ago (2 children)

I don't know that anyone's been anxiously awaiting an update, but I am feeling better today. I'm almost done titrating (just another day or so) so I'm hoping to feel a lot better after that.

In unrelated news, I'm starting to think I might be autistic. Either that I just relate way too hard to many autistic traits. I've heard people with schizophrenia lots of times have autism as well. It's not my primary concern/thought/identity, but I think it may be true. No diagnosis, and I don't know that I'll pursue one, but yeah.

[–] un_mask_me@hexbear.net 3 points 1 day ago

Glad to hear you're doin a little better!

[–] Moss@hexbear.net 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I've self-diagosed with autism, having many overlapping traits, although I've never pursued a professional diagnosis. Tbh, whether I'm medically autistic or not, it gives me some peace of mind knowing that I'm very comfortable amongst autistic people compared to neurotypicals.

[–] CupcakeOfSpice@hexbear.net 4 points 1 day ago

Oh, for sure! Autistic folks are much easier for me to interact with.

[–] userse31@hexbear.net 4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

My subconscious "flirts" with nonhuman identities some of us autists have.

On a mental level, I kinda just.... Exist! Don't really have an internal self portrait of myself.

Also why is this turning me on?:

[–] CupcakeOfSpice@hexbear.net 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I do that too! I don't know if I'm autistic, but my mental image is that of some eldritch something or other. I certainly don't feel entirely human, and maybe that's not a bad thing. If you don't mind, could you share some of these thoughts or "flirtations"? If you don't want to or whatever, that's cool too.

[–] userse31@hexbear.net 4 points 4 days ago (2 children)

https://www.tumblr.com/userse31/817782160126853120/nail-polish-agender-and-autistic-non-human?source=share

(Yeah, I know, probably not the best place for dumping my random thoughts.)

[–] CupcakeOfSpice@hexbear.net 4 points 4 days ago (1 children)

This is interesting! I find it difficult to recognize myself in photos. Thought it was a trans thing, like I'm expecting to see a girl and there's this male thing in the photo. I am trans, but this is also an interesting thought. Thank you for sharing!

[–] userse31@hexbear.net 4 points 4 days ago

Yeah as someone committed to the cause of trans emancipation, I initially thought it was dysphoria, but.... Well, I mention all that on my tumblr.

Did throw me for a loop though!

[–] un_mask_me@hexbear.net 3 points 4 days ago (1 children)

OK but this is really interesting! I often get this uncanny realization of 'oh right, that's me' in photos, and seeing my reflection is akin to familiarity but never ownership, if that makes sense.

[–] userse31@hexbear.net 3 points 4 days ago

I suspect it doesn't happen in mirrors is because, due to mirrors being "real time", the brain processes it in a.... Well I guess it would be a tool based manner? It's similar to seeing one's own hands. It's largely the "low level signal processing" buy

While with photos and video that relies on more abstract thinking.

[–] un_mask_me@hexbear.net 4 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Guess who threw out their back again owl-pissed

[–] DisabledAceSocialist@hexbear.net 4 points 4 days ago

meow-hug

[–] Keld@hexbear.net 3 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Uhhhh Uhhh Hint please?

[–] un_mask_me@hexbear.net 3 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

It's me, I dared to sit still for too long and then tried to stand up. niko-concern

[–] Keld@hexbear.net 3 points 4 days ago

The sheer hubris

[–] roux@hexbear.net 8 points 1 week ago (2 children)

I'm probably getting fired from my job for not being able to pick up on social queues. My boss has told me a few times that I can't "blame everything on my autism" even though it literally affects my entire life. So that is cool. Idk what I'm gonna do. I might pull my 401k out and use that to live on until I figure something out. I want something that is fulfilling and turns out Amazon delivery driver isn't all that fulfilling. Who fucking knew?

[–] un_mask_me@hexbear.net 2 points 5 days ago (1 children)

That sucks, comrade. Would you be able to collect unemployment if they did end up letting you go? It sucks but at least you'd have something coming in while you figure things out. Hope things work out in your favor. How's your music stuff coming along?

[–] roux@hexbear.net 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

They ended up not firing me, but I'm gonna look for something else anyway. Fuck them.

[–] un_mask_me@hexbear.net 2 points 1 day ago

I hope you find something soon cuddle and obligatory "FUCK Amazon"

[–] DisabledAceSocialist@hexbear.net 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

It's so evil the way the employment world is geared towards only catering for neurotypical, healthy, able-bodied people, and yet if a neurodivergent, unwell or disabled person gets financial assistance or can't hold down a job, they are treated as a burden and a loser, or their struggles are diminished. What your boss is doing however, sounds like illegal disability discrimination. Do you have a union?

[–] roux@hexbear.net 6 points 1 week ago (3 children)

I'm an Amazon delivery driver. We are very much at the bottom of the list for any sort of unionizing. The Teamsters are around but mostly in bigger cities and they've had at least a little success with unionizing some of the warehouses. They were in my city 2 years ago to bring a bit of awareness but since the city I live in is super fashy, it was mostly symbolic.

I've had 34 jobs in 25 years and I've been fired from the majority because of my disabilities. The main problem is I was diagnosed by a therapist and not a psychologist so it's not exactly official on paper. So I can't do anything legally against getting fired. If I do get fired and take my 401k out, I'm considering seeking out one of our trade unions because at least I will have those union protections going forward. But also I'm old as fuck at this point so it almost seems useless.

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[–] DisabledAceSocialist@hexbear.net 7 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

Hope all my disabilibuddies are doing ok.

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[–] Keld@hexbear.net 7 points 1 week ago (10 children)

Hey so remember that I lodged a complaint about a professor who told everyone about medical information of mine? Well she investigated herself and found herself not guilty.

But also i got an A on a test so who can say if life is good or bad right now?!

[–] un_mask_me@hexbear.net 2 points 5 days ago

Congrats on the A, at least! Sorry everything else with the school is so awful, I wish there were more options out there for you.

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[–] Dort_Owl@hexbear.net 6 points 1 week ago* (last edited 1 week ago) (2 children)

"Oh I work with someone who has the same conditions as you and they're very successful"

Oh great, so it's my fault I'm struggling with basic things haha. I mean, I know what they probably meant is to not give up hope that I can be successful, but man it made me feel like my struggles are personal failings.

What else can you do but try your best though?

[–] TheSpectreOfGay@hexbear.net 6 points 1 week ago (1 children)

that shit drives me nuts.

yea i could probably be successful if i was luckier and could have got a programming job when just about everyone could, but instead i graduated into a hyper competitive market where i will get rejected for asking for accommodation

success is all just luck, telling someone 'i know someone like you but they got lucky' isn't very interesting

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[–] gingerbrat@hexbear.net 6 points 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) (10 children)

I got the nice-strangest compliment today. My endo did an ultrasound to check out my organs (mostly liver and kidneys) and she looked at the screen at one point and told me with the biggest beaming smile that my liver "looks beautiful". It's apparently so healthy, it could be a textbook example of what a liver should look like. I don't know how to handle the compliment, it's like I can't just tell people I have a pretty liver without getting a rightfully confused look, but it made me feel really good.

Never was so happy that I got sober 6 years ago and that my liver managed to regenerate completely. She's a tough one, and I hope she's happy about the compliment too.

[–] DisabledAceSocialist@hexbear.net 5 points 2 weeks ago (2 children)

What's your secret to regeneration? I could do with a full body regeneration.

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