What does it mean to call yourself disabled—and why can that word feel empowering to one person, uncomfortable to another, or different at various points in life?

In this Disability Pride Month episode of Bend, Snap and Chat, Cristie and Drake have an honest conversation about their own relationships with disability, identity and the word disabled. Although they share some diagnoses and experiences, disability has shaped their lives in different ways and those differences are an important part of the conversation.

Together, they explore why Disability Pride Month is still necessary, the many forms disability can take, and why disability is not separate from the human experience. They also discuss the barriers disabled people face, including poverty, housing insecurity, isolation and inadequate mental-health support.

Cristie shares the story of Erin, someone she connected with online during the pandemic whose loss made the consequences of these systemic failures deeply personal. This conversation honours the human being behind the statistics while asking what meaningful care, dignity and community support should look like.

We discuss:

• What the words disabled and disability mean to each of us
• Why people may embrace, reject or have complicated feelings about these labels
• Visible, invisible, dynamic and episodic disabilities
• Why disability is a natural part of being human
• The purpose and importance of Disability Pride Month
• The connection between disability, poverty and housing insecurity
• Mental health and the need for accessible, compassionate support
• What has helped us survive difficult seasons
• Some of our favourite disabled content creators and advocates

This isn’t a conversation about pretending disability is easy. It’s about making room for pride, grief, anger, humour, complexity and the right to live with dignity.

Because life bends us all and disabled lives deserve to be supported, represented and celebrated.

This episode discusses mental-health struggles, housing insecurity and suicide loss. Please listen with care.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557432853466

Chronically Jenni | Disability Education & Hacks (@chronicallyjenni) • Instagram photos and videos

https://www.instagram.com/adisabledicon

https://www.instagram.com/mrcolitiscrohns

https://www.instagram.com/dr.clairfrancomano

https://www.instagram.com/thebendypediatrician

https://www.instagram.com/robynfog

#DisabilityPride #DisabilityPrideMonth #Disabled #ChronicIllness #InvisibleDisability #MentalHealth #DisabilityAwareness #EDS #POTS