Disability

You told me I was too loud

so I shut that inside

You told me I moved too much

so I trapped my body inside

You told me I was too much

.

You told me I couldn’t

because my body wouldn’t be safe

and I stayed so closed inside me

I no longer existed

.

I cut pieces of myself off and

swallowed them whole

hiding them inside

my inner castle

only to come play when I was alone

and I lost myself

.

I no longer recognise the faces in the mirror

I no longer recognise who I became

a stranger to myself

.

He told me I could

he told me to try

and I did

.

with you gone

I slowly attach the pieces of me

stitched carefully and slowly

back onto my soul

.

scarred bruised

painfully

but they’re me

I recover

and slowly

I start to recognise myself

.

loud

moving

taking up space

.

and it’s ok

because that is me

.

I should take up all the space

because the world needs to see

I am here

I exist

I am worthwhile

Social

I See You

I see you

I see you talk

I don’t know what sounds you is making

but I see

.

I see you body move

I see you face make shape

I see face make lines

I see you face mouth line

down or up

.

I know you talk about me or not

I see talk good or bad

people think I not know not understand

I know

I not have hear sound

I know I see

.

people talk about I front I

it make feel mad

I there I see I know

I can be talk to I can be include

I not doll I person

I have right be talk people too

I want friendship too talk to I not about I

.

Disability

Accessibility

Accessibility many many things

not just wheelchair ramp

Accessibility simplify language

little sound hush

earphones headphones

AAC device

facilitated communication

symbols

space to rock flap stim tic

book on sound

sign language

place latex free

assistive technology

light not bright

Accessibility many more things

Accessibility not just wheelchair

Disability more than just paralysis

Give more than just wheelchair ramp

All accessibility I need or world not accessible for me

Disability

NDIS

NDIS say

value for money

like we are property

like a price can be put on a life

like we don’t matter

People are valuable

wether they can work or not

life has value

no matter what

we all contribute

with our life

disabled are important

disabled are valuable

just as we are

no price can be enough

for my words

no price can be enough

for peoples lives

NDIS said choice and control

for me to choose

where I live

how I live

to be included in the community

I have not seen choice of my life

I have not seen control of my life

NDIS tried to put me in a home

This is not choice

this is not control

I have the right

to live

to exist

to be me in my way

to have a life a life that I want

NDIS has only been pain for me

fear

stress

NDIS is not working for me

it needs to change

for me

for everyone

lives are valuable as they are

always