Well, here we go again.

Disabled people are in the papers.

This time, The Telegraph has published an article with the headline:

“How having a disability became cool.”

Really?

I’ve been disabled all my life. I can tell you now, disability isn’t a fashion trend.

I’m proud to be disabled. I’m proud of who I am. But there’s a massive difference between being proud of your disability and thinking disability is somehow the latest cool thing to have.

The article, written by Poppy Coburn, starts by talking about transgender people at a march and questioning why so many seem to be using walking sticks.

Here’s the thing.

I know hundreds of trans people.

They don’t all use walking sticks.

Some do.

Some use wheelchairs.

Some don’t use any mobility aid at all.

That’s life.

Why would you expect every trans person to be able-bodied?

Trans people come from different backgrounds, different ages and different ethnicities. Some are disabled and some aren’t.

Disabled people can be trans too.

I don’t understand why that’s surprising.

POTS Isn’t a Trend

The article also talks about conditions such as POTS and suggests chronic illness has become something of a lifestyle trend.

Again, I don’t buy it.

Maybe we’re hearing more about conditions like POTS because disabled and chronically ill people are finally talking about their lives.

Social media has given people a platform.

People can hear somebody describing their symptoms and think:

“Hang on. That’s what happens to me.”

They can then speak to a medical professional and hopefully start getting some answers.

That doesn’t automatically mean somebody has diagnosed themselves correctly because they watched a TikTok.

It means information is more available than it used to be.

Look at autism and ADHD.

We talk about them far more openly than we did when I was growing up. That doesn’t mean everybody suddenly decided autism or ADHD was cool.

It means our understanding and awareness have changed.

I work in comedy. I know loads of comedians who are autistic, have ADHD or are neurodivergent in other ways.

They’re not doing it because it’s fashionable.

It’s their life.

Disability Pride Doesn’t Mean Disability Is Easy

I’ve been disabled my entire life.

And yes:

I’m proud of being disabled.

But people sometimes misunderstand what Disability Pride actually means.

Being proud doesn’t mean I wake up every morning thinking:

“Brilliant! Cerebral palsy! Aren’t I lucky?”

Come on.

There are days when disability is bloody difficult.

There is pain.

There is exhaustion.

There are inaccessible buildings.

There are jobs you don’t get.

There are benefits you have to fight for.

There are people who talk down to you.

There are people who assume you can’t do something before you’ve even had the opportunity to try.

And in my case, there are still people who look at the way I walk or hear the way I speak and decide:

“He’s drunk.”

That’s the side of disability people seem to forget when they start calling it a trend.

We Still Have to Fight

Disabled people have spent generations fighting for the right to participate in this world.

We fight for jobs.

We fight for accessible buildings.

We fight for support.

We fight for reasonable adaptations.

Some of us fight for the small amount of benefits we need because our disabilities mean we can’t work traditional full-time hours.

And then, when we finally become more visible, somebody writes an article asking whether disability has become cool.

Maybe you’re seeing more disabled people because we’re no longer prepared to hide.

Maybe you’re seeing walking sticks because younger people aren’t ashamed to use the mobility aids they need.

Maybe you’re seeing wheelchairs because disabled people are actually going to Pride, festivals, comedy gigs, workplaces and everywhere else.

Maybe you’re seeing disabled people on TikTok because we have phones too!

Visibility isn’t a trend.

Celebrating Our History

This week, the Blue Badge Bunch team were invited to an exhibition by the National Paralympic Heritage Trust celebrating the history of cerebral palsy and disability sport.

It’s at Nottingham Central Library, and if you’re nearby, go and see it.

It’s fantastic.

I’ll put some photographs below.

Looking at that history reminded me why celebrating disability matters.

People before us fought incredibly hard for the opportunities we have today.

And we’re still fighting.

That’s why I will not stop fighting for my rights.

I will not stop fighting for everybody’s right to be proud of who they are.

And I will not stop fighting for disabled people to be respected.

Whether you’ve got a physical disability, a learning disability, you’re neurodivergent, you have mental health difficulties or you’re living with a long-term condition, disability comes in many different forms.

We don’t all look the same.

Words Have Consequences

I understand newspapers need readers.

I understand headlines get clicks.

And yes, controversial articles get people talking.

But journalists also need to think about what those words can do.

Because while we’re debating whether disability has become “cool”, disabled people are dealing with the consequences of suspicion every day.

We’re hearing:

“Get a job.”

We’re hearing:

“Sorry, I can’t understand you.”

We’re hearing:

“Sorry mate, you’re not coming in. You look drunk.”

We’re hearing people question whether somebody is really disabled because they can stand up from their wheelchair.

We’re seeing people question whether somebody really needs a walking stick because they’re young.

This isn’t an online debate for us.

This is our life.

And lately, I’ve personally experienced enough hostility and misunderstanding around my disability to know how damaging these attitudes can become.

Today I Did a 5K

And here’s the funny thing.

Today I completed a 5K inflatable obstacle course to help raise money for a new learning centre at the farm where I work.

Did I do it as quickly as everybody else?

No.

Did I need help?

Absolutely.

Several of my teammates helped me through the obstacles.

There were things I couldn’t do in the same way as everybody else.

But here’s the important bit:

I did it.

I adapted.

People helped me.

And I crossed the finish line.

That’s disability.

It’s not about pretending we don’t need help.

It’s about giving people the support and adaptations they need so they can participate.

I’m not going to stop living my life because of the way somebody looks at me.

I’m not going to hide my walking stick because somebody thinks young people using mobility aids has become fashionable.

I’m not going to stop talking about cerebral palsy because somebody thinks disability is getting too much attention.

And I’m certainly not going to become the disabled person somebody else thinks I should be.

Let’s Work Together

So here’s my message.

Being disabled isn’t cool.

Being disabled isn’t a trend.

Being disabled is simply part of who I am.

And I’m proud of who I am.

I don’t want pity.

I want access.

I want opportunities.

I want respect.

And I want the next generation of disabled people to grow up in a world where they don’t have to fight quite as hard as my generation has.

So instead of asking why we’re suddenly seeing so many disabled people:

Ask why you weren’t seeing us before.

We were always here.

Now we’re just making sure you can see us.

Stop fighting against us. Let’s work together.

– Benny Shakes