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As I got older, I began to realize that the things I was experiencing were just flat-out ableism in its many forms. Teachers talked down to me because they lacked an understanding of disability. Kids treated me differently because they lacked experience with disability. The systems that provide care were broken and needed fixing. The working world undervalued disabled workers and failed to provide accommodations.
These are not problems inherent to me as a person; they are a reflection of society’s shortcomings. Being disabled isn’t bad; society treats disabled people badly.
Today, I’m a disabled person. I am no longer ashamed of that language. I don’t feel a need to shy away from it to fit in with non-disabled people. My disability is not shameful or a problem. For me, this identity-first language fills me with pride, and this pride encourages me to fight for better access and treatment for myself and millions of others.