nothing makes me happier than knowing that young disabled kids are going to watch pjo and find themselves in these characters and in this world the same way i did when i was young and undiagnosed
I just remembered something my doctor said when he recommended crutches for me. my mum was there and she also used crutches but she had decorated them since she didn't like using them and having them look funky made her feel better. he said (and I'm paraphrasing here since I have an awful memory and I've only just now recalled this appointment lol): "but don't let them do that, we don't want to encourage them to use the crutches". what would I need them for if not to use them??? and I was bullied at school whenever I used mobility aids. having them look cool in my eyes made it just a little bit better.
moral of the story tho: decorate your mobility aids if that's what will make using them more comfortable for you. your mobility aids are there to help you and you're not "giving up" or "being lazy" for using them. put the cool tape on them, pin badges to them, add keyrings, whatever brings you a little joy.
I think a fair number of (able-bodied) people don’t understand that cripple is a slur. It’s a slur. It’s offensive. Physically disabled people can reclaim it *if they want to*, but they don’t have to. They can be offended by it if they want to as well. Both are valid.
Also, you can reclaim it FOR YOURSELF! You don’t just get to call other people cripples because you decided to reclaim it. That’s personal. Saying “oh, I can say that because I’m physically disabled” only applies if you’re referring to YOURSELF that way. You do not get to tell other people in your community what they should and shouldn’t be comfortable with.