You, yes you, deserve accommodations

You, yes you, deserve accommodations.

Deserve isn't the right word really. But you say you don't deserve them. So no, you do deserve them.

Accommodations aren't about being deserved or not. They're not about you being "worthy" of what you need. They're not about you being good enough. You don't deserve accommodations because have the right to accommodations. No matter how much you think that you're not disabled enough. No matter how much you compare yourself to others. You, yes you, should get every accommodation you need.

You've been taught your entire life that accommodations are for the weak. That you're giving up. That you just need to try harder. No, this is for you. This is making things equal. You aren't weak for asking for, for taking, what you need. You are strong for being a disabled person living disabled, demanding that we do not need to just try harder when there is no harder to try. You are strong for finding what the things are that mean you can do what you want to do. You are powerful. Accommodations are not weak.

You've been taught your entire life that you aren't disabled enough. To compare yourself to others. But what about those people. You aren't them, don't need the help they need. You're either taught that you're better than them, or that you're taking from them for requesting accommodations. But, you're disabled too. You can live you life as who you are, instead of trying to pretend you are abled, trying, fighting, failing. You aren't better than others, because of what help you need being different, but you can find the help you do need. You can ask, you can get those accommodations. You aren't stealing from others by getting what you need. There's not a limited supply of accommodations where once they're used up they're gone. People making the world more safe, more accepting, more accommodating, is helpful, not harmful.

You are disabled enough. You don't need to look at others and say that because you can do things others can't, you need to try harder, you need to do more. You don't need to fight to do everything always. You are disabled enough. Everyone needs help sometimes, and everyone needs to turn to others. And you can say, I can't do this. And you can say, just give me this accommodation. You, yes you, deserve accommodations.

You hear the messages of how inspiring this person or that person is. Of how much everyone does. Of how great people are. You hear the messages of how hard you need to work. If you just try a little harder.

But, you can say, let me be me. This isn't for me.

And you can have accommodations.

You hear the messages of who you are supposed to be in other people's eyes.

But who you are doesn't change.

And you, yes, you, can, and should, still request accommodations.