Dating disability online people
30-Dec-2019 17:02
It was painful to realize that the hard part isn’t over once someone learns that I’m disabled.
Going on dates with me can be a crash course on disability, and I recognize that’s not always easy for non-disabled people to process.
I write and speak endlessly about being a proud, unapologetic disabled woman.
It is part of my identity, shaping everything I do and everything I value.
Because I was born with my disability — Larsen syndrome, a genetic joint and muscle disorder — I’d already gathered a pile of romantic rejections seemingly big enough to fill an Olympic swimming pool by the time I downloaded Tinder.
This particular rejection, however, unleashed a wave of panic within me.
I shut that down by explaining that my disability is part of who I am and it’s nothing to be sorry for.
So, we spent our entire date sitting directly below the painters, eating dinner and making strained conversation with wine-fueled laughter and painting instruction in the background. Following that disaster, I promised my date I’d get his money back.
As soon as the company refunded our tickets, I never heard from him again.
My disability is part of my identity and I’m a loud, proud disability rights activist, but there is so much more that defines me (you know, like the stuff I’ve got in my profile).
I realize some people are hesitant to date a human who experiences the world sitting down.But I’d like to think you’ll keep reading and dive a little deeper.