iNFORM

01/30/2026

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NEW: 9 U.S. states are suing the federal government to fight the "integration mandate," which allows people with disabilities to receive services in the community rather than in institutions. If they are successful, more people with disabilities may be forced into institutions, when they can and want to live in the community instead. The disability community has fought long and hard for strong disability rights laws, and we cannot allow them to be weakened.

01/25/2026

If, for the sake of your mind or body's safety you are not physically protesting, then please know that as a disabled woman, I understand.

But there are so many different ways to show up right now, even when you're not putting your body on the line.

We can and must refuse to stay silent, no matter how or from where we communicate.

We can and must debunk the barrage of misinformation.

We can and must push back against the reckless and lethal abandon with which "lawmakers" are breaking laws.

We can and must call our representatives (for whatever good it may still do).

We can and must donate as possible.

We can and must share resources.

We can and must bear witness.

We can and must build each other up to tear the systems down.

(Image description: Text against black background says: If putting your body on the line against ICE is not a physically safe or viable option for you right now, that is okay. But if you have the privilege of being safe and warm in this moment, there are other ways to resist. Do not look away. Below text is a logo of a wheel encircled by text that reads "Words I Wheel By" and my handle, .]

01/23/2026

In ‘Beyond Inclusion: Dismantling Ableism to Raise Anti-Ableist Kids,’ I include 15 different forms of ableism. Each form has its own chapter that includes definitions and explanations, first-person experiences, specific manifestations, and ways to challenge yourself toward non-ableist practices and interactions.

One form that you will find broken down is ‘The Presumption of Incompetence.’ The Presumption of Incompetence tells us the lie that disability limits people in such a way that we should not expect disabled people to be able to do much of anything. It tells us that disabled people are not competent or capable, by virtue of being disabled.

Though The Presumption of Incompetence manifests in number of ways, one example of what it can look like is when a disabled person is not invited to participate in an activity, based on the assumption that their capabilities will be lacking.

How do we pushback against this harmful misconception? We presume competence and treat every person - disabled and nondisabled - as an individual human who has unique strengths and needs. We include and invite. We ask about accessibility and accommodations. It’s as simple as ‘Are there any barriers to participation that I can help with?’ We give participation agency to the human rather than overriding their humanity with our misconceptions.

01/20/2026

A repost from about a year-and-a-half ago, with one edit;
Change the world ‘child’ to ‘person.’

When a child struggles to communicate, we sometimes neglect their humanity.

We don’t explain what we are doing, because we assume they wouldn’t understand.

We don’t ask for their consent, because we determine that our will is superior to their autonomy.

We demand rather than invite, because we don’t take the time to learn about them and intuit activities that they would accept an invitation to.

We don’t prepare them for changes or allow space for feelings because we falsely equate limited communication with limited emotional depth.

When a child struggles to communicate, they can’t challenge their treatment or tell us when we are getting it wrong. If they internalize their feelings, we assume they don’t care. When they externalize their feelings, we put them on a behavior plan.

When a child struggles to communicate, they are extremely vulnerable. They are counting on us to remember, and honor, their humanity. We must do better.

01/12/2026

I recently acquired a few AAC users/candidates on my caseload, and younger got a new iPad for Christmas, so I now have an iPad that I will be using as an AAC device. I’m excited about this!! In addition to using it with students, I would also like to use it out in my community, to build awareness.

I live in the Twin Cities, and am trying to figure out how to keep doing normal things of life while so much in my community is so scary. I am volunteering when I can, and actively helping feels good, but it’s still a very unsettling time.

When I got the app loaded and decided what my first sentence would be, this is what came to mind.

Twin Cities friends/followers: Take good care. ❤️

Video shows an iPad with a blue foam case and a TD Snap 30 display. In the video, I use the device to say ‘People in my city. I feel scared.’

01/11/2026

Needed this today. Maybe you do, too. ❤️

“She wasn’t too much — she was just too alive for a world that preferred quiet.”

ADHD women are some of the most deeply feeling, wildly creative, fiercely passionate souls you’ll ever meet.
But for most of their lives, they’ve been told to “tone it down.”

Too emotional.
Too distracted.
Too sensitive.
Too intense.

They were told their curiosity was chaos, their imagination was distraction, and their emotions were drama.
So they learned to shrink their fire — to dim their brilliance just enough to fit into the version of “normal” that never really fit them.

But here’s the truth: ADHD women are not too much.
They just live life in high definition.

They feel love deeply — not halfway, not casually. When they care, they care with everything in them. They remember your tone, your words, your silences. They love so hard it burns, and that’s both their magic and their exhaustion.

They’re multi-passionate — they fall in love with everything. A new hobby, a random idea at 3 AM, a cause that lights up their soul. They don’t just dabble; they dive in headfirst.
People call it “impulsive.” But it’s actually devotion in motion.

They have a gut instinct about people that’s almost eerie. Because when you’ve spent years over-analyzing every interaction, you develop emotional x-ray vision. ADHD women feel people — their moods, their micro-reactions, their shifts in energy. It’s empathy turned up to eleven.

They’re perfectionists, not because they think they’re perfect — but because they’ve spent a lifetime trying to prove they’re not a failure. When every missed detail feels like another “you’re not enough,” perfection becomes survival.

They’re lovers of learning — the ADHD brain craves stimulation, and curiosity is its favorite drug. Give an ADHD woman a subject she loves, and she’ll master it faster than anyone else. But give her something meaningless, and her brain goes offline in five seconds.

They have quirky personalities — the kind that light up rooms and make people feel alive. Their humor is unmatched, their storytelling electric. They don’t do surface-level conversations; they want the deep, soul-level stuff.

And they have this burning desire to help.
To fix, to heal, to comfort. Because they know what it feels like to be misunderstood, and they never want anyone else to feel that small.
ADHD women are the ones who check on everyone — even when no one checks on them.

And yes — they talk with their hands. Because their emotions don’t fit neatly into words. Their energy needs movement. Their thoughts need space to breathe.

But what most people don’t see is the cost of this intensity.
Behind the big smiles and big energy are overthinking nights and quiet self-doubt.
Because being this alive in a world that keeps telling you to “calm down” is exhausting.

ADHD women mask — beautifully, painfully, expertly.
They smile through anxiety.
They say “I’m fine” while carrying storms inside.
They keep it all together for everyone — until the silence hits, and the mask cracks.

But here’s what they don’t hear enough:
You are not too emotional.
You are not broken.
You are not scattered.
You are wired for wonder.

Your brain sees patterns others miss.
Your heart feels connections others can’t.
Your curiosity drives innovation.
Your chaos creates beauty.

The world doesn’t need you to be less.
It needs you to be authentically you — loud, loving, curious, passionate, and unapologetically alive.

You’re not here to fit in.
You’re here to remind others how it feels to live fully.

So stop apologizing for your intensity.
Stop hiding your quirks.
Stop silencing your heart to make others comfortable.

Because when ADHD women stop dimming their light, the whole world starts to glow a little brighter.

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01/09/2026

Chapter 2: “You’re so Brave”: Disability as an Inspiration

‘In her TED Talk, Stella Young talks about using disabled people as inspiration and encourages listeners to think about this from the perspective of the disabled person: “However bad my life is, it could be worse. I could be that person.’ She goes on: “What if you are that person?’

I find this simple way of thinking about Disability as an Inspiration to be very powerful. Being a metaphor for a pitiful existence wouldn’t feel very good, would it?’

Alt text: “However bad my life is, it could be worse. I could be that person.’ She goes on: “What if you are that person?’

01/07/2026

Viewing a disabled person as too immature or too pure to be inappropriate with touch, and then holding them to a different standard, is an example of infantilizing.
Many probably think this is the nice thing to do but, instead, it increases vulnerability and sets the scene for poor outcomes.

01/05/2026

From Chapter 12, “I Don’t Think of You as Disabled”: Erasure of Disability

‘Erasure of Disability also factors into productivity and the worth that is often attached to what, and how much, a person produces. Disabled people being discounted and discarded because of issues related to productivity, and inflexible productivity standards, are examples of this manifestation.’

Alt text: ‘…the image of disability in the U.S. has been contextualized in just these terms: it is not simply a physical or mental status that designates “disability,” per se, but also how this status implicates one’s ability to produce. This mercantilistic, utilitarian view of disability and of humanity has had immeasurable consequences on how we have come to value - or fail to value - disabled people’s lives and their contributions to the economy.’ -Brooke Ellison for the Petrie-Flom Center at Harvard Law, “Injustice Anywhere: The Need for Decouple Disability and Productivity”

01/05/2026

Winter break ends today and I go back to work tomorrow. This picture well represents my break: pajama pants, slipper socks and crochet. I have been so busy with work that I haven’t been able to crochet much and it felt so good to spend so much time doing what my hands (and nervous system) love.

Sending good vibes to all who have to transition out of break and back into your arrangement that isn’t break this week. Also sending good vibes to those of you who didn’t get a winter break.

Picture is of my lap as I sit in a chair. I am wearing thick, black slipper socks and black pajama pants that have brightly colored and patterned hearts on them. On my lap is the beginnings of a crocheted blanket with different greens, gray, black and white yarn and a decent sized crochet hook.

01/05/2026

Chapter 7: “Disabled People Have Kids?”: Stereotyping Disability

‘In her book ‘Daddy Won’t Let Mom Drive the Car,’ Jo Elizabeth Pinto tells a story about a trip to the convenience store to buy a reward Slurpee for her daughter who had aced a spelling test. They encounter a stranger in line.

“You know what?” the stranger in line decided. “Tell your mom to put her money away. I’m buying you that Slurpee. I watched you two crossing the street, and you were very careful, not letting your mom walk out in front of cars or trip on the curb or anything.”

Actually, I had listened for oncoming traffic and had determined when it was safe to cross the street, and my guide dog had paused at the curb so I wouldn’t trip. I could have made the crossing safely on my own.”

In this story, a stereotype related to disabled parents led to an ableist encounter that left the author annoyed, underestimated, and misrepresented. Is it possible that, in some cases, children of disabled parents provide assistance to their parents? Definitely. I would expect so, since children of nondisabled parents sometimes provide help to their parents. The stereotype this stranger was operating on made him feel comfortable enough to determine it to be true for the author and her daughter, even though he knew nothing of their individual circumstances.’

Alt text: Don’t rely on a stereotype to fill in any blanks for you. Instead, acquire necessary information on an individual basis. -Beyond Inclusion