‘Do not get the pink wheelchair – no one wants to go to sixth form looking like Barbie on acid’

An ebook of letters from disabled celebrities to their younger selves sends a powerful, inspirational message and is raising funds for Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity

If being a teenager is hard for everyone, being a disabled teenager can feel like a slog. No longer protected by the relative simplicity of childhood, you are confronted with the realities of your disabled body and, perhaps harder still to fathom, your place in a profoundly ableist society.

Failed by a system that leaves you dependent on care from your family while your peers explore independence, you will often feel trapped and isolated. Teenagers don’t want to be seen as different – or even be associated with difference – and so you are avoided, ostracised. It can be incredibly tough.

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from The Guardian https://ift.tt/3hzP2Ac