Disability & Aging: Perspectives From A Disabled Gerontologist

When I created AgeWell Advocacy, there were many issues and inspirations that became the driving force. As a disabled person, I wanted to create a service that embraced not only caregivers and elders who need help navigating aging, but also served as an affirming service and space for disabled elders.

You see, so much of the United States is built on the notion that everyone should be independent and that there is shame in needing help. Where does this leave disabled people? These days, people are facing threats to cut funding for Medicaid and funding for many services that support elderly and disabled people.

I didn’t just create AgeWell Advocacy out of inspiration, but also out of need, because I have experienced so much ableism in my career. There are not enough employers eager to accommodate disabled people. This business is part of my efforts to sustain myself in a world that has put up so many barriers. A question I have is, where does this leave elders who are facing both ageism and ableism in the job market and in other opportunities throughout life? I want to create a safe space where my clients feel heard and empowered to embrace their aging or to get the help they need to care for their older loved one.

Working in long-term care communities, I witnessed so much ableism through the way that staff talked to and worked with the residents. This is why it’s so important that we have people who speak up for residents who can’t speak for themselves, and that we have ombudsman who can intervene and create environments that better support dignity and autonomy. Having someone on your and your loved ones' side who understands care needs and the way that long-term care communities function is one way to advocate for a better quality of life.

As a disabled person, I’ve experienced trauma at the hands of first responders and the discrimination that can come from navigating the healthcare system. One of the best forms of empathy comes from a person who has lived experience in your situation.

The picture below is of me at a local coffee shop. I was so happy to talk to my husband about a new group of friends I made through a local disability social group. Earlier that day, I met them for coffee and felt happy to be in the company of people who understood what it’s like to navigate systems that aren’t designed for us.

One thing I noticed as I was with this new group of friends is that there was so much diversity in the ages amongst all of us. Some of us were much younger while others were older. What connected all of us is the fact that we all had disability. We were all looking for a connection and a space where we could be ourselves without being judged.

Disability is something that can happen at any age, and it’s important that there are advocates for both disabled people and older people. This is especially true today as we are being put more to the margins of society.

I look forward to meeting with them again and co-creating a circle of support, not just for each other, but for the broader communities we’re a part of.

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Cafe Reads with Travis

Currently, I’m reading Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha. “Care Work is a mapping of access as radical love, a celebration of the work that sick and disabled queer/people of color are doing to find each other and to build power and community, and a tool kit for everyone who wants to build radically resilient, sustainable communities of liberation, where no one is left behind.” This read has been a refreshing take on what it means to build community among disabled people.

This is a picture of me at a local coffee shop that is decked out in French-inspired decor. I’m wearing a red shirt, a white beaded bracelet, and a black gemstone beaded necklace.