Thank you SO much for this. I'm fat and autistic, and when I do encounter bias or a lack of accommodations I have a really hard time advocating for myself because I get easily frustrated and end up melting down over struggles to communicate that leave me feeling unheard or condescended to.
My current healthcare system is nicer than some I've dealt with, but I've still had to bring my best friend with me to appointments for support, after previous visits were so awful that I did not want to return for care. And it's nice that this guide can apply to more than healthcare, because while my doctor's office only has one or two armless seats in each waiting area and that does make access harder for me, there's also only one movie theater in my city that has seats that fit me.
I would like to get better at being a force for change, not only for my sake but for the larger community, like you mention here. Because I'm white and people assume I'm cis, straight, and neurotypical, I know I have a lot of privilege--and sometimes I experience moments where I can tell that people are trying to accommodate me without visibly singling out my size, even as they're clearly having to rethink their usual ways of working. So this was a really useful breakdown for me to think about, and I'll hang onto it.
Thank you SO much for this. I'm fat and autistic, and when I do encounter bias or a lack of accommodations I have a really hard time advocating for myself because I get easily frustrated and end up melting down over struggles to communicate that leave me feeling unheard or condescended to.
My current healthcare system is nicer than some I've dealt with, but I've still had to bring my best friend with me to appointments for support, after previous visits were so awful that I did not want to return for care. And it's nice that this guide can apply to more than healthcare, because while my doctor's office only has one or two armless seats in each waiting area and that does make access harder for me, there's also only one movie theater in my city that has seats that fit me.
I would like to get better at being a force for change, not only for my sake but for the larger community, like you mention here. Because I'm white and people assume I'm cis, straight, and neurotypical, I know I have a lot of privilege--and sometimes I experience moments where I can tell that people are trying to accommodate me without visibly singling out my size, even as they're clearly having to rethink their usual ways of working. So this was a really useful breakdown for me to think about, and I'll hang onto it.