Disability includes emotional and cognitive disabilities, which by definition affect the way we deal with the world. As I explained in the post, many of the ‘character traits’ identified in these memes are directly linked to various disabilities, in ways that many disabled people cannot control. As a designer, I very much do expect the world to revolve around the needs of its users — including disabled people. But first, the world needs to recognise that disabled people are active and important members of society who deserve to be accommodated.

Expecting equitable treatment and requesting that people learn how attaching moral judgments to manifestations of disability — such as, for example, referring to them as ‘character traits — is harmful, is not whining. The way I own my disability is to be open about my experiences with it, including my encounters with ableism in the professional world :)