So apparently my personal combination of social security disability, retirement savings, and “desire to own a house” makes me too complex a client for your run-of-the-mill financial advisor. Striking out with all the household name firms.
Fedi friends, especially #PDX area #disabled pals: can anyone throw me a referral here?
I really wish I could get a job in accessibility auditing, campaigning, consulting or something. I want to make this shit better somehow. It shouldn’t be like this, any of it.
Over a month since I made a complaint about accessibility and quality of their 9 year old cinema, Showcase have finally responded. For context - we went to see Wicked 2 on my Not Birthday last month. We booked the accessible row but non-wheelchair so I could take Roach but have a recliner seat. Paid extra for Xplus or "crystal clear definition" and "breathtaking, multidimensional sound". Spent a fortune on some impressively mediocre snacks.
Issue 1 - The seat didn't recline (broken) but it wasn't busy so we just moved along Issue 2 - The screen quality was awful - there were swirly patterns all over the image throughout, which was really distracting Issue 3 - The audio quality was possibly the worst I've ever experienced in a cinema. We could only hear it coming from the front because the accessible row had a high wall behind in where the regular stadium seating started so we were essentially in front of a baffle that blocked/muffled all the sound coming from the sides, meaning the mix was really odd in places.
We approached a staff member afterwards to make a complaint or at least let them know about the broken seat. They called a manager but I didn't want to hang around any more as I was feeling pretty overstimulated by that point and just wanted to go home. So I used their contact form online the next day.
I got a one line response a couple of days later asking if we'd received anything when we spoke to the staff member. I confirmed we hadn't. I got no further communication from them despite chasing it twice, until today. Here is the response pasted directly.
"Thank you for the email below and we sinceely apologise for the experience you received in particular as it was your birthday to enjoy the reclining seat. Wheelchair spaces are provided on the Gallery level as well as the low level between screens 1-6 except screen 4 , each row has is separated by a wall which does not impact the sound but provided adequate leg space for reclining the chairs and guest access. I, sincerely apologise you have not had the correct response and it is unfortuante you did not speak with a manager on the day as the feedback would have been addressed with return tickets offered . As a gesture of goodwill I would like to extend two complimenatry tickets to return in the near future, in hope you will accept them, please your full postal address."
Firstly, it is just terribly written for a person responsible for customer service. Maybe I'm being picky but there's a typo in the first sentence ffs. Secondly, flat out telling me I'm incorrect about the sound being impacted by a solid wall is... a choice. And then asking for more personal information so they can send two free tickets to go back? Bold. Their entire ticketing system is online so I'm not entirely sure why they couldn't just be emailed. No mention of them ghosting me for a month or the screen quality.
But say I even wanted to go back, how would it be different? I checked out the gallery option, wondering why we hadn't seen it when we booked before. I couldn't find any available accessible tickets in the gallery in any showings I checked, until I realised that area is only available in the evening - we went mid afternoon. It's also at least £10-15 more expensive and the actual wheelchair options? Right at the back in the corner of course! And you don't get a seat, just a space for your chair. Because ambulatory wheelchair users don't exist. What do you mean your chair doesn't recline? Ah, sucks to be you!
Of course you can just book regular seats in the gallery section and assume there's somewhere to store your wheelchair. Given the gallery has its own bar I wouldn't imagine that'd be too difficult, assuming they allow you to do that.
So if you're an ambulatory wheelchair user or can't do stairs and don’t want to sit right at the front: - You can only go to the cinema in the evening - It'll cost you £44-50 for two, not including drinks or snacks - It'll be less if you're happy to sit in your wheelchair AND you have a CEA card as you'll get a free carer seat, BUT you have to sit at the back in the corner with the worst view of the screen - You may or may not be able to store your chair/mobility aid somewhere nearby If you're a full time wheelchair user, even less choice. If you're also going alone, it's not even cheaper - you're paying the same price as everyone else for an empty space to park.
This turned out even longer than I anticipated, I'm sorry. It is just SO frustrating. Even more so when you get responses like this.
Ich habe das Glück, arbeiten gehen zu können. Seit Jahren bezahle ich meine Blindenhilfsmittel selbst. Sogar das Jaws-Update werde ich selbst bezahlen, genau um dieser Erniedrigung zu entgehen. Ich empfinde das als entwürdigend. Auch ich bin von Geburt an blind. Bei mir sind die Augen normal, der Sehnerv ist verkümmert. Daran ändert sich nichts. Ich will mich nicht jedes mal neu rechtfertigen und meine Blindheit beweisen. Und es ist mir unverständlich, warum es für Menschen mit einer auf dem Ausweis festgestellten unbefristeten Behinderung keine Regelung gibt, dass der Ausweis als Nachweis der Notwendigkeit gilt... #Blindleben #Disabled-Alltag
Shok'z ist DER Anbieter für Knochenleit- und Open-earHeadsets, Produkte, die für #Blinde wie mich nun durchaus interessant sein können. Als ich mir die neuen open fit 2 pro besorgt habe, hab ich mir auch die App runter geladen. Was soll ich sagen: Buttons nicht sinnvoll beschriftet, equilizer nicht nutzbar und nicht wirklich gut bedienbar, aber noch erträglich. Ausser, dass man sich ums Verrecken nicht ohne sehende Hilfe einloggen konnte. Denn der Schalter zur Akzeptanz von Datenschutzrichtlinien und AGB war nicht Umzuschalten. Hab das damals sofort gemeldet und eine Laberantwort bekommen a la das tut uns sehr leid, Barrierefreiheit liegt uns sehr am Herzen, wir sind bemüht, unsere Produkte für alle zugänglich und nutzbar zu machen ... Bla bla! Also kurz: Wir nehmen das mal mit... Das ist jetzt einige Monate her. Diese Woche wollte ich schauen, ob es ein Update für die Firmware meines Headsets gibt. dafür sollte ich mich neu einloggen... Das Problem besteht immer noch. Keine einzige Verbesserung in der App und kein barrierefreier Zugang. Ich habe gestern wieder eine Mail hingeschrieben, dieses mal mit der konkreten Frage, wie ich mich mit Voiceover ohne sehende Unterstützung in die App einloggen kann... Bisher keine Antwort. Und das von einer europäischen Firma, die Produkte herstellt und vertreibt, für welche Blinde keine ganz unrelevante Nutzergruppe sind. Ich weiss, Luxusproblem angesichts Stadtbild und Grundsicherungsdiskussion, und fraglich, warum man sich überhaupt in eine App einloggen muss, um Firmware-Updates zu kriegen, aber musste trotzdem mal irgendwie raus. #Blindleben #Disabled-Alltag #Blind #shokz "#BFSG
Still need $1,175 to close this out right now & clear out rest of December bills + next rent due RIGHT NOW!! Almost to the end, but not quite out of the woods! Please continue to help!!
URGENT #MUTUALAID UPDATE - 2 weeks left to get disabled friend back into assisted living!!
$2,030 needed by Jan 16 to get a blind wheelchair user back into assisted living after insurance nightmare kicked her out. She's lost out on 2 past opportunities bc she didn't have the money. Please donate what you can & boost often!!
383/2413
PayPal.me/melissarainbow AuroraEloise on Venmo $AuroraEloise on CashApp
#MUTUALAID UPDATE - housing need for blind wheelchair user
Edit: this update was a typo, which happens... all the more easily when you're blind 😅 she meant to say that she had no update, still at $125. Let's make sure she stays housed & safe!!
259/2413
PayPal.me/melissarainbow AuroraEloise on Venmo $AuroraEloise on CashApp
#MUTUALAID UPDATE - housing need for blind wheelchair user
Almost 10% of the way to getting a disabled cancer survivor back into assisted living after an insurance nightmare kicked her out!! Please share widely 💞
259/2413
PayPal.me/melissarainbow AuroraEloise on Venmo $AuroraEloise on CashApp
We have been remarkably blessed this year, so all I want for hexmas is to get my friend Aurora back into (desperately needed!) assisted living. Aurora is a survivor of cancer, many forms of abuse, and a car accident that broke both legs. She's also blind. And she is far more resilient than any human should ever have to be.
If you have a little extra to share today, can you send it her way? I'd love to help her reach her goal today!!
#MUTUALAID - urgent housing need for blind wheelchair user
Aurora has been going thru a LOT and she didn't want to bother me to ask me to post here. She was kicked out of assisted living and needs $2,413 by Jan 16 to get safe housing again.
0/2413
PayPal.me/melissarainbow AuroraEloise on Venmo $AuroraEloise on CashApp
#MUTUALAID update - urgent housing need for blind wheelchair user
I told Aurora that we've got plenty of time to raise the money, but she's feeling discouraged. Wanna flood her with donations today to show her that anything is possible? ✨
165/2413
PayPal.me/melissarainbow AuroraEloise on Venmo $AuroraEloise on CashApp
#MUTUALAID - urgent housing need for blind wheelchair user
Aurora has been going thru a LOT and she didn't want to bother me to ask me to post here. She was kicked out of assisted living and needs $2,413 by Jan 16 to get safe housing again.
0/2413
PayPal.me/melissarainbow AuroraEloise on Venmo $AuroraEloise on CashApp
We'd like to ask you all for your thoughts, suggestions, and ideas to help us resolve an ongoing issue.
The issue
At a high-level, we are a neurodivergent (AuDHD) spoonie with a mixture of health issues that are preventing us from being able to get or do a "typical" job and earn an income.
By "typical" job, we mean one where the company and role just aren't well-suited to many folks who are disabled (including being neurodivergent), have support needs, and/or have other health issues.
Most "typical" jobs broadly:
Have fixed hours (start/finish times and total working hours required).
Require a minimum fixed amount of time in a physical office.
Require a lot of interaction with other people (including colleagues).
... and so on, so you can probably understand how difficult it is for us to find any suitable paid employment that we can do 😅
This is made harder by the fact that:
We only know how to search for "typical" jobs.
There is zero support within the UK for finding suitable employment outside of "typical" jobs.
The welfare system within the UK is fundamentally (and intentionally) broken
The request
We have zero idea where to even start, so we are genuinely asking for your input and recommendations here.
We have decent reading comprehension, writing ability, and neurospicy pattern recognition, but we also have an inconsistent level of executive function and energy (physical and mental), so we can't do a job where we have to clock in and out at set times, even on a part-time basis.
Even whilst writing this post, we're already out of spoons and on to knives today, meaning that we're pushing through to ask for help.
Any suggestions will be appreciated, and we'll add additional details to the post based on any questions or thoughts from others 🥺🫶
Thank you in advance for your thoughts, as well as your empathy, understanding, and kindness
No donations yet. A neighbor gave Aurora a few packets of oatmeal & a blanket. She needs $45 for the space heater, and a week's worth of food to tide her over until her SNAP refills.
Please give if you can!!
PayPal.me/melissarainbow AuroraEloise on Venmo $AuroraEloise on CashApp
I use #Amazon for both #groceries as well as things i need in my apt. each month. I'm #disabled and live on a fixed income. I also receive #EBT / #SNAP benefits to eat.
Where i live in a big city with sales tax, the places that are local cost a lot more than what i can get food and products for online. Amazon takes EBT/SNAP and delivers to my door which is also helpful.
please help my very #disabled #Indigenous friend & her family cover utilities & rent. she needs to be a safe house for her daughter & grandson escaping domestic violence & US fascism. she's been working hard on her #beadWork. you can buy her #jewelry below!
June 4, 2025 marks the First Annual World Day for Assistive Technology. awarenessdays.com/awareness-da… Devices that help #Disabled folks live more fulfilling, independent lives have come a tremendously long way over the years, so let's hear your stories. What's the first piece of #AssistiveTech you remember using? (yes, mobility devices count.) What's been your favorite? Least favorite? Most helpful? Most Fun? And what are your AT dreams for the future? We can't wait to hear about them. #WorldATDay #Blind #Accessibility
please don't ignore my #trans friend, a #disabled #parent & #photographer, who has been denied benefits. xie hasn't made their goal in 2 months 😭. ze needs help covering food for zir kid & pets, the electric bill, pet supplies, household items, & clothes for zir growing kid. you can buy xyr #art below!
For my disabled followers, what do you consider when thinking about inclusive swag? Swag in this case meaning t-shirts, coffee mugs, backpacks, stickers, etc. that you acquire through conferences, work, or other places. I struggle to name what I look for in swag for it to be inclusive as a blind person; I think the most I'd look for is cool tactile design on t-shirts and perhaps embossed designs on stickers. But even that's a stretch; I've never felt strongly enough to remotely consider this, and that's why I'm here! I also consider things like Braille to be a novelty, and don't feel excluded when it doesn't exist. In a nutshell--I don't really care. But I'm sure someone out there does. Surely there's at least one of you. Please boost for reach. #disabled #accessibility #blind #swag
Yesterday at the #PlayStation concert, a young, blind man sat next to me.
We got talking and it turns out he is an accessibility consultant for companies, including video game developers and has worked with Sony on God of War and other products!
He goes by his handle: Sightless Kombat.
He is entirely #blind from birth, but loves video games so is passionate about accessibility in the sector.
I told him to come join Mastodon as I think it’s the friendliest social network for visual impairments, he said he was thinking of joining but wasn’t sure which instance was good. I’m not sure if there is one that’s dedicated to visual impairment? I just told him to join mstdn.games 😅
Anyway, here’s his YouTube & Twitch channels, and website if you’re interested in seeing what he has to offer. The dude has platinumed God of War Ragnarok on its hardest difficulty, what a legend!
I'm an award-winning, multi-credited accessibility consultant and gamer without sight from the UK. If you ever thought "how can someone with no sight play a videogame?", you've come to the right place for answers! Relax, say hi and see just how I enj…
⚠️ URGENT! please help a #disabled, #queer woman cover groceries, her electric bill, & a bank overdraft. the government refused to pay her usual disability benefits because of her outstanding debts. only $125 CAD now needed!
Friends, please help make the public aware of Section 504's importance by sharing your story. Read the below post from my girlfriend, Kaleigh Brendle, to learn more. Your voice matters. Thank you. #Save504
Please share this as widely as you can: Judy’s League, the social media campaign I’ve started to help save Section 504, is launching a new initiative and we need all of you. We’re asking that you...
The Department of Education being closed is one of the dumbest things I've ever seen.
Most #maga supporters want it as #trump and #doge convinced them schools were federally funded, and they were going to overhaul and fix it.
They're too uneducated to know that it's already funded by states, and The Department of Education exists to fill gaps in resources, especially for #disabled and disadvantaged children.
please help my #disabled #Indigenous friend & her family survive. she been helping her daughter & grandson escape domestic violence. she has to pay a $100 late fee for every day she is late on rent & she's already received a water shut off notice. you can buy her #art and #jewelry below!
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hello! in the vein of @sayyid_qishta@terror.black and @june@weirder.earth , I am offering FIX YOUR HEARTS OR DIE prints in exchange for giving aid to others!
Here's a great place to get started: https://weirder.
As you may have heard, 17 states have sued the US government to overturn Section 504, a landmark piece of civil rights legislation that's provided #Disabled Americans with equal access to schools, medical facilities and other aspects of public life for more than 50 years. The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund is holding a webinar to discuss this lawsuit and provide ways we can fight back. Register here: dredf-org.zoom.us/webinar/regi…
Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems.
The #BBC is looking for a Head of Digital #Accessibility, with the role only open to #deaf, #disabled, and/or #neurodivergent applicants. Hybrid working, based at any UK BBC hub. Salary up to £110,000.
"still trying to get help from whatever rent assistance program my housing stabilization worker can find (no luck at all yet, i haven't heard from them since mid-november), i'm at the "how to market myself" point of my self-employment thing and haven't received the grant for that yet, and everything's still taking forever to fall into place still due to bureaucracy and everything moving really slow. i'm hoping stuff will work out fine in the new year, but...i honestly dunno what'll happen at this point."
hi y'all, i'm deja! i am a 42 year-old queer person of color with disabilities. i am in n… Deja May needs your support for Please help Dej with February rent!
hey so just to let people in the US know, if you are on SSI and have a disability that began before age 26 (46 as of 1st Jan 2026) you can apply for an ABLE account. this account will let you have up to $100,000 without losing your SSI.
Edit: per @MindmeshLink the requirements are SSI, SSDI, *or* a Doctors Note, if that helps!
I am proud to announce that I am working on a successor to #AppleVis - a website for #disabled #Apple technology enthusiasts. I kindly invite everyone to test it and give feedback. You can find the invite link here
Project 2025 is a blueprint for a conservative overhaul of the United States government. It offers a frightening, dystopian vision of an America where people are deprived of rights, benefits, and values we have grown accustomed to.
New @Lenovo laptops are coming soon with new accessibility features for visually impaired people. Listen to Graham Thomas from the company telling Steven Scott about the company's commitment to #disabled people doubletaponair.com/new-lenovo-…
please help Dej with rent!
