Am I Disabled Enough?
I get asked a lot if I have a disability. The short answer is no. This is why I am the founder of this business.
I am not sure if other founders get asked this question. I understand asking someone why they chose their life purpose, but in this case I am being questioned because some believe I am appropriating the disability experience as my own. I am not. I have a genetic condition called Asphyxiating Thoracic Dystrophy, also known as Jeune Syndrome. My case is so mild that by law, I do not have a disability. That is not the case for other people who have this condition.
MIGA Swimwear starts from recognizing that my ableist views, which I didn’t question until I was in my mid-twenties, hurt my self-esteem and my perceptions of self-worth. This experience is what I have tapped into to create this business. Our brand is not for people who ascribe to ableist beliefs. Our brand is for those that are self-aware enough to understand that we grow up with biases towards having a disability, for those who believe that the world is unfairly inaccessible to this community (15% of the world population), and for those who are committed to denounce this and be allies to this community, whether they have a disability or not. Ultimately, it is those people who understand that by learning more about the disability experience we can bring about change, making this world a more fair and tolerant place.
In the American with Disabilities Act, a person that cannot complete one or more major life activities such as walking or taking care of one’s self is considered as having a disability. Getting dressed is an integral part of the human experience. Just like underwear has proven to be fundamental in identity-affirming for the transgender community, swimwear can provide body-acceptance in the disability community. We hear from some of our followers that even though they live close to the ocean they don’t go to the beach, just talking themselves into doing this activity is exhausting in itself, because they rarely feel welcomed, so they just end up doing something else. Swimwear is a category that society has attached so many rules to (i.e. “the bikini body” or wearing only one-pieces after a certain age) that with the creation of the brand we are dictating that differently abled bodies are swimwear bodies too and more importantly, that this community deserves the healing properties of being close to a body of water.
Belonging is a fundamental need of the human condition. Because of the disfigurement I have on my feet, I look different from my family and up until some years ago, I had never seen anyone with feet like mine. Thus, in 2016 I set out to create a community through our brand so that no one else would feel ashamed or isolated because of their disfigurement. In 2018, however, I realized that I clearly needed to revise my language and once again check my ableism, focusing on disfigurement meant focusing only on the physical differences brought about by my genetic condition.
So in 2019, we expanded our brand messaging to include disabilities and chronic illnesses. It is at this point when we start getting a lot of questions about whether I have a disability or not, “just how disabled are you?”. This begs the question, why does it matter whether I have a disability or not? Everyone should care about disability. After all, 1 out of 4 of 20-year-olds today will become disabled before reaching retirement age. Assuming that you should only care about or create an adaptive business because you have experience with disability is not only wrong, it is ableist.
Focusing on the disability community also became tricky because the disability experience is so broad that we often get stuck comparing traumas. And this, to me, is the biggest threat to this community. Instead of discrediting each other, because someone has had it worse than others, let’s focus on what matters, which is contesting ableism so that we can make this world a more accessible and inclusive place.
Comments
FOLKWIN EXPERT RECOVERY\RELIABLE & MOST TRUSTWORTHY BITCOIN RECOVERY SOLUTIONS EVER.
Losing AU$300,000 in Bitcoin to a cunning scammer plunged me into a profound sense of despair. One moment, I was celebrating my investment success, and the next, I was grappling with the harsh reality of financial ruin. The emotional weight was crushing—I felt vulnerable, ashamed, and overwhelmed. Days turned into weeks as I replayed my decisions, searching for answers in a fog of regret. In my search for help, I discovered Folkwin Expert Recovery. Initially skeptical, I reached out, driven by a flicker of hope. From our first conversation, their team displayed genuine empathy, listening to my story and offering reassurance. They explained their systematic approach to recovering lost assets, sharing success stories of others who had faced similar hardships. Their professionalism instilled confidence, and I decided to trust them. The recovery process was detailed and often challenging. Folkwin Expert Recovery guided me through each step, educating me about common scams and how to trace lost funds. CONTACT, EMAIL: FOLKWINEXPERTRECOVERY @ TECH-CENTER (.) COM This knowledge empowered me, transforming me from a passive victim into an active participant in my recovery. As I engaged in the process, I felt a renewed sense of control over my life. Weeks passed, and with each update from the team, my hope began to grow. Their commitment to my case was unwavering, and I learned to set small, achievable goals along the way. Each milestone achieved helped lift the heavy cloud of despair that had enveloped me, gradually allowing light back into my life. Finally, the moment I had long awaited arrived: I received news that a significant portion of my funds had been recovered. It felt like a miracle, a turning point in my journey. The financial security I thought I had lost forever was returning, illuminating my path forward. Through this experience, I discovered resilience I never knew I had. I learned that setbacks can lead to comebacks, and with the right support, it’s possible to reclaim your life. Now, I share my story to inspire others facing similar challenges, reminding them that recovery is possible and that there is always a way back to the light.
God bless,
Regards
Mr Josh Adams.
Hello everyone, I wish to share my testimonies with the general public about Dr Kachi for helping me to win the LOTTO MAX, i have been playing all types of lottery for the past 9years now. the only big money i have ever win was $3000 ever since things became worse to enduring because i couldn’t been able to win again, i was not happy i need help to win the lottery, until the day i was reading a newspaper online which so many people has talked good things about best lottery cast Dr Kachi who can change your life into riches. So I contacted him and he cast the spell and gave me the hot figures. I played the LOTTO MAX DRAW Behold when I went to check and to my greatest surprise my name came out as one of the winners. I won $60 Millions Dr Kachi, your spell made it wonderful to win the lottery. I can’t believe it. Thank you so much sir for dedicating your time to cast the Lottery spell for me. I am eternally grateful for the lottery spell winning Dr Kachi did for me. I’m now out of debts and experiencing the most amazing good life of the lottery after I won a huge amount of money. I am more excited now than I ever have been in my life. In case you also need him to help you win, you can contact: drkachispellcast@gmail.com OR Call/Text number: +1 (209) 893-8075 Visit his Website: https://drkachispellcaster.wixsite.com/my-site
I was so impatient to carry out some necessary research about crypto training and investing buzz. Unfortunately for me, I invested 65,000 GBP worth of bitcoin with a fraudulent company. I was happy to watch my account grow to 240,000 GBP within a couple of weeks.
But I didn’t realize I was dealing with a scam company, until I tried an attempt to withdraw. I made a withdrawal request, and notice my account suddenly blocked for no apparent reason. I tried contacting customer support, but all to no avail. I needed my money back at all cost, because I could not afford to let it go. So I tried all possible means to make sure I recover my scammed bitcoin. I did a lot of online research, and tried to see if there were other people who had any similar experience. I stumbled upon a cryptocurrency forum were couple of people mentioned that they had been through the same process but were able to recover their lost cryptocurrency funds with help of rightwaylawrecoveryservice@gmail.com
So I file a report and they were able to help me get back all my lost funds within 24hrs. Am indebted to them, apart from trying to express my gratitude to them once again using this medium to recommend anybody who wants to recover scammed bitcoin, stolen cryptocurrency, funds lost to binary option forex, investment and any other form of online scam, reach out on
Telegram +1 513 602 3179