Phlegm Genius

  Here’s the surprising thing my disabled and non-disabled friends. Many disabled people and those with health related and chronic illnesses feel ill at ease as if everything is out of our control. And why wouldn’t we as a lot of the time we are battling to survive whether that be managing our conditions and fighting to receive or to maintain the support needed to meet our needs in everyday life. However a lot of our architects of our world and environments without even knowing it. How so? Well those of us who may need assistance are often directing others in how we need our support and or care delivered. Whether that be personal assistance, live in care or a support worker. Or even if you’re battling with the local authority to get or maintain the support you need, self advocating or working with an advocate. All of that is a form of not only trying to get service to meet our needs but in the process of doing this without or without support we attempt to define the terms of how we...

  No it’s not covid. Well it might be, take that test. No tis the season to be snotty or if you’re a chronic breather that’s every or just every day. Get those flu jabs if you believe in them. I can never get one when I ring my doctors although I should be first in the cue. Truth be told last time I actually got the flu jab I ended up was the last time I got the flu so make of that what you will. Even so wrap up warm and if you’re inclined get the old jab. Find you favourite blanket, boxset and in your downtime give ourself permission to relax as a chronic breather, spoonie or however you wish to identify. We have to give ourselves permission to relax as a lot of us have guilt about low productivity when our bodies savage (cause we all know we chose this obviously) but unfortunately my fellow chronics for some of us head gremlins are part of the battle too. I often feel I have to be productive even in what is suppose to be downtime and sometimes I have so much on the to do list tha...

  Who am I? Who are you? Who am i? No seriously who am I? I’m the Phlegm Genius of course. But in an era where everyone appears to be trying find themselves online, or build a brand and find their voice. Identity has become such a heated battleground. But often for disabled people outside of managing our day to day lives, truly knowing who we are, coming to terms with ourselves, our bodies, our mind, our conditions and learning to love ourselves (or at least like ourselves) for some of us really feel like our hero’s journey of life. Especially now of all times when in certain countries disabled people feel under attack and rights seem to being eroded on an almost daily basis. Whether it’s welfare reform or accessible transport and housing or legislation around assisted dying, politically it can feel as though we’re going back in time. If the world feels as is there’s no place for you then it’s hard to have confidence in yourself and fight your daily battles for the support you may ...

  They say ‘You can’t be what you can’t see’. I get the idea people don’t see themselves in various environments so they feel they can’t achieve things. I’m sure I quite agree though. You can see lots of things you can’t see, it just doesn’t mean you will. We see or hear of famous and successful people all the time. It doesn't translate that we will end with the same outcome if we try and make it in their industries. I think luck, hard work, contacts, sometimes money and being in the right time in the right place is part of the equation.  That’s not to say we don’t need to ourselves back in the media but there’s always got to be a first if not you then who? Mainstream media representation of disabled people is poor but arguably in the UK at least it’s getting better. In the last two decades we have had breakout stars in fits and starts but the progress from one personality emerging never appears to open the gates for more disabled people to come through. Whether it be Francesc...

    I don’t want to alarm anyone, this isn’t a call for peak positivity or toxic positivity. You can breathe a huge sigh of relief. I’m not suggesting we should also go about pretending everything is fine with a painted fake smile on our face. Sometimes things are hard and we should call it what it is. Life is lifing.