I have a feature in the new issue of the gorgeous In The Moment magazine that’s out today. The article is about accepting – and celebrating – my identity as a disabled person.
I’ve always been partially sighted. My impairment is something I tried to ignore growing up, certainly until my late teens, but now I see it as an integral part of my identity. From going on to work in disability roles in higher education and the charity sector through to my freelance writing where disability is one of my key focuses and areas of interest, embracing my identity as a visually impaired person has shaped my life so much, and for the better. I’ve also made some wonderful friends through being involved in disability groups.
Still, writing this feature for In The Moment was challenging. It’s one of the more personal articles I’ve had published, and it made me really think about my journey and the things that have influenced it. It can be hard to pinpoint what has shaped me, but I enjoyed reflecting on and exploring this while writing the article.
If you’ve read my blog before, you’ll know that disability is one of the main areas I write about. Being disabled impacts on all areas of my life, and I enjoy sharing my experiences through my writing, especially when disabled voices are so often underrepresented.
I hope, sometimes, that others may read my work and see part of their reality reflected in my words. I hope, too, that people who don’t have lived experience of disability feel it gives them an insight into a perspective they’re unfamiliar with.
I’m excited to share that I have other features about disability, including one I’m currently working on, coming up in other magazines this year, and hopefully many after that.
Caroline Butterwick 