you can’t cure me
Art Technique: digital art
ALT Text: “No amount of accommodations will cure me and I like it that way.”
you deserve accommodations (sunflower)
Art Technique: digital art
ALT Text: “You deserve to be accommodated.”
Artist’s Statement
These two companion pieces express two seemingly contradictory yet truly complementary aspects of disability pride and disability justice. I have ME/CFS, autism, Long Covid, and asthma among other diagnoses/disabilities. The nature of these disabilities means that even if I was granted all the accommodations possible to have equal access to life, public spaces, healthcare, leisure, education, and work, I will still be disabled. The social model of disability is often more accurate to the experiences of disabled people than the medical model. However, there is no reality, no model of disability, no societal solution that will cure me of my disabilities. My mitochondria don’t produce even close to the “normal” amount of cellular energy. If I was given a free wheelchair that fit me perfectly, a power assist for when I’m fatigued, a free home health aide, ramps in all public and private buildings, working elevators, and even if ableism completely disappeared, I would still not be able to do the same things that a pre-disabled (or non-disabled) person could. I will still miss social cues due to my autism. I will still struggle with sudden changes in plans. I will still be too exhausted to attend a birthday party. I will still be in too much pain to be present. I will still have so much brain fog that I can’t think or talk. It will still hurt to paint. This piece encompasses the knowledge that in every reality, in every timeline, in every perfect future, I will always be disabled. This isn’t to say that accommodations are pointless. Proper accommodations, mobility aids, research, and medication drastically improve quality of life and access to public spaces and joy, but they are not a neat and tidy solution. Pre-disabled people need to understand that proper accommodations are absolutely necessary and life-changing, but they will never be a cure. You must become comfortable with disability. Disability is natural. I am so proud to be disabled and wouldn’t wish to be any other way.
October Stoner (ze/he/it) is a trans/nonbinary, AuDHD, Jewish, and queercrip artist. Ze is a born-and-raised Bay Area wheelchair user who advocates for quality of life for disabled and trans people everywhere. Hirs art includes zines, stickers, patches, mask chains, bone sculptures, and tattoos! It makes zines about all sorts of personal and informative (and abstract!) subjects. A lot of its zines blend the personal with educational, made with the hope of helping others understand concepts that aren’t taught in the mainstream. October also has a monthly pen pal club that folks can join at a variety of financial levels. Each month, it sends out a new zine, a new sticker, sticker sheet, or sticker pack, and a sweet letter on the theme of the month.
Instagram: @stonerzines
Bluesky: @stonerzines.bsky.social
Facebook: @stonerzines
Tumblr: @stonerzines
Website: www.ko-fi.com/octoberstoner