Fat & Disabled

Accessibility in an inaccessible world

It’s Friday, and I’m still fat.

I’m also disabled—have I shared that before? If not, I’ll explain: I have some physical limitations, including but not limited to difficulty walking long distances. The challenge with walking started before I had COVID in 2020, but being bed-ridden for 30 days and having to relearn how to walk didn’t help matters much. For a long time, I used a rollator.

Post-hospitalization for COVID I wore oxygen for several months, and that was an experience that taught me a lot about physical limitation.

Even now, my lungs are only at 84% of normal function, so I am limited by how much air I can process at a time.

This makes life a little harder than it used to be, but my life is still very full and very beautiful.

Another limitation I have is more personal. I want to share one thing that has made my life easier as a fat and disabled person—and just FYI, it is a bathroom supply, so if that weirds you out, just stop reading and join us next week!

THIS GETS VULNERABLE.

When it comes to hygiene, many disabled people are able to care for themselves like normal. But for those of us who aren’t, there are tools. Like the FreedomWand™ butt wiper tool. Just to clarify, this is not a paid partnership—I just want to share the most valuable fat/disabled hack I’ve come across.

My belly is large, and over the years, it has gotten progressively more challenging to take care of myself. It was hard to admit that I needed an accessibility tool, but let me tell you—this one is a game changer!

The FreedomWand™ is a grabber wand with a handle attachment. (There are extensions if you need more length.) It helps extend my reach to keep myself clean when I have to be away from home. At home, I have a bidet attachment that keeps me clean, and while I know there are ‘portable bidets’ available, I have found the FreedomWand™ to be much more convenient. It fits discreetly in my purse, and I’m able to keep it clean by washing it in the sink after use.

Again, I get no commission or anything from this company. I will say that the informational video can be a bit fat-phobic, so I want to warn you about that.

The FreedomWand™ can also be used in the shower to help clean, soap, or shave (according to their marketing—I have never tried to use it for this).

My hope with this post is that you will have the courage to advocate for yourself and use tools to help with accessibility. There is no shame in using tools that can help you live more easily in a world hostile to disability.

Have you found any helpful hacks for being fat and/or disabled? I would love to hear them! Leave a comment or reply to this email and let me know!

Peace to you,

Amanda Martinez Beck