Last week, Sofía Jirau made history as the first model with Down’s syndrome to pose for Victoria’s Secret. The images are stunning, yet the shoot’s launch set off ableists everywhere.
Critics have denounced her history-making achievement as objectifying, arguing that it is wrong to sexualise a person with Down’s syndrome. While vast swathes of the internet are embracing a significant milestone in disabled representation, others are alleging concern for her welfare.
I made the decision to become a digital nomad after experiencing burnout. But, unlike so many of my 35 million nomadic peers, my Odyssean journey is haunted by an array of disabling chronic illnesses.
When an employer began stripping away duties and relegated her to a tiny desk in the kitchen unit of the office, Barbara Stensland knew her recent multiple sclerosis diagnosis was behind it.
This was an attempt to push her out of the workplace.
Eventually, after repeated requests for accommodations went unmet – with the exception of some limited flexible working – Barbara was let go from her role as a community outreach worker, a job she loved.
Carrie and her husband Aiden have been married for nearly three decades. However, for the last 11 years, the couple has had to survive on a single income and constantly fight to make ends meet.
‘If I died, Aiden couldn’t afford to bury me,’ Carrie tells Metro matter of factly. ‘The only way we could get by without really, really suffering is if we got divorced.’
“Your boobs are huge,” my partner quipped from the hotel bed as I wiggled into my swimming costume.
I laughed it off and jiggled them in his face before taking one last swim on our holiday in the Dominican Republic, trying to quiet that voice in the back of my head, whispering, “What if you are pregnant?”
