Quotes by Stella Young

We are a society that treats people with disabilities with condescension and pity, not dignity and respect.

Ive lost count of the number of times that Ive been approached by strangers wanting to tell me that they think Im brave or inspirational, and this was long before my work had any kind of public profile.

The battle to find a workplace thats wheelchair accessible is a feat in itself, let alone an employer whos going to be cool about employing someone with a disability in a job you actually want to do.

I have a condition called Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), which has affected my growth and bone strength. In short, people with the kind of OI I have generally experience hundreds of fractures in their lifetime and use wheelchairs for mobility.

I am not a snowflake. I am not a sweet, infantilising symbol of fragility and life. I am a strong, fierce, flawed adult woman. I plan to remain that way, in life and in death.

Too often, we fall into the trap of thinking equal means the same and that we achieve equality by treating everyone identically.

Disability is often framed, in medical terms, as the ultimate disaster and certainly as a deficit.

I dont generally talk about medical terms when I discuss my position as a disabled person. I take a social rather than medical approach to disability, and so long Latin names for congenital conditions are not relevant.

I once choked on a chip at a friends birthday when I was seven and had to be sent home, as Id broken my collarbone coughing.

In my own home, where Ive been able to create an environment that works for me, Im hardly disabled at all. I still have an impairment, and there are obviously some very restrictive things about that, but the impact of disability is less.