fourteen

Freedom is seen as autonomy, mobility, and independence in society. In contrast with the disabled personal reality that interdependence is instead necessary for survival. Freedom, in this reality, bears the weight of need. Because of the body, freedom becomes a fragile state. To be reliant on others’ care and support to live independently gives the disabled person access to a freedom they can only have with help.

Access issues to care and treatment can limit freedom. Even navigating the home becomes a challenge. The impact of these conditions on daily life is seen when needs aren’t addressed. These needs overshadow identity until it becomes about nothing but. The need for assistance, the need for medical interventions, and the need for care that keeps life going.

When care becomes necessary, personal need becomes public. Personal assistances must first be requested before they are provided. Medical tasks, daily activities, and emotional support, acts so intimate they require detail, explanation, trial. Care becomes wrapped up in the emotional complexity of dependence, of trust, of vulnerability, and the discomfort of needing help.

Fragility bears the instability and unpredictability of relying on others. People may not always be available, reliable, or understanding. Some people may even want to hurt you. Too many stories of moments where support faltered to count—medical delays, caregiver turnover, or moments of neglect or misunderstanding. The emotional toll of freedom is anxiety, helplessness, and the fear of losing independence without consistent support.

Instead of fragility, freedom must be understood as reciprocal. Accessibility benefits everyone. Stressing self-sufficiency, self-reliance, or self-sustenance reduces the abilities of all bodies.
Acceptance of fragility as part of the human experience, particularly in disabled and chronically ill communities, is the key to the lock of successful interdependence. To finding strength through the balance of relying on others while maintaining a sense of agency and dignity.

Build stronger, more reliable support systems, advocate for accessibility, and dismantle the myths around self-sufficiency.