Where are the disabled furries?

[Rocket T. Coyote]

I was diagnosed with spastic paralysis in childhood. My hand would splay without me realizing. Some of the other kids at school would mock me. Some mistook me as gay. Somewhat reclassified as spastic hemipariesis later. I lack full use of a limb, but it's not always obvious. My doctor gave me excellent on my last physical though.

[Axelfox]

I was diagnosed as having Pervasive developmental disorder when i was young,which i think is on the autism spectrum.

[Shivu]

I wouldn't say it's a want of perfection, really; I guess it's something that's such a touchy subject that its hard to get right- honestly this is the reason I mostly avoid it (especially with mental disabilities)

I know in Disney's show Kim Possible there was a character in a wheelchair- but because it's Kim Possible where it seems a lot of the technology is way advanced, his wheelchair enables him to fly and the like which, obviously, a real wheelchair user wouldn't have. I heard Disney got a bit of flack about that character because it wasn't a 'real enough' depiction of a person with a disability?? When in actuality the character was a positive view in regards to the rest of the show- essentially they were saying he was like every other member of the cast

But yeah, you could end up with someone arguing how if it isn't 100% accurate to their own experiences then it's offensive It sucks really :/

In saying that, I have read a few furry fics where there have been characters in wheelchairs; I don't think I've come across one yet where people talk about mental disabilities though :O

[Iara Warriorfeather]

I was diagnosed as having Pervasive developmental disorder when i was young,which i think is on the autism spectrum.

PDD-NOS is part of the autism spectrum, according to the DSM-V.

In saying that, I have read a few furry fics where there have been characters in wheelchairs; I don't think I've come across one yet where people talk about mental disabilities though :O

I think it's a sensitive topic all around, especially when it comes to mental disabilities/mental illness. Not only is misinterpretation or misrepresentation an issue, so is touching on the viewer/reader's feelings about their own personal issues and battles.

It is a definite challenge to come forward in a story and say, 'I have this too!' much less in real life. There is a lot of stigma around having a disability, so it's tough to discuss it, even in a furry story or comic book.

[Old Rabbit]

I am a furry who is visually disabled. Tunnel vision, one eye useful.

I have had vision problems since I was a kid. Very nearsighted.. It's a  common problem, but
people with normal vision or fully corrected vision tend to not think much about it. Mine wasn't
fully correctable. At the time optometrists felt under correcting childrens eyes would help
improve their vision, so I was only corrected to 20/50.  Though I would have been corrected to
20/30.

Some might feel this would be fine as little kids don't drive or really need sharp vision.   Well I
have news for them. Sitting in a school room with 20/50 vision made it impossible to see
what the teacher wrote on the chalkboard. I sat in the front, and could see the board
directly in front of me, but to the left or right I could not.

The teachers didn't seem to care other than letting me sit at the front, so my grades obviously
suffered. Along with my enthusiasm for learning.

I rarely ever talk about how I see, because when I do, people will say. "Oh I know, I don't see
as well as I used to. "  Yes they have perhaps gone from 20/20 to 20/30 and need glasses to
read a newspaper. They have no idea what poor vision really is.  I hope they never do..

I don't think bad of them, because they don't understand. As most other people don't and would
rather put disability out of their mind.

Diabilities like blindness, mental, or hearing is hard for other people to understand, because it is
hidden. A crutch or wheelchair shouts the problem to the world. So a poor interaction with a so
called normal person can go bad. People don't think about someone not seeing well or not hearing.

Makes a person feel they would rather you were sent somewhere as to not bother them.

It's nothing new, fortuantly there are many people who fight to make lives for the disabled
better. Hopefully with the advances of technology disabilities will be less of a problem for
those of us who have to deal with it.

I can still see good enough to draw on my computer, but many days I do not. That's why
I don't post much art anymore.

If anyone out there is planning to be a teacher, Please make sure your students can see
and hear well. Kids don't always admit they have problems since other kids tend to make
fun of those who do.

[Iara Warriorfeather]

If anyone out there is planning to be a teacher, Please make sure your students can see
and hear well. Kids don't always admit they have problems since other kids tend to make
fun of those who do.

This goes for teaching adults too!

My mate and I both suffer from poor vision; my mate's visual condition is worse than mine, as he requires bifocals to see properly. I have myopia, and although it has somehow improved slightly over the years, I understand what you went through in grade school, OldRabbit. I had huge glasses then, and had to sit in the front in every class in order to see anything on the board. In addition, I have undiagnosed dyspraxia, which renders my peripheral vision poor and my gross motor control poor at best.

I agree with your statement that

Diabilities like blindness, mental, or hearing is hard for other people to understand, because it is
hidden. A crutch or wheelchair shouts the problem to the world. So a poor interaction with a so
called normal person can go bad. People don't think about someone not seeing well or not hearing.

Makes a person feel they would rather you were sent somewhere as to not bother them.

It's nothing new, fortuantly there are many people who fight to make lives for the disabled
better. Hopefully with the advances of technology disabilities will be less of a problem for
those of us who have to deal with it.

Dyspraxia is called the 'hidden handicap.' I was very fortunate in my growth and upbringing that I didn't suffer much else. I was born at 28 weeks gestation (that's three months preemie, or micro-preemie) and it is a miracle I survived in the NICU much less didn't suffer a worse fate mentally (cerebral palsy, blindness due to brain hemorrhaging, varying degrees of autism, etc.). That being said, it's been very difficult if not impossible to explain to people--employers, friends and colleagues--that despite the fact that I have an above-average intelligence, I am incapable of driving a car, that I learned how to ride a bike ten times as long as other people, and that I still drop and stumble into things on a daily basis. I tend to make light of my own flaws in public, but when I am alone...I break down. It's hard to go out into the world and have very few people understand what you're really going through. That applies to furries as much as humans.

[Robert_Silvermyst]

Three are most promonant. First is my ADHD, something I was diagnosed with at a very early age.

Second is chronic GURD (Acid Reflux). This developed due to post nasal drip issues over many years.

Third, and a bit more recent, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. I served in the military for nine years in total. Despite being a medic, I was in harm's way, I did get caught in a Chain IED attack during a convoy back from my two weeks vacation (Thank the Gods I got out unharmed), and as a medic, I saw the aftermath of war every day on the emergency room table. I've had night terrors as a result, and for the first few years after I ended my time in service, I would almost lock up  physically if I saw trash on the side of the road. Even now I still get a nervous twitch.

[Matias C.]

I'm actually visually impaired. Eventually, I made my way to the fandom. So, does that count?   Sometimes, looking at furry art featuring disabled furries makes me happy with myself. It's impressive for me to see that.

I'm actually alone where do I come from, because you can find many disabled people in here... but not enough to look for a disabled fur as I am.

[PeachSoda]

I have agoraphobia and anxiety problems, as well as terrible arthritis... It's hard to see people's disabilities from behind a screen. Online, I can talk freely to you guys, but if I met you in real-life, I might have a panic attack. O///O

My fursona doesn't reflect that though, because Peach Soda is kind of like my happy place, a vision of what recovery means to me.

[Old Rabbit]

I think one reason people avoid the handicapped is that it reminds them of
how vulnerable they really are.

One nice thing about being online with people of similar interest and handicapped.
We can escape the feeling of being different. We don't have to ask for help to cross
the street or reach something. We can share what's inside, and not worry about
how we may look on the outside.

I have found people of similar interest are some of the nicest people you can meet.
Of course there are exceptions, but generally you only need to  ask and
someone will try to help you.

[Mister Initial Man]

I've a few handicapped characters, actually.  Dreysanius Acrutar and Josef Atlasov are both paraplegic.   Kobuk linked to an image done for me of Parondor Calhoren, suffering from the long-term effects of pro wrestling and gigantism.  Another of my characters--Jim Fordson--was born 100% deaf.

[Varg the wanderer]

I've a few handicapped characters, actually.  Dreysanius Acrutar and Josef Atlasov are both paraplegic.   Kobuk linked to an image done for me of Parondor Calhoren, suffering from the long-term effects of pro wrestling and gigantism.  Another of my characters--Jim Fordson--was born 100% deaf.

His girlfriend / wife does NOT look happy.

[Mister Initial Man]

I've a few handicapped characters, actually.  Dreysanius Acrutar and Josef Atlasov are both paraplegic.   Kobuk linked to an image done for me of Parondor Calhoren, suffering from the long-term effects of pro wrestling and gigantism.  Another of my characters--Jim Fordson--was born 100% deaf.

His girlfriend / wife does NOT look happy.

His daughter.  The writeup is here:  http://www.mrinitialman.com/Gallery/gallery.php?sec=WSWF&pic=thiswasme

[chaos_1152]

I have autism, Dyspraxia & ADHD. Also sometimes wonder schizophrenia since there moments i display stuff that's not from other 3, like right now I've got this weird taste and faint sounds of music/sounds of various intensity. 

 

[Pratzelwurm]

I'm disabled myself, so I suppose any artwork of my fursona is featuring a disabled fur? I've got them "invisible illnesses" though (autism, OCPD, anxiety, psychotic depression), so it's a bit hard to show that in visual art. I mean, I guess I could draw him having panic attack or something, but I'd rather draw him doing cool or fun things and not be reminded of those symptoms.

I s'pose stimming's always an option to draw. I could try that at some point. I guess it's just not super important to me to draw myself doing those things because it's just a part of my normal life.

Honestly, a good deal of the furs I've met are also autistic. It seems to be a common thing for autistic people to be furries and furries to be autistic; I wonder why that is?

As for physically disabled furs, I think it would be cool to see more of them represented in art, since that's something you can easily show visually.

[Rocket T. Coyote]

At the local con here in Michigan, I have seen a wheelchair bound fursuiter. Also one from Canada who is an amputee--missing part of his arm--in fursuit.

[CatDetective]

(one quick note-- autism is neurological, but not a 'mental' handicap, it's not categorized any differently than asperger's and has no inherent intellectual component)

I'm multiply disabled, though they are all considered 'invisible' up until I get pushed far enough to either have a public meltdown or temporarily require a cane (or under rare circumstances, temp. wheelchair), depending on what's getting pushed. I tend to create characters, furry or otherwise, with disability in mind, though again, it's often an invisible disability as that is what I have experience with.

[Firelight]

I'm on the autism spectrum though the doctors don't know exactly what I have. I also need bifocals because I'm near sighted.