From the odd, to the inappropriate, to the downright unprofessional, people with disabilities are sharing stories about their strange encounters of the abled-kind with the hashtag #AbledsAreWeird.
Out in public, despite plenty of stares from the able-bodied, the lived experiences of the disabled still remain invisible.
So along with navigating the challenges of daily life, they are often also saddled with managing the misguided assumptions and ableist behavior of those around them.
Imani Barbarin is hoping to change all that by giving voice to those invisible experiences.
Barbarin, who has cerebral palsy, is a writer and an advocate for the "representation, inclusion, and empowerment of disabled people." However, one of the many challenges the disabled face has nothing to do with their disabilities.
"When it comes to disability, ableds tend to lose all sense of common sense and instead act in ways that are completely strange and at times dangerous," Barbarin said speaking with Romper. "This isn't the behavior that they would [display] around other abled people, so why would they do it with us?"
Those bizarre experiences with the abled-bodied led Barbarin to Twitter on Friday where she created shared one her own encounters using the hashtag #AbledsAreWeird.
Barbarin of course wasn't the only one who had to deal with such experiences.
Others were inspired to share their own weird and cringe-worthy encounters using the now viral hashtag.
Unfortunately, bizarre, cringe-inducing behavior isn't the only type of ableism.
"Many of the stories shared were about consent of disabled bodies either being outright violated or not asked for in the first place," Barbarin told Romper. "Following someone into the bathroom or grabbing them without their permission, even if you're justification is to 'help' us, is in violation of our right to dictate what we want for ourselves."
Shockingly some of the worst offenders were medical professionals whom one might assume would be a bit more understanding. Nope.
While some of these #AbledsAreWeird stories can seem funny in their absurdity, one poster points it isn't a joke, but a bracing look at how social barriers are often more of a handicap for those living with disability.
@JamesTate121/X
