Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People With Disabilities Are Sharing All Of Their Weird And Cringe-Worthy Encounters With 'Ableds'

People With Disabilities Are Sharing All Of Their Weird And Cringe-Worthy Encounters With 'Ableds'
PeopleImages/Getty Images, @OuchMouse8/Twitter

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.

More from Trending

Wallace from 'Wallace & Gromit' with jam on toast; TikToker Joseph Herscher recreating the scene
Aardman Animations/BBC; @josephmachines/TikTok

TikToker Goes Viral For Creating Real-Life Version Of Infamous 'Wallace & Gromit' Contraption

From The Jetsons to The Pee-wee Herman Show, from Flubber and Casper to Wallace & Gromit, Gen-Xers and Millennials had endless examples of living life with ease, automation, and robotic assistance.

There were machines that could dress us, brush our teeth and hair, and make us breakfast, and we were fascinated with the possibilities behind living in such an assisted world.

Keep Reading Show less
Screenshots from Fox News video of Camryn Kinsey and Jonathan Hunt
Fox News

Former Trump Official Faints And Falls Off Chair In Shocking Moment During Live Fox News Interview

It was sudden: Former Trump administration official and conservative pundit Camryn Kinsey collapsed mid-interview during a live segment on Fox News—and network host Jonathan Hunt, though horrified at first, tried to continue the segment as if nothing happened.

Hunt was interviewing Kinsey for a segment on former President Joe Biden’s recent media appearances when the incident occurred.

Keep Reading Show less
John Oliver
@LateNightSeth/YouTube

John Oliver Hilariously Explains Why Having A UK Version Of 'SNL' Is A 'Terrible Idea'

John Oliver is not buying into the hype around a British version of Saturday Night Live.

During an appearance on Late Night with Seth Meyers on Monday, the English comedian made it clear: bringing SNL across the Atlantic is, in his words, “a terrible idea.”

Keep Reading Show less
Nancy Sinatra; Frank Sinatra; Donald Trump
Dave J Hogan/Getty Images; Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection via Getty Images; Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images

Nancy Sinatra Shuts Down MAGA Fan Who Claimed Her Famous Dad Would've Voted For Trump

It's no secret that MAGA Republican President Donald Trump hasn't been able to attract the cream of the crop when it comes to the entertainment industry. While Kid Rock, Kevin Sorbo and Scott Baio are Trump ride or dies, pretty much every other Hollywood or music legend or rising star is taking a pass on Trump.

And some outright despise the man and let everyone know. Often.

Keep Reading Show less
Pope Leo XIV; JD Vance
Simone Risoluti - Vatican Media via Vatican Pool/Getty Images; Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images

MAGA Brands New Pope 'Woke' After His Past Tweet Criticizing JD Vance Resurfaces

After Cardinal Robert Prevost—a Chicago-born Roman Catholic Augustine cleric who ministered in Peru and later led the Vatican’s influential Bishops’ office—made history as the first American ever elected Pope in the Church’s 2,000-year history, a tweet from February resurfaced in which he shared an article criticizing Vice President JD Vance for "ranking" his love for others.

And MAGA is not happy about it.

Keep Reading Show less