Hello! Are we ready to take a trip down memory lane? This post is all about blogging and my personal thoughts and opinions on what it’s like being a disabled blogger. Thank you to Emma for tagging me in this and find out at the end who I have tagged to do this next! So here we go…

1. When and why did you start your blog?
To be exact – I started my written blogs on 27th March 2016. I can’t believe it’s been that long. Then I started doing videos the next January. I originally wanted to talk just about fashion and style, be a person that was representing people who would happen to click on my page. For so long I was reading and watching so much content that I just couldn’t relate to. I explain it here in my first ever (cringy) blog! I used to get so many questions, and still do about what I wear, where I get it from so I thought why not share it? It’s now evolved into so much more than fashion…

2. Did you intend to talk about your disability online from the beginning?
Kind of yes but not as much as I do. At first I thought it would just be sort of generic, sitting in wheelchair fashion or where I get my shoes from but now it’s completely expanded. It’s basically a bubble of my experiences and of course, disability is the centre because that’s who I am and proud to be.

3. Have you ever been sceptical about talking about your disability online?
Yes of course, I think it’s natural. I always talk my ideas with my friends and family first and see what they think. I think as a disabled blogger it’s important to get the balance right, inform but don’t feel pressured to share everything. People sometimes feel entitled to know your personal (and I mean personal) information. So I always think, would I say this out loud? If yes – it’s going in.

4. What kind of response have you/do you receive in terms of your disability-related blog posts?
The responses are my favourite bits about my blog as they come from both disabled and non-disabled readers. It’s really interesting to compare the two. I think sometimes with blogs I write, not everyone shares their responses and that’s cool. I don’t just want to ‘raise awareness’ I want to challenge people’s assumptions with funny anecdotes and hopefully some readers can understand what I’m about.

5. Do you write/talk about other topics apart from your disability?
Yes! I love to talk about things I wear, places I’ve been and just generally talking about my life. I think naturally though my disability is a part of me, so it always crops up in most blogs – it’s hard to seperate (not that I want to either).

6. What steps do you take to make your blog accessible to yourself as well as other people?
I’ve continuously changed the theme of my blog to hopefully make it easier to read but I know I still need to improve it. With my videos I always subtitle them and I’m only just learning about Alt tags on my images. I sometimes get embarrassed when I miss something that would improve accessibility as it’s kind of ‘expected’ that we as disabled people should just know about these things – but we’re all learning!

7. What is your favourite thing about blogging about your disability?
I think it’s making it funny. People are so nervous to say the wrong thing that they daren’t even laugh when something genuinely funny (in my opinion of course) happens. That’s why I like to start the conversation and dare to make jokes. Obviously something aren’t funny but I love that I have a platform to create my own content and share stories how I want to.

8. What are your top three disability-related blog posts that you’ve ever published?
Hmm I think…
“Mummy, look at that little girl!” | Disability and Children
Can I just ask?
I Know Disabled People Too!

9. Do you think that the disabled blogger/YouTube community is overlooked?
I think there’s a number of things that are barriers for any disabled content creator. I think the main issue however is the era we’re in at the moment – people like professional looking content. This can be hard to do anyway but when you have some kind of impairment, it can be even more difficult to level up to other people. Their content is unique and insightful but asthetically people want it to look a certain way and that takes physical and mental effort to do. That’s what I’ve found hard to grasp as I’ve evolved in the blogging world.

10. Do you find it difficult to think of new disability-related content to publish?
Sometimes, I also sometimes just want to mix it up a bit and talk about something completely different. I love reading other disabled bloggers’ content to motivate me when I’m feeling like this and remember that this is a hobby – not a chore. Ideas will come to me when I least expect it!

11. Do you think blogging about your disability helps to change people’s perceptions?
I really hope so – I know I’m not going to change the world but if I’ve made someone silent giggle, that’ll do me.

12. Who do you tag?
Ok, so controversial I am tagging ANY disabled blogger who wants to complete this. It’s a great way to look back on where you started and I’d love to read more blogs so if you’re a disabled blogger and want to complete this. Do it! and send it over so I can have a peak too.