There’s a strange kind of ableism people don’t notice they’re doing…
The kind where they tell disabled artists to “stay within their limits,” or that using assistive tech is “lazy,” or that we should make work that looks disabled so it feels more authentic to them.
It’s the idea that struggling is noble and adapting is suspicious. If someone draws with their mouth or feet, people cheer.
If someone uses AI, screen readers, stabilizers, or digital cleanup tools, suddenly it’s “cheating.”
Disabled people don’t owe the world visible struggle.
We don’t have to make art that fits someone else’s idea of what our bodies should produce.
And we’re allowed to use every tool available to hit the quality we know we’re capable of.