The
Multiverse
School

Part VI: Appendices

Disability Resources & Support

You Belong

Disability is part of human diversity. You deserve access, accommodation, and community.

This guide connects you to disability-specific resources, rights, and support.

Start Here: Finding Local Support

🔍 findhelp.org

  • Search by ZIP code for disability services near you
  • Free resource locator
  • Includes: accessibility services, benefits assistance, housing, healthcare, equipment
  • Available nationwide

This is the fastest way to find local disability resources.

Know Your Rights

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

You have the right to:

  • Reasonable accommodations at work
  • Accessible public spaces
  • Non-discrimination in employment, housing, education
  • Service animals
  • Accessible websites (for some entities)

Learn more:

  • ADA.gov: ada.gov
  • ADA National Network: adata.org
    • 1-800-949-4232
    • Regional ADA centers

Section 504 & IDEA (For Students)

Section 504: Accommodations in school (K-12, college)

IDEA: Special education services (K-12)

Resources:

Disability Benefits

SSI & SSDI

SSI (Supplemental Security Income):

  • Need-based
  • For people with limited income/resources
  • Disability must prevent work

SSDI (Social Security Disability Insurance):

  • Based on work history
  • Must have worked and paid into Social Security

Apply:

Getting help with application:

Know: First application is often denied. Appeal. Most people win on appeal.

Other Benefits

SNAP (Food Stamps)

Medicaid

Housing assistance

Benefits checkup:

Finding Disability-Affirming Support

What "Affirming" Means

Disability-affirming support:

  • ✅ Social model of disability (society disables, not your body)
  • ✅ You're the expert on your experience
  • ✅ Accommodations are rights, not favors
  • ✅ Disability is part of identity, not tragedy
  • ✅ Nothing About Us Without Us

NOT affirming:

  • ❌ Medical model only (you're broken, need fixing)
  • ❌ Inspiration porn ("you're so brave!")
  • ❌ Infantilization
  • ❌ Ableism
  • ❌ Pity

Disability Justice Framework

Disability justice principles:

  1. Intersectionality - Race, class, gender, disability intersect
  2. Leadership of those most impacted
  3. Anti-capitalist politic - Worth isn't productivity
  4. Cross-movement solidarity
  5. Wholeness - Not broken
  6. Sustainability - Pace that honors bodies
  7. Commitment to cross-disability solidarity

Created by: Sins Invalid, Patty Berne, Mia Mingus

Learn more:

Workplace Accommodations

Job Accommodation Network (JAN)

Free service helping with:

  • What accommodations to request
  • How to request them
  • Your rights

Contact:

  • askjan.org
  • 1-800-526-7234
  • Searchable database by disability

Common Accommodations

Physical:

  • Ergonomic furniture
  • Wheelchair accessibility
  • Adjustable desk/monitor
  • Parking accommodation
  • Modified schedule

Sensory:

  • Quiet workspace
  • Noise-canceling headphones
  • Lighting adjustments
  • Sunglasses indoors

Cognitive/Mental Health:

  • Flexible hours
  • Work from home
  • Written instructions
  • Extended deadlines
  • Breaks as needed
  • Quiet space for breaks

Chronic illness/pain:

  • Flexible schedule
  • Work from home
  • Reduced hours
  • Breaks/rest periods
  • Modified duties

Requesting Accommodations

You don't have to disclose your diagnosis.

Instead:

  • "I have a medical condition that requires accommodation"
  • "I need [specific accommodation] to perform my job"
  • Medical documentation may be required (doctor's note)

Process:

  1. Request accommodation (preferably in writing)
  2. Employer requests medical documentation
  3. Interactive process (discuss what works)
  4. Accommodation implemented

If denied unreasonably:

  • EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission): eeoc.gov
  • 1-800-669-4000
  • File a charge of discrimination

Chronic Illness & Pain

Resources

The Mighty

ChronicBabe

National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD)

HealthUnlocked

Spoon Theory

Coined by Christine Miserandino to explain chronic illness/pain energy limits.

Spoons = units of energy.

  • Healthy person: unlimited spoons
  • Chronic illness: limited daily spoons
  • Every activity costs spoons
  • When you're out, you're out

Learn more: butyoudontlooksick.com/articles/written-by-christine/the-spoon-theory

r/spoonie (Reddit)

Mobility Disabilities

Wheelchair Users

United Spinal Association

Wheelchair Access

  • AXS Map: axsmap.com
  • Crowdsourced accessibility ratings

Service Animals

Your rights:

  • Service animals allowed in all public places
  • Cannot be denied (with rare exceptions)
  • No "certification" required (beware scams)

ADA info on service animals:

Deaf & Hard of Hearing

Resources

National Association of the Deaf (NAD)

Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA)

Captioning & Access

711 - Telecommunications Relay Service

  • For phone calls

Otter.ai

  • Live transcription (free tier available)

Google Live Transcribe (Android app)

Streaming:

  • Most services now offer captions
  • YouTube auto-captions (varying quality)

Learning ASL

ASL University (Bill Vicars)

SignASL.org

The ASL App

  • Paid, but comprehensive

Blind & Low Vision

Resources

National Federation of the Blind (NFB)

American Council of the Blind (ACB)

Assistive Technology

Screen readers:

  • JAWS (Windows, paid)
  • NVDA (Windows, free)
  • VoiceOver (Mac/iOS, built-in)
  • TalkBack (Android, built-in)

Magnification:

  • ZoomText (paid)
  • Built-in OS magnifiers

Audio description:

  • Many streaming services offer it
  • Look for "AD" or "Audio Description"

Resources:

Invisible Disabilities

Validation

Your disability is real even if people can't see it.

Common invisible disabilities:

  • Chronic pain
  • Chronic fatigue (ME/CFS, fibromyalgia)
  • Mental illness
  • Neurodivergence (ADHD, autism)
  • Chronic illness (lupus, Crohn's, POTS, EDS)
  • Traumatic brain injury
  • Learning disabilities

Resources

But You Don't Look Sick

Invisible Disabilities Association

r/chronicpain, r/ChronicIllness (Reddit)

Mental Illness as Disability

Mental illness can be disabling.

You may qualify for:

  • SSI/SSDI
  • FMLA (Family Medical Leave Act)
  • Workplace accommodations
  • School accommodations

Resources:

See also: Therapy Resources

Housing & Accessibility

Fair Housing Act

Requires reasonable accommodations in housing.

Examples:

  • Service/assistance animals (even if "no pets")
  • Accessible parking
  • Ramp installation
  • Grab bars
  • Visual fire alarms

Contact:

Finding Accessible Housing

findhelp.org

  • Search by ZIP code for accessible housing programs
  • Find housing assistance, emergency housing, accessible units
  • Start here first

HUD Resource Locator:

National Disability Rights Network:

Transportation

Paratransit

Most cities with public transit offer paratransit (door-to-door service for people unable to use regular transit).

How to access:

  • Contact your local transit authority
  • May require application + documentation

Ride Services

Uber/Lyft:

  • Some cities offer discounted rides for people with disabilities
  • WAV (wheelchair accessible vehicles) in some areas

Books & Learning

"Care Work: Dreaming Disability Justice" by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

  • Disability justice, care webs, access intimacy

"Disability Visibility" edited by Alice Wong

  • Essays by disabled writers

"Demystifying Disability" by Emily Ladau

  • Intro to disability, rights, etiquette

"Being Heumann" by Judith Heumann

  • Disability rights activist memoir

"The Pretty One" by Keah Brown

  • Black disabled woman's memoir

Online Communities

Reddit

r/disability - General disability

r/ChronicPain - Chronic pain

r/ChronicIllness - Chronic illness

r/Fibromyalgia, r/CFS, r/POTS - Specific conditions

Social Media

#DisabilityTwitter - Disabled community on Twitter

#ActuallyAutistic, #ADHD, etc. - Neurodivergent communities

Alice Wong (@SFdirewolf) - Disability Visibility Project founder

Imani Barbarin (@Imani_Barbarin) - Disability rights activist

Healthcare Navigation

Finding Disability-Competent Doctors

Ask:

  • "What's your experience with [your disability]?"
  • "Are you willing to work with me on accommodations?"
  • "Do you believe me when I describe my symptoms?"

Red flags:

  • Dismissive
  • "It's all in your head"
  • Won't accommodate
  • Doesn't listen

Green flags:

  • Listens
  • Takes you seriously
  • Willing to collaborate
  • Understands your condition

Advocating for Yourself

Bring:

  • Written list of symptoms
  • Questions
  • Support person if helpful

Say:

  • "I need you to document this in my chart"
  • "I need a referral to a specialist"
  • "That treatment didn't work, what else can we try?"

You can:

  • Get a second opinion
  • Fire a doctor
  • Request a different doctor
  • File a complaint

Financial Assistance

Start with findhelp.org:

  • Search by ZIP code for local financial assistance programs
  • Find disability benefits help, medical bill assistance, equipment programs

Medical Expenses

HealthWell Foundation

Patient Advocate Foundation

NeedyMeds

  • needymeds.org
  • Prescription assistance, disease-specific programs

Equipment & Assistive Tech

State Assistive Technology Programs

Freecycle, Buy Nothing groups

  • Sometimes people give away medical equipment

Disability Advocacy Organizations

American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD)

National Disability Rights Network (NDRN)

  • ndrn.org
  • State Protection & Advocacy agencies

Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN)

Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF)

Multiverse & Disabled Students

Many of us are disabled. You belong here.

Accommodations we can offer:

  • Flexible participation
  • Reduced expectations when needed
  • Multiple ways to engage (text, voice, async)

Accommodations we can't offer:

  • 24/7 support
  • Professional medical/mental health care
  • Crisis intervention

If you need accommodation, ask. Facilitators will work with you.

See also:

Remember

Disability is not tragedy.

You are not broken.

Accommodations are rights, not favors.

Your access needs matter.

You belong in community.

See Also:

The handbook is written in the open. See this page on GitHub.

Ask the handbook

Ask about refunds, rescheduling, the code of conduct, campus, or anything else in the handbook. Answers come only from the handbook text.