The start of something inclusive

Welcome to the very first-ever edition of The Inclusivity Edit! I’m so excited to have you here :)

A special shoutout to Ali (@seated.perspectives) for helping me make this newsletter happen!

So, why The Inclusivity Edit? Well, coming up with a name for a newsletter is hard. I started my social media under my own name without really thinking about it too much (mostly because no one else in the world has my name.) But it doesn’t exactly lend itself to cute or witty puns, does it?

The word “edit” is a nod to the fashion world —if you’re not familiar, an edit is basically a curated collection of pieces, carefully chosen to make a statement.

(And literally as I was writing this, it hit me — it’s also a nod to myself. For those who don’t know, I come from the film industry and was trained as an editor. So this name has a few layers of meaning.)

Anyways, back to the point.

I know your inbox is probably full of sales emails you never wanted or forgot ever signing up for, so I promise to make this worth your time.

Here’s what you can expect from this newsletter:

• Insights

• Style tips

• The latest in inclusive fashion, beauty, and entertainment

Now that you know what to expect, let’s get into one of the biggest reasons I decided to start showing up online — to challenge the idea of body positivity and make sure disabled bodies are finally part of the conversation.

body positivity is not actually positive (yet)

For a movement that claims to celebrate all bodies, why does body positivity still exclude disabled people?

Body positivity is not a new movement. While the initial wave began in 1969, it started gaining traction in the mid-2000s and then really took off in the early 2010s (right around the same time as the rise of social media.)

This new wave was a response to decades of harmful beauty standards and unrealistic expectations.

Body positivity was supposed to be different.

But was it really?

The whole idea behind body positivity was to push back against harmful beauty standards — especially the ones that glorified “thinness.”

But it still felt like we were only allowed to feel positive about our bodies if they looked a certain way.

And that way usually wasn’t disabled.

But by only focusing on certain kinds of bodies, we left other people out. We accidentally created new “rules” about what kinds of bodies are worth celebrating.

The movement forgot about people with visible disabilities. It started to feel like the message was: You can love your body, but only if it looks like this or functions like this.

And in the last few years, a lot of people have turned away from the body positivity movement and embraced a new one — body neutrality. Body neutrality emphasizes appreciating what your body does for you rather than how it looks — which is great in theory.

But for many disabled people, our bodies don’t function in the typical ways, and this can make us feel even more left out. Now, if you’re into body neutrality and it works for you, I’m not here to tell you you’re wrong. I just want to show a different perspective.

When I started this whole social media journey (ugh, I cringe at that word), I didn’t set out to challenge body positivity and representation. But once I started showing up online, I realized I had a lot more to say about these things and how much they impact disabled people.

Deep down, these were the issues that caused me the most struggle. While I’ve come to a place of accepting my body and my disabilities, I know many others aren’t there yet. That’s when I realized maybe I could help.

So, what does challenging body positivity mean to me?

I’m not here to say that body positivity (or even body neutrality) hasn’t done great things for a lot of people. But I’ve also seen how it’s hurt so many others.

So for me, it’s about making space for those of us who’ve been left out of the conversation for way too long.

It’s not enough to say ‘all bodies are beautiful’ if we’re still leaving disabled people out.

At the end of the day, challenging body positivity means making it better.

So how do we do that?

Normalize seeing disabled bodies — Whether it’s on social media, TV shows, or just out in the world, we need to see more disabled bodies. That’s what I’m doing by showing up online. Is it scary? Absolutely. But if my being uncomfortable for a bit helps the next generation of disabled kids avoid the negative feelings I was taught to have about my body, it’s 100% worth it.

Unlearn internalized ableism - This one takes time, but start by recognizing the little biases that we’ve all absorbed about disability. Ask yourself: How have these ideas shaped the way I see myself or others? And then start undoing them.

Challenge your own beauty standards - We’ve all been taught what “beauty” is supposed to look like, but have you ever stopped to question where those ideas came from? Like, who decided only certain bodies should wear fitted clothes?

Demand better from brands who claim to be body positive — It's not enough to champion body positivity if that doesn’t also include disabled bodies.

fave fashion finds

If you saw my posts about the shoes I avoid and recommend, you already know I’ve had my fair share of trial and error when it comes to finding the right fit. And from all the comments and messages, it seems like a lot of us with disabilities are in the same boat.

While no shoe is perfect for everyone, here are a few that have really worked for me!

(P.S. I’m not getting paid to mention these, so no, I won’t be rolling in cash if you click the links — although honestly, Nike should be paying me for this. )

Everyday running shoes — Ok, so, Nike doesn’t actually make my favorite pair anymore, which is super annoying because they’re perfect. They are lightweight, flexible, and have velcro/zipper closure which them easy to put on. But, they dostill make a “big kids” version. And pro tip: depending on your shoe size, you might be able to get away with the big kids size!

Streetwear-esque sneakers — Like I mentioned in my reel, the chunky soles on these offer a lot of support and stability, plus they’re really lightweight. I’m a “sneakers go with everything” kind of gal, and these really do go with almost every outfit.

Chunky Chelsea boots — This is the only time I make an exception for a heel. I love this pair from Steve Madden because the heel is chunky, which gives you more surface to balance on, but they’re still lightweight. Plus, they’ve got great tread, which is important if you live somewhere with rain, snow, or ice.

I also want to shout out Zappos and Billy Footwear. While I haven’t tried them, I’ve heard great things about their adaptive options, especially Billy Footwear, which has several AFO-friendly shoes.

I hope you found a little inspo, some helpful tips, or maybe just something to think about.