What it's like to live with a disability, illustrated with comics.
With a social media tagline like "I didn't choose the disabled life ... the disabled life chose me," you know sisters Jessica and Lianna have a great sense of humor.
Jessica, 25, and Lianna, 27, both live with an undiagnosed medical condition, and both use a wheelchair. They noticed there was lack of disability comics and memes online, so they thought: "We like to draw — why not start making some we could actually relate to!"
Eventually, the sisters started The Disabled Life.
They thought it would be a fun way share their disability humor online, and the site immediately took off. Now the comics offer able-bodied people like me a glimpse into Jessica and Lianna's everyday lives (with a little humor and lots of wit), and they give other disabled folks a place to talk about issues they face, too.
Here are 13 of their witty comics about living with a disability IRL:
1. Like when it comes to denim struggles.
All images via The Disabled Life/Tumblr, used with permission.
2. Or dealing with inaccessibility and able-bodied people thinking it’s the most inspiring thing ever.
3. They remember their cousin hopping on the back of their chair to go through a drive-thru.
4. Or how, growing up, everyone was more aware they had a disability than they were.
5. Then there are funny anecdotes, like how they're always "half done, never fully cooked" when tanning.
6. Or trying to tame that mane when it's a bad hair day.
7. Then there's stuff we don't normally think about — like hugs.
8. Or trying to bite into a jawbreaker when you have limited use of your arm.
9. When it comes to personal space, the struggle is real.
10. There's no getting out of doing the "YMCA" just because you're in a wheelchair.
11. And the less-than-gentlemanly behavior they encounter online is the worst.
12. Then there's the ever-important but ever-difficult struggle that is selfie-taking!
13. And feeling like Miley Cyrus swinging on that wrecking ball every time they use a wheelchair lift.
When it comes to The Disabled Life's popularity, Jessica says it's amazing that people find their personal experiences so relatable.
"It's so weird because we actually had no idea this would go anywhere. It just started as something for us, for fun. So it's overwhelming to see all this positive feedback!"
The sisters are also aware other people may not find their material funny. They even have a disclaimer on their website: "To the able-bodied: other people with disabilities may or may not agree with our views. And that's cool! Because us disabled folks are people too, with a wide range of opinions on stuff."
By documenting “the jerks and perks” of living #TheDisabledLife (their hashtag of preference), Jessica and Lianna invite you to ask questions about what living life in a wheelchair is really like.
As Jessica so powerfully puts it: "It's 2016! We're human beings (who happen to sit). It's really not asking much to be treated like other human beings."
Jessica and Lianna are on a mission to make having a disability not so taboo, and these comics are a great way to do just that.
Overwhelmed with emotion.
Stressed at the desk, seeking a moment of calm.
Storytime circle with kids and teachers in the classroom.
Man sitting on chair covering his eyes.Photo by 
Dishwasher and dishes.via 
A woman washing dishes.via
Communications expert shares the 7-word phrase to shoot down anyone being disrespectful
Try this method next time someone says something rude.
A woman can't believe what she just heard.
Getting caught off guard by a rude comment from a coworker, family member, or total stranger can throw you for a loop. You immediately start wondering how you should respond. Should I insult the person right back or play it cool without stooping to their level? Everyone is going to be thrown by a disrespectful comment at some point, so it’s good to have a response in your back pocket for that moment when it comes.
Communications expert Jefferson Fisher provided a great response that we can all use recently on the Mel Robbins Podcast. Fisher is a Texas board-certified personal injury attorney and one of the most respected voices on argumentation and communication in the world. He is also the bestselling author of The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More.
How to respond to a rude or disrespectful comment
Fisher told Robbins that the first step in responding to the comment is nonverbal. You say nothing. “A lot of silence. So often, if you just wait 10 seconds that you're gonna add distance between what they said and how you're going to respond,” Fisher said. “They're saying this to get something out of you, cause in that moment, they're feeling something, whether it's a fear or an insecurity, whatever it is, you're not going to deliver on that same plane that they are.”
The next step is to let the rude person know that their behavior will not be tolerated in a confident manner.
“So somebody says something disrespectful, you give enough silence to make sure that it's a little awkward, and then you're going to say something to the effect of, ‘That's below my standard for a response.’ All of a sudden, you're now making it clear that what you just said was beneath me. And I don't respond to things that are beneath me in that way.”
Throw it back on them
If you prefer to put someone back on their heels instead of squelching the situation as Fisher recommends, John Bowe, a speech trainer, award-winning journalist, and author of I Have Something to Say: Mastering the Art of Public Speaking in the Age of DisconnectionI Have Something to Say: Mastering the Art of Public Speaking in the Age of Disconnection, says that you should respond with a question: “Do you really mean that?”
“Say it with outrage or dripping sarcasm, with raised eyebrows or deadpan calm. It doesn’t matter. This phrase is quietly disarming and deceptively powerful,” Bowe writes for CNBC. Bowe says the response does two great things for you. First, it gives them a chance to reconsider their words because most rude comments are said without thinking. “By responding with curiosity instead of defensiveness, you’re holding up a mirror. Often, that’s all it takes for the other person to walk back their offense,” he writes.
After the person is asked if they meant what they said, they can double down on their rude comment, but they are probably more likely to backpedal or apologize.
Unfortunately, it’s a fact of life that, unless you live under a rock, you’ll have to deal with people making rude comments. But the best thing you can do is to prepare yourself to confidently put someone in their place so they’ll think twice about ever being rude to you again.