The Challenges of Making Friends as A Disabled Person

Imagine you recently graduated college and moved back in with your parents. You decide to go to grad school online, but because of this, you don’t have much social interaction with individuals around your age. add being disabled to the scenario, and it’s another ball game.

Well, that’s exactly what boat I am currently in. I have always struggled with making long-lasting genuine friendships. That is not to say I have not had friends in college or in high school, it’s just that they are typically in my life for a season. In my personal experience, it can be extremely hard to tell who your real friends are because some people act like your friends and then eventually show their true colors.

In other cases, I’ve had people say that they’re okay with the fact that I am disabled, but then it seems to be a bigger problem for them than they’re letting on. Situations like this can affect the way you feel about yourself. It can make you feel like a burden to other people. But the truth is if they are really your friend you being disabled matter they will love you for the person you are. Have you ever held onto a friendship because you wanted to have friends so bad that you settled for people that aren’t the best friend to you? I have, and it’s not worth the emotional pain.

I am telling you this not for pity but to help other people that may be in the same or a comparable situation feel less alone. No, I do not have all the answers but the things I’ve done to try to make friends. Although Bumble is typically a dating app, there is also a friend component called Bumble BFF where you can find people with similar interests. Another possibility is looking on Meetup.com for local groups for individuals with disabilities, or if you don’t just want to narrow your search to disability groups, there are tons of other types of social groups on meetup.com.

For all my boss babes I have a perfect group for you. Boundless Babes Society run by the Rollettes Dance team is a woman-run disability empowerment group for Women in wheelchairs. There are three stages, each of which is six months long. According to their website,

“Our program is designed to help you remove the obstacles that keep you from reaching your goals by giving tools, providing community and building leaders. If you’re feeling stuck in your career or in your personal life goals, unsure of how to get to and from a to z, sign up for The Boundless Babe Society”. (Rollettes,2022)

If you’re a goal-oriented disabled woman looking to make connections with other disabled women and possibly build friendships this is the organization for you. It may be that my suggestions are not the right fit for you, but that’s okay.

Regardless of how you meet genuine people that become amazing friends, it will be worth the wait, I promise.

Until next time,

Liv