The Disability Joy Jar: A Survival Recipe for Tough Days
When chronic fatigue or inaccessible spaces weigh me down, I turn to my Disability Joy Jar: a small mason jar brimming with scraps of paper, each holding a spark of joy or a survival tactic born from disability wisdom. This simple tool, built from navigating a world that often excludes us, is both my personal lifeline and a gift to our community. It’s a way to thrive and share resilience amid turbulent times.
The Joy Jar was born after a grueling day of endless forms and dismissive systems. Feeling defeated, I recalled late-night chats from a disability justice retreat—moments where we swapped hacks and hopes. I began jotting down ideas that keep me grounded. One slip says, “Stream that Deaf comedian’s special on YouTube—free, with captions.” Another: “Join my crip book club’s virtual meetup.” A third: “Listen to a library’s accessible audiobook by a wheelchair-using author.”
These notes, some pointing to digital resources like online communities or X posts by a Blind poet, are my rebellion against burnout. The jar is physical, but its contents bridge the tangible and digital, reflecting how we navigate both worlds.
Making a Joy Jar is easy and inclusive. Use any container: a jar, a box, or even a phone app. Write down strategies and resources that resonate, such as a link to a free virtual disability film festival, a reminder to join an online support group, or a tip to schedule rest like a sacred ritual. You can start today by picking one idea, like a note to celebrate a small victory or a link to an accessible workshop, and share your tips in community spaces—our resilience grows when we exchange it.
On a tough day, I pulled a note suggesting an accessible yoga class online, turning isolation into connection. By sharing these strategies in community forums or group chats, our wisdom grows, weaving the jar into our movements for liberation. This aligns with disability justice’s call for sustainability, ensuring we thrive as individuals to sustain our collective struggle.
In a society that often marginalizes us, this jar is a quiet revolution. It celebrates our ingenuity and calls us to keep going. What will you add to yours?
Shivank Pandey (he/him) is writer dedicated to fostering resilience and community among disabled individuals he shares strategies for thriving in an often inaccessible world, drawing from personal experiences and collective wisdom.
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