“I used to be worried about wearing my braces and showing people that I have a disability, but now I don’t care what people think.”
[image description: (image 1, above) an image of a young Bahamian-American woman with short black hair leaning against a bookshelf in a college library. She wears black-rimmed glasses, a grey three-quarter-sleeved shirt, and two blue wrist braces. One hand is placed under her chin and the other is flipping through a book. (image 2, below) an image of a young Bahamian-American woman with short black hair standing between two library shelves. She is putting a book back into the highest stack. She wears a burgundy cardigan and blue jeans. She has on two wrist braces and a knee brace.] ~ Photography: Jena Hovey
Alyssa, 20 - Missouri
Growing up in the Bahamas, Alyssa was teased for being light-skinned, but when she moved to the U.S., she felt more accepted for that very same reason. However, at a young age, Alyssa realized beauty standards could vary significantly from one culture to another, and her underlying disability added another layer of complicated feelings about her body.
In college, Alyssa was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome - a rare, hereditary disorder that affects the connective tissue supporting the body’s joints and organs. Often, Alyssa’s daily life activities caused her pain, and she felt singled out for being unable to participate in “normal” college life. Her father teased that she is a young person living in an older person’s body.
We are bombarded with images of ideal beauty defined by fit, healthy, active bodies in this media age. People with disabilities and chronic illnesses are seldom portrayed as attractive, complex, or fully competent individuals. Their voices are often missing, and their disabilities are sensationalized. Although Alyssa is sometimes met with stares or questions when she wears her braces, she takes every opportunity to educate people about her disability. Regardless of what society says she should feel like, she feels good about her body.
Alyssa’s story reminds us of neglected populations that do not align with the “ideal” image of bodies and how this image changes cross-culturally.
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#SeeBodiesDifferently #MidwestBrokenMirror
Resources
Reducing the stress of serious illness, rare disease, and disability through emotional support and educational resources rooted in mindfulness, awareness, and compassion.
One out of every five Americans lives with a disability. The Dreamscape Foundation is actively working to ensure that anyone who lives with this struggle is provided with the tools and resources needed to meet their educational, employment, and independent living goals.
The Ehlers-Danlos Society is a global community of individuals, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and supporters, dedicated to saving and improving the lives of those affected by the Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS), hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD), and related conditions.