Disability Today: The Truth Behind Accessible Product Testing

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Some days, disability feels like you’re training for a marathon you didn’t sign up for. Other days, it feels like you’ve won the gold medal just for standing up without wobbling. And then there are the days when you’re stuck in a rocking chair trying to fight gravity like it’s your full-time job.

That’s where accessible product testing comes in.

Because the truth is:
Accessibility isn’t about perfection.
It’s about does this thing actually work in real life?
Does it help me stand up without launching myself sideways?
Will it support me on a day when my MS has decided to “surprise” me?
Will it hold up when I’m having a misadventure that wasn’t on the schedule?

These are things every disabled person thinks — but rarely says.

So I test them. On-camera.
Not in an exact setting, not with stock models smiling in perfect lighting.
I test them in real life, where real disabled people live.

Because life with a disability is messy, funny, unpredictable, and full of “well, that wasn’t in the instructions” moments.

Like the time I tried a Chair Assist Bar with a rocking chair.
Let’s just say:
Rocking chairs rock.
I did not.
Gravity won at first.
(But the bar redeemed itself, eventually.)

Or the time a product promised “easy support for anyone.”
Anyone?
Ma’am, I am not just “anyone.” I am a walking stress test.

And let me say this clearly:
Accessible product testing should NOT be done by people who have never had to rely on accessibility.
You can’t understand what something needs to do unless you’ve actually needed it.

Accessibility isn’t a feature — it’s survival.
It’s the difference between independence and needing a rescue team.
It’s the difference between laughing off a misadventure and landing in a heap while a crowd gasps.
(Been there. Own it. Lived it.)

But here’s the beautiful part:
Disabled people are some of the most creative problem-solvers on the planet.
We turn tools into lifelines.
We turn mishaps into humor.
We turn struggles into community.
And we turn “Who is this even designed for?” into “Let me show you how it REALLY works.”

That’s why I created Shattering Limits with Cindy — to show the world what disability looks like TODAY. Not the outdated version. Not the pity version. Not the superhero version.
Just the real version.
With laughter, honesty, a few tumbles, and a whole lot of persistence.

Because disability today is not about perfection.
It’s about adapting.
Improvising.
Finding products that actually help — and exposing the ones that don’t.

It’s about living life fully, even if you’re doing it with assistive devices, mobility tools, and a sense of humor that deserves its own award.

And if I can help someone discover a product that makes their day easier?
Or make someone feel less alone in their misadventures?
Or make a non-disabled person finally understand what accessibility actually means?

Then every test — every wobble, every laugh, every “oops,” every triumph — is absolutely worth it.

This is disability today:
Real.
Beautiful.
Messy.
Empowering.
And never boring.

Welcome to the journey.
Let’s shatter some limits together. 💛