Jae Stafford

I’m proud of being disabled

by  Jae Stafford, SFU Student I can't count the school days I missed growing up because of my disabilities. Gastrointestinal issues like GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease), IBS (irritable bowel syndrome), and functional dyspepsia (recurring signs of indigestion with no obvious cause), alongside my anxiety and depression, kept me from participating in my classes. I had so many absences in high school, my school threatened court hearings to investigate my missed days. Even when I was made fun of for my OCD's "quirks" and I hardly socialized at all, I didn’t consider myself to be functionally impacted by any conditions because I…

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