Annika Berlin

When people posit disability as a problem, they look for solutions.

also know personally that a function of ableism is that it forces disabled people to navigate systems in isolation, so most people do not actually have a clue about what our lives are like. I

ANXIETY. The number two reason people don’t see others is that they have so much noise in their own heads, they can’t hear what’s going on in other heads. How am I coming across? I don’t think this person really likes me. What am I going to say next to appear clever? Fear is the enemy of open communication.

the quality of our lives and the health of our society depends, to a large degree, on how well we treat each other in the minute interactions of daily life.

Big questions interrupt the daily routines people fall into and prompt them to step back and see their life from a distance. Here are some of my favorite questions that do that: “What crossroads are you at?” At any moment, most of us are in the middle of some transition. The question helps people focus on theirs. “What would you do if you weren’t a

When you’re first getting to know someone, you don’t want to try to peer into their souls right away. It’s best to look at something together.