Author: Derek I. Schmitz

Derek, 20, disabled, chronically ill, non-binary (they), and queer person. Lead Advocate @ Derek Schmitz: Advocacy, accessibility consultant, author, and paralegal. Views mine, not a lawyer. Alabama, USA - Progressive

Being Offered a Seat at the Table as a Young Disability Advocate

Derek I. Schmitz

My name is Derek. I’m a 17-year-old non-binary, queer disabled advocate. I’ve had cerebral palsy (what I like to refer to as floppy muscles) since I was born, so I’ve always been disabled. I’ve also recently been diagnosed with spondyloarthritis and a couple of other autoimmune conditions (commonly referred to as my angry joints). These… Continue reading Being Offered a Seat at the Table as a Young Disability Advocate

Two New Positions!

Derek I. Schmitz

Hey y'all, Derek here! I'm overjoyed to announce I have accepted positions within two different organizations in the past few days! Firstly, I applied and was selected for a position within the Council of State Governments Center for Advancing Policy on Employment for Youth Working Group! I will be working with ten other young disabled… Continue reading Two New Positions!

More Blog Posts Coming Soon

Derek I. Schmitz

Hey y'all, Derek here. It's been about 2 months since my last blog post and I really miss writing out long-form stuff. School and life and medical crap have gotten in the way recently. But, when I get my keyboard, I'm gonna hopefully get back into the swing of things. I have some concepts that… Continue reading More Blog Posts Coming Soon

My Journey to Disability Pride

Derek I. Schmitz2 Comments

Hey y'all! I really want to get back into the swing of long-form personal blog posts, so this'll be one of my first attempts at that in a while. July is Disability Pride Month. I know my piece is a bit late (it's July 31 as I'm putting finishing touches on it and posting it),… Continue reading My Journey to Disability Pride

Archived Twitter Thread: “Get well soon” vs “I hope you get back to baseline soon”

Derek I. Schmitz

This is an archive of my 07/23/2021 thread on the difference between “get well soon” and “I hope you're back to baseline soon." The thread can be viewed here. Let's to about the difference between “get well soon” and “I hope you're back to baseline soon” when talking to those with chronic illness. A thread.… Continue reading Archived Twitter Thread: “Get well soon” vs “I hope you get back to baseline soon”