Am I Chronically Ill, Disabled, or Both?

Most identities we have are pretty black and white. Some we are given: we are raised with our cultural identities, our race is determined by our genetics, and the language we speak is dependent on where we grew up and the language of our caregivers. Clear lines are also drawn between our acquired identities: musician or not, religious or not, film buff or not. Sure, there's wiggle room-- you can love films and not be a film buff; you can play music as a hobby and not consider yourself a musician. But most identities we know pretty easily if they belong to us or they don't.

Disability isn't like that. At least, not for everyone.

Some people don't question if they're disabled. With some conditions, it's very clear. But what does it mean to be disabled, and what does it mean to be chronically ill?

In addition to exploring how people in these communities find and define these identities, I also want to explore what these identities mean for people with different disabilities and illnesses.