ADHD Ableism: The Hidden Struggle You Didn’t Know Existed
👋 Have you ever been told to "just try harder"? That if you were more disciplined or better organized, you wouldn’t struggle so much?
That’s ADHD ableism—and for many of us, it started long before we even knew we had ADHD.
I remember the first time I felt like my ADHD made me broken. Sitting in a parent-teacher conference as a child, hearing my teacher say:
🗨️ “Alicia is so bright, but she just doesn’t apply herself.”
The message was clear: If I just tried harder, I wouldn’t be this way. But no one ever told me that the system itself was never built for brains like mine.
What is ADHD Ableism?
💡 It’s the bias and systemic discrimination that makes ADHDers feel like they must "fix" themselves instead of being supported.
🔥 Real-life examples:
The “Try Harder” Myth: “You could focus if you really wanted to.”
Workplace & School Barriers: Being denied accommodations because “everyone else manages fine.”
Internalized Self-Blame: “I should be able to do this without help.”
🚨 ADHD ableism is real—but it’s also changeable. We don’t need to fit into a broken system. We need a system that fits us.
🎯 Want the full story? Read it here → What Is ADHD Ableism?
💥 Wear it loud & proud: The Neurodivergent AF T-shirt is for those who refuse to be boxed in.
