
Happy Veteran's Day! While I am not in the military myself, I have family who served and want to thank those who have served in our military. This week, I want to talk about disability services for veterans to highlight that disability and accessibility extend far beyond me.
There is a term I have been reading about lately called pre-disabled. The idea of pre-disabled is that everyone will eventually become disabled. For me, while my condition was genetic, I did not know about it until one day I did. I went from seemingly able bodied to disabled in about one week. That same idea can happen to anyone for a variety of reasons including age, accidents, genetic factors, and to our veterans from serving in the military. Veterans in the labor force have a higher disability rate, with 30% reporting having a disability caused from military service compared to the United States average of 12% of the labor force population reporting a disability (Dol Vets, 2023). Reported disabilities can include physical disabilities as well as mental health disorders such as PTSD. Veterans who have a disability are able to get services through the VA with over 50% of veterans making at least one claim for services (VA, 2021).
I want to list 3 ways we can be supportive to veterans both in and outside of the disabled community.

Fireworks can sound like gunshots, which can be triggering to veterans with conditions like PTSD. I personally don't like the sound of fireworks either because I find them to be too loud, so this is a movement I can get behind. Some veterans might avoid holidays like the Fourth of July due to the noise and crowds, and offering support around this time can be helpful. Some tools the VA recommends when having a reaction due to PTSD are to safely address triggers, practice grounding techniques, change your temperature, schedule enjoyable activities, and to seek help to address the PTSD.
2. Support places that offer community

My college has a veterans center where veterans can come to have a place to find community. Students who are not veterans are also invited to do activities as a guest including walking one of the two emotional support dogs on campus. Having a center that can both act as community for veterans while also allowing non veterans to learn about the experiences of veterans is an important way to foster empathy and community. The senator of veterans and nontraditional students also served as a liaison to help give veteran students a place to voice concerns. Having representation can help create empowerment and community. In my own experience as a disabled person, when I found out that my therapist was also disabled I felt heard and understood in a way that is not common for me. I am currently working on a project for one of my masters classes that will hopefully create a similar space for disabled students. No matter where you are, there is a veteran community that is available to veterans and those who support them.
3. Ask veterans how you can best be supportive

I always advocate to listen to the community you want to support. For much of my activism, I rely on my own personal experiences to help decide my opinions. However, for this blog, I wanted to listen to veterans. For me, this included finding sources either from reputable statistic websites, or from the VA themselves. Also, just like with disabilities, remember that if you talk to one person who served in the military, you've talked to one person who served in the military. Every person's experience with disability is unique and valid.
Thank you for reading about disabled veterans to honor Veterans Day. If you have any questions or comments, reach out at @Anniekrollblog on Instagram or Facebook. I hope to see you next week!
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