Writing Advice From Disabled Furries For Story Idea?

[MiaWuff]

I am an autistic person who works in accessibility - and I’d also a furry struggling to write in my free time and find a writing community to make the process inspiring to me again.

I have had an idea for a “magical girl furry” story for years and recently decided to make my main characters physically disabled. However, I only recently have been making friends who are physically disabled and none of them are in the fantasy writing realm/furry community, so I lack the understanding of how to write a story about physically disabled characters transforming to have animal attributes from that experience. I have an idea for a mole and flightless bird… Yet even that, somehow, feels disingenuous.

My main struggle is with my wolf character. I decided to make her a wheelchair user, yet my own non-physically disabled understanding of wolves clash with how a wheelchair user who transforms into a wolf-like creature can get to enemies she is facing and bite and scratch and claw - which I know comes from lack of understanding/experience.

A friend recommended I try to find disabled furry communities on FB, though that effort was moot. I finally decided to check out what I can find online today when I type in “furry wheelchair user” and other phrases and came across your account. So, I wanted to reach out on here to ask if anyone is aware of online disabled furry communities that would be open to interaction and providing feedback. I am even open to changing what animals some of my characters are if it means providing more genuine representation.

Thank you for taking the time to read and I hope you have a good day!

 

[RamblingRenegade]

I am a person with Asperger's syndrome myself and I don't write because I have a hard time actually coming up with ideas or putting them on paper, same with Role Playing. I never really knew or heard about disabled furry communities before. I think it could be a touchy subject with some people like making them in a wheelchair, as some people may feel they are being mocked if not done properly.

 

[Servyl]

Hi, and welcome to the forums!

Fellow autist here. I've been writing since I've been able to pick up a pencil, and more than a few of my characters have been either mentally or physically disabled

I find there are quite a few wheelchair-user furs on TikTok and Twitter. Ask them for advice! We're all generally pretty friendly here. If they're comfortable with it, ask them about their experiences on being a wheelchair user, or a deaf person, or a blind person or whatever it is you're trying to write for. If they're willing to share, make notes of what they say and use it for reference in your story!

I decided to make her a wheelchair user, yet my own non-physically disabled understanding of wolves clash with how a wheelchair user who transforms into a wolf-like creature can get to enemies she is facing and bite and scratch and claw - which I know comes from lack of understanding/experience.

And remember that disabled people are still very capable and strong in their own aspects! Even if you cannot walk, you can still punch, snap at your enemies with your fangs in a wolf's case, heck suppose if you really wanted you could even use your chair as a weapon somehow. There's still a lot you could do, really.

Hope this helps a bit! Good luck writing your story. :3

 

[Deleted member 160111]

I don't quite understand what your problem is. If a person can be very strong, a wolf will be EVEN stronger. In fact, he could behave innocuously, waiting for the opponent to get close enough to make a dash and sink his teeth in.
Hold:
https://www.furaffinity.net/user/handicap-furs
https://www.furaffinity.net/user/disabilityfurs
These are the two groups I know about. Maybe someone will be interested in helping you, or you can get acquainted with the stories of different furs.
Okay, actually, can help you (including) to look at art, maybe it will give you inspiration.

 

[Deleted member 160111]

I am a person with Asperger's syndrome

I am an autistic person

Fellow autist here.

Omg, my SzPD by like: "What the hell, why are there only autistic here, lol."

 

[ValBeans]

I can't offer knowledge of any communities specifically as I don't personally really socialise in wider groups and communities, but to help your search terms, "spoonies" is a common community term for chronically ill and disabled folk to come under. I can offer some advice and perspective as an ambulatory wheelchair user, though from your description I'm not sure what consultation you'd be looking for in specific and what condition said character would have that requires they use a wheelchair - that might be a good place to start when building your character and understanding how that condition might affect said character when transforming and how that would change their needs.