Sarah Parkin

When my grandsons were born, I honoured that tradition too—with broth, night feeds, and presence.
My arms were never the problem.
They were always just right.

There was no awkwardness. Just mutual respect.
Unfamiliar doesn’t mean unsafe.
Different traditions, same care.

I froze. She hadn’t.
Just as I went to adjust her—burp. Quiet, perfect, and right on time.
We all smiled. I could breathe again.

I held the baby on my knees, supported her with my right arm, and used my left to gently pat and shift her.
Then came the question: “Has she burped yet?”

I didn’t want to challenge their tradition.
But my daughter-in-law gently encouraged me—she’d told them I was good at this.

Immi, the baby’s mum, explained that in her culture, babies aren’t sat up too early—it’s thought to harm their backs.
But when I was asked to show how I help wind babies, I hesitated.

In Uganda, I was trusted to hold a baby crook-to-crook—just as any grandmother might.
No fuss. No hesitation.
Just quiet trust and warm acceptance.

“My arms have never been the problem. They’ve always been perfect—for birth, broth, and a well-timed burp.”
Disability doesn’t stop care. Assumptions do.
Here’s what happened in Uganda…

Now my children trust me with their babies. The same arms. The same love. The same quiet resilience.
Full story on my Facebook page: Sarah:Changing the narrative

www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdisa...

A midwife once told me, “Your arms hurt because you never put him down.”
But I didn’t dare to.
My arms were the perfect shape for holding a baby.
And they still are.

I held him constantly—not just out of love, but fear. Fear that someone would say I couldn’t cope. That he deserved someone “better.” But I could cope. I was enough.

At 19, I became a mum—and I was scared. Not of the baby, but of being judged. Because I’m disabled. I knew what babies needed, but I knew people might not see me that way.
#WhoseWordsAreThese #AccessIsCulture

Image description: A woman sits quietly beside a large, pale blue mask. Her posture is calm, reflective—like she’s resting after carrying the weight of performance. The mask lies discarded beside her, a symbol of the effort it takes to seem “okay” in a world that doesn’t ask.

Alt text: A digital illustration of a woman with auburn hair sitting on the ground beside a large, light blue mask. She wears a mustard jumper, sits with her knees up, and has a calm, neutral expression. The background is soft and muted.

YES Alt text isn’t about you-it’s about who’s being excluded when you skip it.

It’s one small click that says: I thought about who might need this.

if you forget do better next time, and keep going.

Access isn’t optional. It’s the baseline.

#AccessIsCulture #WhoseWordsAreThese #DisabilityJustice

Some days, “coping” just means hiding how much it hurts.
Because if you show it, people flinch or look away.
So you smile, nod, carry on.
And afterwards, collapse in the quiet, where no one’s watching.
That’s not resilience. That’s survival.
#WhoseWordsAreThese

Hi, I’m Sarah—a disability advocate, retired SLT, and storyteller. I use humour, metaphors, and lived experience to challenge ableism and explore the stories we tell about disability.
#WhoseWordsAreThese

The PIP system makes you focus on your worst days. Again and again. It’s exhausting—and dehumanising.

Even with support, the toll of chronic illness, menopause, and pretending to “cope” nearly broke me.

My grandkids saved me. The system didn’t.

#DisabilityJustice #WhoseWordsAreThese

Challenging assumptions.

I offer talks and workshops that blend
• Disability justice
• Inclusive design
• Language, labels & belonging
• AI bias & automated exclusion

Now booking for 2025.
Let’s build systems that don’t leave people out.

#DisabilityJustice #InclusiveDesign #StorytellingForChange

Tax the super rich to stop cuts to public services Across the UK, living standards are falling and millions live in poverty, while the cost of living crisis has made affording the basics difficult. Public services we all rely on - our hospitals, schoo...

I just signed the petition to to demand the Government tax the super rich to rebuild our NHS, schools, and other public services. Will you sign too? you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/pr...

Labour pandering /adopting far-right rhetoric is both morally wrong and strategically self-defeating. Studies demonstrate that this approach shifts public discourse, strengthening far-right movements, and often results in losses for the mainstream party. Get a backbone Labour look after the needy.

Absolutely disgraceful.

Ofcom, stop GB News broadcasting hate *CW: Homophobia, hate speech GB News is no stranger to spouting hatred and toxic lies. They take pride in it, and pretend the rules don’t matter. But they do. And they must be enforced. On 22 January,...

On 22 January, GB News presenter Josh Howie repeated a homophobic slur linking the LGBTQ+ community to paedophilia. This is offensive, wrong and unlawful. Join me and @GoodLawProject to file a complaint to Ofcom :point_down: action.goodlawproject.org/ofcom-stop-g...

Dear Algorithm please connect me with people who like to read books/authors from around the world 📚✍️📝🌎🌍🌏🗺️

I concur. It’s very refreshing to hear that I’m not alone in hating Christmas. We’ll all breathe a huge sigh of relief on the 27th.

Hitting the pocket is the only thing that matters to people like him. #boycottTesla
#boycottXformerlyTwitter
#boycottMusk
#BoycottDailyMail. The last one just because!

Lord Woodley’s Bill to end the cruel & monumental injustice of the #IPPscandal has passed its 2nd Reading. The question now is will the Prime Minister do the right thing & give the Bill government time for a full & proper Committee Stage?

Let’s not wait for the next ITV drama to do what’s right

The disability community is the the largest minority group in the country and often the most ignored. It’s also the only minority group you can join at any time. You can become disabled and most likely will with age. To care about the disability community is to care about your inevitable future.

The media’s dangerous embrace of Farage: a critical look at BBC’s Question Time The BBC’s platforming of Nigel Farage on Question Time promotes divisive and misleading rhetoric, distorting the debate on immigration

“My 2023 open letter to the BBC about Question Time, read by more than 300,000 people in 144 countries, was widely reported in the media. It even informed questions posed to the BBC’s director general Tim Davie at a parliamentary select committee.”

One of my favourite books from my #readingaroundtheworldchallenge