CW: Mental Health
Loneliness is not just a fleeting feeling. It is a constant reality for many disabled individuals. In a recent opinion piece for the Cincinnati Enquirer, Alen Amini, the executive director of Starfire, a nonprofit in Cincinnati that aims to build inclusive communities, describes loneliness among disabled people as a public health crisis. His message resonates with me deeply.
As someone with cerebral palsy, I experience loneliness often. Throughout my childhood, I wanted to fit in. I never understood that it was okay to be disabled. All I desired was to belong.
People urged me to concentrate on my abilities instead of my disability. Though they meant well, this focus made me feel like my disability was something I needed to overcome or hide. I wish I had a better understanding of how cerebral palsy would influence my daily life.
Unlearning those messages was difficult. At 20, I fell into depression. I found it hard to think clearly and felt overwhelmed by sadness. In 2020, I began taking Prozac and started weekly counseling sessions, which I attended for a couple of years. These steps helped me process the isolation I had carried for so long.
Amini’s article points out how systemic barriers like inaccessible construction, exclusionary social norms, and a lack of inclusive opportunities create this isolation. Disabled people are much more likely to feel chronic loneliness, which is associated with serious health risks including heart disease, depression, and early death. This issue extends beyond social circles; it is a public health emergency.
Starfire’s efforts demonstrate that connection is possible when communities invest in the strengths and stories of disabled people. However, inclusion must be deliberate. It begins with listening to disabled people and acknowledging that loneliness is not a given. Often, it results from the choices we make as a society.
I am still learning what it means to belong. Not by hiding my disability, but by accepting it. I hope that by sharing my story, someone else will feel a little less alone.
Source:
Amini, Alen. “America’s Loneliness Epidemic Is Even Worse for People with Disabilities: Opinion.” The Cincinnati Enquirer, USA Today Co., 7 Nov. 2025, http://www.cincinnati.com/story/opinion/contributors/2025/11/07/loneliness-among-people-with-disabilities-is-a-public-health-crisis/86474516007/.