Ok, so I have been super MIA for the past year. Ended up trying to go back to work, but that did not go well. I am now back to not working while trying to get my symptoms and my life back in order. However, the extra recliner time has given me a chance to get back to my blog and back to some other projects I have wanted to start.
One of those projects I have been working on is a business card that I can hand out at times when people are curious (or, let’s face it, sometimes downright mean) about my limitations. People have a hard time imagining that someone under 30 could have an illness that leaves them with significant limitations, but still look perfectly normal. It is the bane of the Invisible Illness crowd—“but you don’t look sick”. Chronic Illness Memes abound about how hurtful, dismissive, and downright rude that saying can be.
(Sorry for the blurry pics)
Yet, I hear a story at least once a week–via the news or in my chat/Facebook groups–about another person with invisible illness or invisible disabilities being accosted for parking in a handicap spot (with a legal placard), using wheelchair or mobility carts at stores, etc. It is a tough spot many of us will find ourselves in a one point or another. While I am lucky that all of my inquirers so far have been kind and curious, I have caught the judgmental stares on the faces of others. I know it is likely a matter of time before someone confronts me in a not so friendly manner.
When I imagine this likely confrontation, I can envision two scenarios of how I would react. In the first, I start crying on the spot, or hurriedly try to make it back to the car before crying. In the second, I get really mad and starting yelling. Neither of these reactions are likely to result in positive outcomes, either for the ignorant commenter or my heart rate and blood pressure.
Now, when the inevitable questions come, I hope to just reach into my purse and pull out one of my business cards to give them. If they are mean, I can hand it to them and walk away—biting my tongue if I have to. If they are friendly, I can stay and inform them about Dysautonomia/Invisible Illness, yet still leave them with something they can take home and follow up on. A lot of my life now comprises being prepared for when things go wrong (I keep a Dysautonomia “kit” in my purse at all times) so this is just one more thing I want to be prepared for.
So, below are my homemade business cards. They are in a pdf for anybody who wants to download them and print them for their own personal, non-commercial use. I also have them in a Microsoft Word template if you want to customize them to your own particular situation—contact me if interested.
I also have a collection of both Invisible Illness and Invisible Disability signs posted on my Pinterest page. Will probably end up printing up one of the Dysautonomia Signs as a sticker to put on my wheelchair (also and Avery print at home kit for that as well!) Once again, feel free to use for personal, non-commercial use.
How to Print at Home Instructions:
These cards are formatted for the Avery Business Card Template 8371. The kit I used is the Avery White Business Cards 100 count for Ink Jet (28371), approximately $4 at my local Walmart. I printed them using my personal inkjet printer (aka, these are not professionally printed)
The template comes in a front and back form. Remove all other paper from your printer and run though once printing the front of the cards template, then flip over and print using the back of the cards template.
This allows me to print 10 business cards at a time. I prefer this flexibility in case I want to change information on the card at a later date. It also means I can print a small quantity without needing to engage the services of a professional printer.
Note: The back of the card has a QR code that is linked to the information page of the Dysautonomia International website. Most smartphones already have or are able to download a QR scanner for free in their respective app stores. However, those of us still working with “dumb” phones (raises hand) may not have access to it that way and would need to go home and get on the computer.
Dysautonomia Dorothy 