This is a throwaway account, but I'll keep it up if anyone is willing to reach out.
I swear I can't be the only disabled person working as an ALT. My job is fine, but lately I feel like I'm struggling with my health. I'm chronically ill with three disabilities (two prior to coming to Japan, three now). Some days are better than others and for the most part I can pull my own weight at work, but I feel very uneasy about talking about my disability at work.
I tend not to share details about my disability with many people aside from a few people at my school / organization, and I have few people around me who I can talk to freely about my disability. Last thing I want to do is bomb on a friend about parts of my life that they don't need to hear about. I've tried (and am still trying) Japanese patient groups, but I've had mixed results, and with everything in Japanese, at some point my brain just says "stop!".
It was hard enough when I was living in my home country, but I'm finding it extremely hard to get assistance here. What makes it difficult is the person who manages my work does not see me as a disabled person. Anything that happens to me is from a lack of 'personal responsibility' and he seems to think it's all under my control. He doesn't seem to grasp how complicated two of my chronic illnesses affect my health.
Sometimes I feel like there isn't much I can do because this isn't my country, but I know I'm not alone here.
Disabled people on this sub, how do you get by?
by ColorfulComrade980