'Milking' a disability?

Post Reply New Topic

Hi guys,

As some of you may know, I run a YouTube account where I have over 150 videos - and I recently started posting regularly again after about a year. Anyway, I get a LOT of negative comments (I also get lots of nice ones which always brighten my day) on there and most of the time they just brush over me because you can't respond to them etc and it's just not worth it. But sometimes the odd one gets me down.

This happened today with somebody saying they're unsubscribing (not a problem, of course) because they spoke with their AS partner and have agreed that I'm milking the disability by having the YouTube page and a forum plus my own website and earning what they seem to believe is a lot of money. (Oh, what sparked it for them was the fact that I am having soft toys of the mascots in my logo made. The only reason this is happening is because a few people started asking if soft toys would be available and I'd never even thought of it, so I was like, well sure I guess I could if you want! (Plus I just thought it'd be cool to have them for myself as I designed them ))

Anyhoo, the point is, I don't make money from this. I work on my projects pretty much all day, every day and aside from the money I do make from my book (which, again, isn't a lot) I make less in an entire year than you can earn working a minimum wage job for a day, which arguably, doesn't even cover the cost for my site and my forum to be live for the year, at all!

Do you guys think I'm milking it?

I work hard at what I do, for little to no money - because I enjoy it and because I'd like to help others, and I love getting the emails from people saying they saw one of my video and it really helped them - that's what makes it worth my while.

Of course, the only reason I can do this is because my fiancé works a full time job to support us.

I think people tend to have extremely negative perspectives on disability and tend to find fault in relation to disability. Milking it? Maybe, but even if you are so what?

Making a little money for your online stuff shouldn't be a problem either, but sometimes people like to connect money to sinister motives.

Whatever it is you are doing, if you can get money from it, more power to you. The economy is rubbish and jobs are hard to come by, especially for people with disabilities. Many professionals make hundreds or thousands of times more money by milking AS than just about anyone with AS is every going to make.

I think this reply is a bit all over the place. I didn't mean for that, but I have a lot of thoughts on this topic and I can't get them all down at once.

Thanks

I don't know why it bothered me so much - sometimes I let one get to me too much, when I shouldn't.

I wouldn't have as much of a problem/gotten upset over their comment if I was rolling in money I was making through my on-line things, but I really don't! As I say, I don't make enough to cover keeping the damn sites up all year round hehe.

I don't like it when people prey on the vulnerable to make their money. Me and my partner have always said we would never monetize our sites which are to do with AS because it's just not fair. The only things that we make money from are products we sell ie. my book. But that's fair, someone is buying a product they are interested in and can (I hope) help them in some way.

What they said was overly critical, so it's not unusual to be bothered by it.

I find that one of my biggest social frustrations is dealing with people who read things into what I say or do that are simply not present. That "milking a disability" thing seems similar.

It's difficult to draw the line on making money when it comes to a disability, because a lot of people expect it to be a charity or not-for-profit, of sorts. Which, I guess sort of applies, seen as I pay for most of what I do out of my own money. It is a touchy subject though and I was worried people might think I was raking in a load of money so it worried me that someone brought it up because I don't want to give off the wrong impression.

Why is it ok to milk an ability but not ok to milk a disability? Temple Grandin uses her 'disability' to milk a living from cows, books and appearances. Is that bad? Or is it no longer milking a disability after you make the best seller list? There are obviously people who want to buy your items or you wouldn't be making money.

What get me is that with the ASD unemployment rate somewhere between 60-80% someone is giving you s**t for making a few dollars on soft toys. If you want my opinion - I'd sooner spit on the unsubscriber than care what they think.

hehe, Rascal77s, your reply make me chuckle, mostly the last part. I guess you're right - with people like Temple, they've been in the public eye for a long time and I guess it's widely accepted that they're helping, but the fact that they're also making a living is blind-sided. When you're just a random girl on YouTube, it's probably harder to believe I'm just genuinely trying to help.

Thanks for taking the time to reply.

Keep speaking out, please. Money is here nor there. When people unsubscribe and leave such negative comments (some might just unsubscribe for practical reasons that have nothing to do with you), then you might want to think of this saying: Good-bye, and don't let the door hit you in the a** in the way out. Who needs 'em?

Keep doing what you're doing.

Don't let people like that put you off, Willow. Once you get a certain level of attention there will always be someone who finds fault with what you do or how you do it.

I only just realised I (almost certainly) have AS a few months back and being able to watch videos such as yours was about the only thing keeping me sane at the time. If you ever start questioning the impact of making little videos talking about life with an ASD please know that there are people out there who are massively grateful. We might not be the ones publically leaving comments since we are not 'out' about AS but we are there and the last thing we are worried about is any minor sidelines in stuffed toys.

I am possibly rambling now but the gist is, ignore the idiots and thank you for the videos.

Si

I think what you do is great. Keep it up!

Ableism is a real thing. Some people just hate "disabled" people. Especially if they have the nerve to be happy. I remember reading a comment on a science magazine (of all places) about how that random person had found Wrongplanet and was ENRAGED by there being a safe place for people on the spectrum and trying to rally people to stop it. It was ridiculous. People sharing that "disability" still can have internalized ableism, because they live in this culture too. Like women can have internalized misogyny and actively perpetuate it. It takes some uprooting (if they ever took root at all) of prejudices to escape from the negative influences of the kyriarchy, even if you're in the abused group.
Keep speaking out, please. It is not wrong to make money.
(And you gained a new viewer! When I find the link)

You probably would get even more good comments if people on the spectrum weren't so notoriously quiet

General advise is not to do to much comment reading and such.

Not sure if you know Totalbiscuit, big gaming channel guy on youtube. does first impressions of videos.

He as often talked about that, it just gets him down with all the negative people and such, that he primarily stays away from comments.

People are a**holes, there is just no way around it, and its more often than not those with bad attitude that are commenting than the nice ones.

Its like, i hate this and that, thats not really constructive, atleast people could explain why and such.


Some people seem to think that being in disability, which i am myself, then if you cant work, you cant do anything, thus you should be sitting in a chair staring at a wall and drool all day.

There is something called having a life, and its beneficial for everyone that people does stuff to keep them busy.

I have often myself considered the whole youtube thingy, it could be fun to try.

If people have a problem, what i usually do, is ask them if they wanna trade?. Then suddenly they shut up. Because like it or not, the vast majority doesnt take pleasure in not working. Its actually not fun just sitting around home all day every day for the rest of you're life. yet somehow people always think it is. Most people are like that. i would definitely prefer working if i could.

Go for it. Shame that Google though chooses the CRUDDIEST ads.

wish i had entreprenurial talent$. life would $urely be ea$ier with more moolah.

You young folks seem to act like everyone else your age, happy and enjoying the times. You could pass for NTs completely! I don't mean this is any derogatory way.
I am confused as to how people would earn money on youtube posting personal videos.
I don't understand the humor.

If you can make money with what you're doing and it works for you, keep up the good work.