– People with chronic illness or chronic pain also often struggle with whether they should identify as disabled, and how to collaborate with the disability community. 113 million Americans have a
chronic illness, and 20 million live with
long-term pain that hinders everyday activities and work. This includes long-term conditions like diabetes and chronic fatigue syndrome, as well as conditions mainly marked by long-term pain, like arthritis and fibromyalgia.
Despite fitting most definitions of disable, many people with chronic illness or pain question whether they should think of themselves as disabled or as sick. And the rest of the disability community has not always been welcoming to people with chronic illness or pain, further blurring the question of identity and kinship with other disabled people.
