Meanwhile, you might be wondering what the heck “ninjasticking” is. “I use crutches all the time, but when I reframe my activities as ‘ninjasticking,’ it’s kind of this more positive, active, dynamic, powerful thing,” says Sojitra, who lost his right leg to a blood infection when he was nine months old. “Whether it be on trail or going grocery shopping, whatever form of mobility I’m taking part in can be ninjasticking.” Sojitra says that despite stigma around the term, “the word ‘disability’ for me is actually very prideful. It’s okay to have a disability, we just have to make sure the barriers that are put on us by systems of ableism are being dismantled and people are actively working to help support folks with disabilities.

“Throughout history, the most marginalized people are left out of these conversations,” Sojitra says. “We’re seen as disposable. COVID-19 has been a prime example that people don’t take disabled and marginalized people seriously.”

As an activist, I know it can be exhausting to be asked how to be a good ally. People have a world of knowledge at their fingertips every day via the internet, but we’re asked to defend our experiences and educate, while enduring oppression and mistreatment. When I asked Sojitra what non-disabled people can do to be better allies, he gamely offered ideas. “Take the time and initiative to understand these issues. Volunteer with organizations working with people with disabilities. Break out of your bubble. You will likely feel uncomfortable because you might not know how to handle someone with autism or someone in a wheelchair, but I personally think most people learn through either personal experience or storytelling.”