Andrew Gurza

@andrewgurza6.bsky.social

6729 Followers 1843 Following

Disability Awareness Consultant/Severely Disabled Creator, author of NOTES FROM A QUEER CRIPPLE (2025), podcast host of Disability After Dark, award-winning speaker (they/he) Website: www.andrewgurza.ca Work with me: andrew@andrewgurza.ca

You can ask a disabled person what happened... only if it's followed by: "what happened to make you so ficking hot?"
In an effort to "combat inflation" my disability support check will be increased by a whopping 26.00 this year. Just in case you were worried that disabled people made too much or something
black background, white text that reads I hate that I even have to name and shame here, but “Readers Assembly” was the Literary Association that reached out to me asking to promote my book, and then wanted me to spend $102 for them to make a video for me. When I explained I was on a fixed income and disabled, they asked “how much could you spend to support us?” When I finally fully declined, they said that accessibility was important and they would take it to their team. These types of things are predatory to newer authors, and marginalized authors.
I just got asked by a literary society to come on their show and promote my book. I thought that was really nice, and I agreed to their invitation, ready to have a great interview and some press for the book. Until I noticed they had a organizational fee of $102 that I would have to pay so that they could produce the video for me. I let them know that I live on a fixed income and felt that it was inaccessible to ask me to pay money for this. Please don't ask to disable authors to pay to promote their work.
Here is the transcribed text from the image: I see a lot of disabled people recently on socials, particularly those with more abilities than others, saying, "Focus on what you can do, not what you can't." I'm here to say it's okay to talk about, grieve and get upset about all the things you can't do it. It isn't some simple mindset change. It's the reality of disability for many of us, and to dismiss that is ableist.
I hate it the most when guys say, "I can't get to know you better because someone else I know has Cerebral Palsy Wut??? That's like me saying I can't get to know you because I know someone else who can walk. The ableism is just....
Here is the text from the image: I almost didn't get out of bed today because my lift battery died. Luckily I made it in my wheelchair and the lift will be looked at tomorrow but people who can get up independently will never understand the stress of not really knowing if you'll get out of bed.
a white background with bold black text that reads "There is ableism disabled people experience that we will never share with you. We wish we could, but we know if we do we won’t be believed"
Here is the text from the image: "Just had a guy on the apps tell me that I made him reconsider a lot of things about life and that I am “a whole vibe against adversity”. I don’t think people truly consider how exhausting this narrative is. I’m just existing, and you put all these expectations on me because I dared to be unapologetically disabled. I don’t want to be the reason you unlearn anything. You should want to do that anyway."
Talking about disabled loneliness can and does feel like a failure, but the truth is, we need to address it. Ableism is why so many of us are lonely. Ableism has created laws to keep us apart from you, but if I say I'm lonely and disabled, I become the problem.
most people don’t understand what it feels like to only be touched by caregivers, to only see your body as object to be cleaned or taken care of. Severely disabled people understand how this feels better than anyone. It isn’t just disabled loneliness that can be hard, but rather never feeling wanted because you have a body that cannot conform.
andrew smiling shirtless in his wheelchair
A white background with black text that reads Let's be the most honest about this: you all never really expected to see disabled people out of institutions, right?
andrew in their wheelchair at a microphone shirtless with tattoos]
Here is the text extracted from the image: > Being disabled is hard because we often get compared to other disabled people, and then when we can't do what they can, we are pitted against each other. >
I had a tough day today. Downed elevators, late para transit. I missed my Father’s Day celebrations. As I was walking home, going about my business, a man walking by angrily whispered that I should “slow down, buddy”. When I tell you the instinct I had to scream at him, was unlike anything else. But, disabled people have been taught to be quiet and nice, even when they’re dealing with horrible ableism. I wanted to tell the man to fuck off, but I just continued on and tried to let it go. These kinds of interactions happen every day to us, and we are expected to stay kind. It’s getting harder and harder to want to be kind in moments like that.
An image from a mobile chat interface, named **IMG_0031.jpg**, showing a text conversation with a user named "John." The user sends a flirtatious message stating, "Hey handsome I can't walk cuz I'm physically disabled but I'd run to you." John responds with pity, writing, "I feel so guilty hearing this and hope you can get through this tough time." When the user asks why he feels guilty, John replies, "I really feel bad that you can't live a normal life like other people." The bottom of the screen displays a dark grey smartphone keyboard and messaging shortcuts.
i am severely disabled. i need support to do many things. a lot of disabled people don’t like that term b/c they say it alienates the disability community, and there is no hierarchy in disability. Okay, but I’m still here, and still need more support than others with disabilities, that I am not getting. severely disabled people exist, and we need terminology that is honest about our lives.
my bluesky stats as a license
too many people with disabilities who have complex care needs are warehoused in places where they don’t have any choices or a voice. We don’t call it institutionalization anymore, but that’s exactly what it is.
Being severely disabled and needing help is incredibly taxing and there’s so much about that that’s hard. I’ve only been touched for caregivers in the past 8 months. That’s hard to say out loud but it’s an important reality that we don’t talk about enough.
Happy Pride to the queer disabled wheelchair users who can’t get in to the event, to the trans disabled queer person who can’t express their true selves, to the fat disabled queer who is dismissed, to the Deaf disabled queer who can’t communicate because learning ASL is “too hard”. I see you all. Holding space for you this month my lovelies.
People wanna say "Covid is over" or the "pandemic is over" or whatever, but I talk to people all the time who have been profoundly affected by it years later. People who get fatigue, people who can't walk, people who can't function. So please miss me with this over bull, and start listening to disabled people.
The image contains a text block centered on a light gray background. The text reads: "Hi! Disabled people on benefits know that these benefits don’t really feel beneficial at all. They feel like you should be grateful for crumbs."
Here is an alt text description for the image: A smiling man sits in a black motorized wheelchair in a bedroom with mauve walls and hardwood floors. He is wearing a light grey t-shirt, dark blue sweatpants, and bright orange sneakers that are secured to the wheelchair's footrests with black straps. He also wears a lap belt. The wheelchair features a digital control panel mounted on the armrest and illuminated headlights. Behind him, a tall, dark wood-framed mirror leans against the wall, reflecting a vibrant painting of a winged figure. To the left is a bed with a dark blue, vertically tufted headboard and a wooden mobility bar attached to the side. On the floor to the right, a black power supply unit emits a red glow against the wall.
A screenshot of an audiobook app displaying the pre-order page for "Notes From A Queer Cripple: How to Cultivate Queer Disabled Joy (and Be Hot While Doing It!)". The square cover art in the center has a pink-to-blue gradient background with the words "QUEER CRIPPLE" written in shiny, silver, 3D balloon-style letters, with the author's name, Andrew Gurza, in yellow at the bottom. Below the cover art, text indicates the audiobook is 10 hours long, currently has "No ratings," and is both written and narrated by Andrew Gurza. At the bottom of the screen, text reads "Credits available: 2" directly above a large pink "Pre-order (1 Credit)" button and a dark blue "Add to Wish List" button.
an orange square with a black threads square that reads the great thing about the complete lack of queer disabled representation in media is the fact that you can make it yourself. So, to my queer disabled folx out there. Make that hot disabled representation. No one else is. lol.
andrew's chest with a new tattoo of an able-bodied guy in red kissing a power wheelchair user
If you want to make your experience of disability a “teachable moment” every time, I’m happy for you; go, do it, enjoy. But, do not put that expectation or requirement on another person with disabilities. Disabled people with lower support needs need to listen to those with higher support needs.
Update: My benefits case worker ‘accidentally’ added an extra $1,000.00 to my file last month, totaling $3,000.00 when I only made 2,000.00... most of which has gone to pay for things like eating and rent. He “doesn’t know how that happened”, and I had to ‘prove’ I didn’t report it. Non-disabled people should never have been put in charge of benefit systems. *laughs in legislated poverty*
Andrew smiling and holding a copy of their signed book. They are in their wheelchair wearing a bright orange jacket.
I am a freelancer. Last month I made an extra $1,000 doing the work I do. I reported this to my benefits caseworker. He advised last week that while my benefit amount for next month would be lower than usual, as expected, I’d still get the benefit. Last night, I see that my file has been put on hold because I made “too much”. Conveniently, I can’t get hold of my worker today. The limbo disabled people on benefits have to go through trying to work is exhausting and dehumanizing.
Alt text: Screenshot-style graphic with a yellow background and a centered white text box. At the top is a profile image and the verified username “andrewgurza.” The text reads: “He’s a war criminal, a PDF, one of the most despicable people on the planet; all of that is true. But, could you please not perpetuate ableism by commenting on his body. He won’t see it. Your disabled friends will.”
Alt text: White text on a dark blue background reads: “It’s February 17, 2026 and disabled people worldwide can’t move in, marry or live with a partner if they are on benefits, or they risk losing them. But, love is love, right?”
a light blue square with black DM Sans text that says I woke up this morning feeling a big sense of loss. I couldn’t pinpoint exactly what this loss signalled to me, but it was there. Part of me feels that my abilities will keep being taken from me. I’m sharing this because it is a very real feeling that disabled people have, but aren’t often given the chance to voice.
I was really hoping to enjoy this book but I simply could not. In discussing queer disabled sexuality the two main points were "how to hire a prostitute" and "how to have your care worker help you masturbate". As someone who works with people with disabilities who get sexually exploited in these exact situations, I simply could not seperate myself from the push towards exploitation as liberating. Although there were great points on accessability, the author also talks about only seeking out able-bodied men in dating and in sex work which to me, read as a lot of internalized ableism.
a graphic showing half a million downloads
pink background with black arial text that reads trigger: death, murder, disability the murder of 2 brothers with Autism in Australia by their parents should enrage you. It was no act of love by their parents. The news post report that the teens had “a series of disabilities”, and that the parents were “overwhelmed.” Fuck off... that is no justification for murdering them. I am so angry that disabled lives are seen as so much less, like always, but especially lately.
andrew at 4
Alt text: A solid teal-green background with black, left-aligned text that reads, “Catherine O’Hara passing away really fucking sucks. Things are really bad right now, and Schitt’s Creek has given me a lot of permission to be silly. What a legend.”
A pink square with black text that reads One of my biggest fears is to die alone in hospital as a severely disabled person. Last week that happened to Wael Tarabishi. His father, Maher Tarabishi, was his primary caregiver, and has been detained by ICE since October. ICE has now denied Maher the chance to go to his son’s funeral. I am beyond outraged, and I know that as a white disabled person, I have probably been treated better than Wael was. When we talk about ICE deaths, please don’t forget Wael.
A clean, white-background social media profile post (styled like Bluesky). At the top left is a circular profile photo of Andrew Gurza, smiling broadly, wearing a light-colored shirt, against a blue background. To the right of the photo, bold black text reads “Andrew Gurza”, with the handle “@andrewgurza.ca” underneath in smaller text. Below, the post contains several short paragraphs in black text: The first paragraph introduces Andrew Gurza as Board Secretary at the US International Council on Disabilities. The second paragraph announces the launch of “Ten for 2030”, described as ten bold, measurable actions to make health care, emergency response, and humanitarian aid disability-inclusive by 2030. The third paragraph explains that for less than a dollar a month, 100,000 members can fund these ten actions, restore U.S. leadership on disability rights, and deliver life-changing services where they’re most needed. The final paragraph is a call to action encouraging readers to join, support Ten for 2030, share the post, and use the hashtag #TenFor2030. It ends with the statement: “Together, we can make inclusion the standard—not the exception.”
Andrew in his wheelchair looking to camera wearing a black tank top.
A screenshot of a post on Threads in dark mode. The verified account andrewgurza.ca appears at the top with a small circular profile photo of a smiling person. The post text reads: “disabled people are fighting too right now. we may not be out protesting or able to physically stand up to the fascism on display, but, we're here, we see it, and we will scream, type, sign, and write along with you. Cripples understand what fascism and denial of rights look like. We're here with you! and we have mobility aids too.” Below the text are standard interaction icons (heart, comment, repost, send). The Threads logo appears in the bottom right corner.
andrew shirtless with tattoos
A black-background screenshot styled like an X (formerly Twitter) post. At the top left is a circular profile photo of Andrew Gurza smiling, next to the name “Andrew Gurza” with a blue verification check and the handle “@andrewgurza.ca.” Below, in large white text, the post reads: “with the United States withdrawing from The World Health Organization, I predict that there will be a significant upswing in disabling conditions, and no support for the people who will become disabled.”
Andrew in b&w looking smoldering to the camera