Disability doesn't mean inability. It's a phrase we've heard countless times, often used to encourage, inspire and remind us that living with a disability doesn't mean we are incapable of living meaningful, fulfilling lives.

And there is some truth in that.

But for those of us caught up in the everyday cycle of living with a disability, whether that's physical, mental or emotional, the reality can be far more complicated. Because sometimes, disability does mean inability. Not through a lack of determination, ambition or willingness, but because there are limitations that cannot always be overcome simply by wanting something badly enough.

We live in a world largely shaped around able-bodied expectations, where independence, opportunity and participation are often taken for granted. And while society has made progress in recognising disability, understanding what it actually means to live with one is entirely different.

But this isn't always about understanding. Sometimes, it's about whether people care enough to consider the difficulties someone else might be facing.

Disability doesn't automatically bring patience, understanding, tolerance or support. As a consequence it can mean watching others move through life with freedoms and choices that they may have to think twice about, plan around or accept are not always available to them.

It's easy to encourage someone to be positive, to keep trying or to believe that anything is possible. But encouragement, however well-intentioned, doesn't change the practical or emotional realities of living with a disability.

With a disability there are days when physical limitations, emotional exhaustion or circumstances beyond our control dictate what we can and cannot do. And acknowledging that isn't giving up. It's recognising reality.

Disability isn't something to overcome. It is the nature of disability. For many of us, it's something we live with, manage and continually adapt to. And that takes effort, often in ways that aren't immediately visible.

Yet society's relationship with disability isn't always about a lack of knowledge or understanding. Sometimes, it's about a lack of interest, consideration or willingness to care.

There are people who genuinely care, people who try to understand and people whose kindness and consideration make a difference. But there are also those who remain indifferent.

And perhaps that indifference can be just as difficult to live with as the disability itself.

Someone may appear independent, capable and confident, yet still face difficulties that remain largely invisible to those around them. When people see what we can do, they may assume that everything else must be equally manageable. They don't always see the compromises, the exhaustion or the things we quietly go without.

We shouldn't have to continually demonstrate our resilience to deserve understanding. Nor should we feel that admitting something is difficult, or even impossible, somehow diminishes our abilities or our worth.

Not every difficulty needs to become a lesson in perseverance. Not every limitation can be resolved through determination, and not every experience of disability needs to be turned into something inspirational.

Sometimes, the reality is simply difficult. And sometimes, what makes it harder isn't the disability alone, but the attitudes, expectations and indifference encountered along the way.

Progress isn't simply about recognising that disabled people have abilities. It's also about recognising that they have limitations, needs and circumstances that deserve the same consideration as anyone else's.

We are not asking everyone to experience our reality. We are asking for that reality to be recognised.

When a disability isn't visible, it can bring another challenge. Unlike a broken leg, where the limitations are obvious, people can be quick to form opinions about what someone should or shouldn't be capable of doing. Just because a disability cannot be seen doesn't mean its effects aren't real. And perhaps what makes that even harder is having to deal with the assumptions and judgements of people who neither understand, nor experience the reality of living with it.

Because some people don't understand, some people don't care, and those living with disabilities are often left dealing with the consequences of both.