The Ability Toolbox: Mental Health, Disability & Chronic Illness Life Hacks

Get the tools you need to build a great life with your disability

Get practical advice and life hacks

Connect with others like you

Find helpful products

The Ability Toolbox is a community created by and for people with disabilities, chronic illnesses, and mental health conditions. Here, our voices are centered and our collective wisdom is valued.

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Let's build a more inclusive world, together

Living with a Disability or Mental Illness Is Complicated

Getting Help Is Hard
Navigating health care and support programs is a nightmare
The World Isn't Accessible or Sensory-Friendly
You have to find creative ways to do everyday tasks
People Don't Understand
You're sick of being told “You don't look sick” or “just get over it”
Your Path to Success Is Winding
Housing, employment, and relationships can be challenging
You Feel Alone
It's hard to find people like you to talk to

What You'll Find in The Ability Toolbox

Free Support and Resources
Living while disabled is expensive, so our content is free.
Practical Solutions
Find solutions to everyday problems and share your knowledge to help others.
Diverse Disabled Voices
Our community is intersectional and inclusive of BIPOC and LGBTQ+ voices.
Activism and Advocacy
We amplify the power of disabled voices to drive change in healthcare, government policy, the media, and beyond.
Disabled-Owned Community
We are a small social enterprise, not a corporation run by able-bodied people.

Featured Stories

Holistic medicine -- healthy foods and tinctures

Holistic Approaches to Managing Anxiety and Depression

How to practice self-compassion as a person of color who experiences racism. Young Black woman with natural hair looking up at the sky.

How People Who Experience Racism Can Practice Self-Compassion

Parenting with chronic fatigue. A mother of Asian heritage hugs her kids while resting in bed.

Parenting with Chronic Fatigue: 11 Ways to Support Your Kids (and Yourself)

Counseling student meeting with a counselor or therapist.

What I Learned from Going to Counseling as a Future Counselor

College students with disabilities in a cafe. University friends with chronic illness enjoying an afternoon together.

6 Tips for Making Friends as a College Student with a Disability or Chronic Illness

How to cope with internalized ableism. Two drawings of people with disabilities with thought bubbles. "I hide my struggles" and "I'm a burden."

What Is Internalized Ableism? Tips for Overcoming Self-Stigma

Latest Stories

Working with a disability. Man buried in paperwork.

Why Working with a Disability Is So Much Harder Than It Should Be

The Deaf and hearing cast of the musical "Stepchild" perform at IRT Theater. The musical combines singing, music and American Sign Language.

Deaf and Hearing Theatre Professionals Collaborate in ‘Stepchild' the Musical

Ali Stroker winning the Tony Award in 2019.

Ali Stroker's Tony Award Is a Victory for People with Disabilities

Coping with disability burnout. Woman with fire radiating from her hair.

This Is What Disability Burnout Looks Like

Surviving a home invasion robbery as a person with a disability. Crime scene tape outside a building.

Learning to Thrive as a Home Invasion Survivor with a Disability

Disabled cyborgs -- woman with bionic eye.

Will We Be Cyborgs? Robots and the Future of Disability

Featured Shopping Guides

Sensory bags for children and adults

Ultimate Sensory Bags Guide for Babies, Toddlers, & Kids

Grab bars for bathroom safety and style. Accessible shower for seniors and people with disabilities.

ADA Grab Bars for Bathroom Safety with Style

Stylish medical aids including S*** Happens colostomy bag cover, skull power wheelchair joystick knob, floral padded crutch handle.

15 Shops Making Glamorous & Stylish Medical Aids

Fidget toys for skin picking, dermatillomania, and trichotillomania. Pick palette, thinking putty, and keychain with elastic bands for BFRBs.

Fidget Toys for Skin Picking, Hair Pulling, and Dermatillomania

Sensory lights for autism and ADHD. Collage of lighting including bubble tube, galaxy projector, tree lamp, and Moroccan lamp.

Sensory Lights for Autism and ADHD: A Guide

Type 1 Diabetes gifts: T-shirt, colorful insulin pump patches, diabetic supplies bag, medical ID bracelet.

Awesome Gifts to Give Your Type 1 Diabetic Bestie

Get the support & tools you need to thrive

Popular Articles

Woman on the autism spectrum wearing noise-canceling headphones in a coffee shop.

Autism Noise Canceling Headphones & Earplugs Reviewed by Autistic People

Toxic disability influencer Alex Dacy AKA Wheelchair Rapunzel -- collage of images of her and boyfriend Noah being problematic.

Wheelchair Rapunzel: A Toxic Influencer Who Exploits Her Caregivers and Child

Sensory chairs guide for adults and children with autism and ADHD

Sensory Chairs for Active Seating with Autism and ADHD: A Guide

Sensory toys for adults with autism, ADHD, and anxiety. Cat playing with a fidget spinner.

15 Sensory Toys for Adults With Autism, ADHD, and Anxiety

Sensory swings for adults, teens, and children with autism or ADHD.

Sensory Swings for Kids and Adults with Autism or ADHD: A Guide

Get Support & Help Others