I think what gets missed here is the *ability to relocate is privilege. Not in some shameful blamey way but genuinely, wow, what a baller ability to not have your finances suffer catastrophically by the cost of moving, the cushion needed to stop work to move, and the support needed to maintain all of that while you set back up to resume freelance while trying to connect with the professional community in your new location, who may or may not want you there. Add the physical toll of a move to that and it’s easy to see it’s not a matter of dedication. Some people just don’t have the means, the *ability to relocate If you can stay in your feet through those hurdles, what a genuine flex you have to be stable. Respect. Ableism comes into play when anyone asserts those privileges to others who just don’t and can’t have that execution and when anyone expects or demands those executions in order to have the same quality of life and equal *access to opportunity. I’m preaching to the choir I know, but on the chance there is even one person who has not thought of it this way… No you’re not responsible for someone’s disability or their opportunity, but at some point, gatekeeping, and perpetuating obstacles does make you accomplice to making survival harder for someone who is just trying to live. At some point it does become engineered. They’re not stealing from you, and if your career feels threatened by a disabled person, please check your heart Relocating is a privilege, demanding it, despite skill and infrastructure is about ablism and control, which is not an accusation. But you see how this looks… right? tip: Don’t out yourself by saying the good thing you did in the comments