We're partly a music subreddit. We listen to music by hearing it - but it may surprise you to know that even with hearing-related disabilities, our popgirls are still making incredible tracks!

Sometimes people are born without the ability to hear. Other times, incidents (like an earpiece exploding, yikes) leave our girlies partially or completely deaf (and not everyone will want to answer questions about "what happened?"). We hear through small hairs in our ears relaying signals to our brain, and once those hairs are damaged, they don't come back (which is why you should wear hearing protection to your favourite popgirl's concerts).

Sometimes, hearing aids can help improve hearing abilities. In a lot of ways though, society remains inaccessible for those with hearing loss: when you're talking to someone, do you make sure you're facing them so they can lip read if needed? Not all movies have subtitles, and depending on where you are in the world, not all emergency services offer a texting option or a visual cue that something is wrong.

PPG tries to include subtitles on videos where we can, to help break down barriers (although on that note, please be kind to me when I make a mistake in the captioning. I have an auditory processing disorder, so I can physically hear fine but the message gets lost on the way to my brain. A lot of days, I'm on the fence about continuing captions, because the only feedback I receive on them is negative 😭)

Did You Know? Some earbuds use bone conduction, where the sound vibrates the jaw bones and transmits signals to the brain this way, bypassing the ears. It's thought that composers such as Beethoven used a similar method to hear!

Popgirls with hearing loss include PinkPantheress, Olivia Rodrigo, Demi Lovato, Ayumi Hamasaki, and Mandy Harvey.

The first meme shows Ariana Grande as Glinda, dressed in a dress of green lettuce (with matching crown and sceptre). Text reads, "lettuce be glad, lettuce be grateful" (thank you u/Advait8571 for this meme!)

The second meme shows Zara Larsson walking onstage at the Midnight Sun tour, surrounded by bubbles. The text reads, "it's good to see me, isn't it?"

If I'm gonna dance, then you're gonna dance too...

People may experience reduced vision for a plethora of reasons - from the genetic lottery, to physical loss of an eye, to other eye-related traumas. Even needing glasses is a lesser-but-not-insignificant form of vision impairment. We're lucky to live in a time where screen readers and prostheses exist, but so much of society still remains inaccessible for individuals with vision impairment.

We notice where braille is, but we seldom notice where it is not (the opposite situation should ideally be true). How often do you see it on grocery store shelves? How often do you see it on street signs and addresses? On your mail? Screen readers also struggle to describe images, even text-based ones. That's part of the reason why you'll see us describing so many images in this community, and why we ask that you name the popgirls you're posting about.

That's not to say that people with vision impairment can't do makeup, and art, and live fulfilling lives - they absolutely can and do! But people with disabilities shouldn't need to feel grateful for accommodations and accessibility; these practices should be the norm.

Popgirls with vision impairment include Norma Night (styling similar to Chappell Roan, but with a prosthetic eye), Ningning from aespa, Lachi (with her signature rhinestoned white cane (actually red and white here) - her partner u/The_Alchemyst does her makeup and posts about her frequently in r/MakeupAddiction!), Charlotte Kelly (with her signature blonde locs), and Demi Lovato (as a result of their past OD). The Canadian Institute For The Blind has some good information about this disability, if you would like to know more!

(Thank you to u/Mabs-J for their help with this post 🩷)

Travel the world in music, right from your couch! As part of PPG's efforts to uplift diverse popgirls, let's share our favourite popgirls and song recommendations for artists hailing from Peru!

(You can see all of our WoW spotlights, as well as some international goodies, in our wiki!)

Edit: oh no I forgot the cute lil flag! 🇵🇪

https://www.dojacat.com/tour/

For some individuals with this disability, maybe they were born with it (maybe it's Maybelline). For others, they may have had a limb amputated later in life.

Living life without certain limbs in an inaccessible society can present a plethora of challenges (for example, my coworker previously had to design an experimental procedure for their student with one hand, because almost everything in the sciences (and society) is designed around having 2). Beyond the obvious, though, there are also emotional challenges that these individuals weather, from grief over what once was to the burden of isolation for looking different. No one should have to present as conventionally attractive just to exist securely in society. 🩷

Did you know? The brain is a powerful thing, and people with limb differences can feel phantom pain and phantom itches where their limb would be. Mirrors can be helpful for "scratching" what you can't scratch.

Popgirls with limb differences include Victoria Canal and Viktoria Modesta. The latter is a model with some really cool leg prostheses! (Thank you to u/Mabs-J for help)

I mean, sure, why not! People used to wear locks of a dead person's hair, fashion always comes back! (But in this economy, I personally could really do with the Tooth Fairy paying me instead)

Article

Not to be confused with BPD (borderline personality disorder), bipolar disorder is a neurotype characterized by extreme mood swings from depression to elevated mood (mania). These mood swings significantly impact the person's life. Jokes about the weather or your coworker being bipolar when you mean "reactive" or "volatile" hurt the bipolar community by making light of their disability.

There are 2 types of bipolar disorder: Type I involves mania, while Type II is mainly depressive without the mania (edit: but does include hypomania, which is similar to mania but not as elevated, but still dangerous - see the comments for more details). Both may result in hospitalization (both can result in decreased sleep and logical thinking, etc.), although the depressive episodes of Type II usually last longer than the manic episodes of Type I.

Bipolar disorder is usually treated with a combination of medication and therapy. Many people remain undiagnosed because, I mean, it's human nature to only reach out when things feel bad (depression without the mania), but also because the only screening available relies on mood tracking and questions about factors in your life. Individuals with bipolar disorder don't choose to have mood swings, they literally can't control it - it's how their brain is. In moderation, emotions make us human and show us where our values are. ❤️‍🩹

Popgirls with bipolar disorder include Chappell Roan, Selena Gomez, and Demi Lovato - who did I miss?! The International Bipolar Foundation is a good resource to learn more about this disability.

"what's a kiss ___?"

https://www.flowerovlove.com/

Today's post focuses on disabilities affecting those with uteruses and ovaries. Endometriosis occurs when the lining of the uterus (the endometrium) finds its way to other organs and grows there. It's usually localized to organs around the uterus (Fallopian tubes, etc) but in some cases has affected someone's heart, brain, and more. During the menstrual cycle, the displaced endometrium still tries to shed itself, but it has no way to exit the body or properly detach from other organs, which results in pain, fatigue, and scarring.

PMOS (previously called PCOS) stands for Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome, and occurs when an ovary-haver has high levels of androgens (male hormones). Instead of releasing eggs during their menstrual cycle, their ovaries form cysts. They may also experience acne, weight gain (possibly due to linked insulin resistance?), and growth of facial hair. The name change reflects that this condition affects the whole body and is more than "just" painful cysts on one's ovaries.

Women's health research is painfully lacking, so we don't quite know what causes either disability yet. Both have genetic factors, though. Neither condition has a cure, either, although ultrasounds can be used to diagnose and hormonal birth control or surgery can sometimes be used to manage symptoms. My doctor dismissed my concerns about having these conditions because of the lack of research. My friends with female reproductive parts, periods are not supposed to be debilitating in pain and energy. This is not "normal." ❤️‍🩹

Popgirls with endometriosis and/or PMOS include Halsey, Keke Palmer, Kira Kosarin, Emma Bunton, and Bebe Rexha - who have I missed?!