Young adults with disabilities find community on social media

Logan Kelble, 22, who suffers from Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), rests on their bed after taking their afternoon medications, at their previous house in Easton, Maryland, U.S. May 13, 2022. Kelble, who recently moved from Maryland to West Virginia, has a daily schedule adjusted to the eight hours a day they spend preparing and taking their medications and resting, as it is a regular part of their routine. REUTERS/Magali Druscovich

(Reuters) - Frustrated by what they felt were misperceptions of people with disabilities, Logan Kelble began posting dance videos on TikTok and bold, colorful fashion and makeup looks on Instagram – often with their feeding tube on full display.

Kelble, a 22-year-old living in West Virginia who uses they/them pronouns, said sharing glimpses of their life with a feeding tube and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), a rare disorder that affects connective tissue and causes chronic pain for Kelble, has been a way to show the world that people with illnesses or disabilities are not defined by their conditions.