Tied
[Description: A drawing of two content young people lying in bed in their pyjamas. They’re cuddling each other with a little dog lying next to them.]
I think he’s a great match for me.
We support each other. I help him change his sheets.
[Description: Pillows and a blanket]
He helps me with my chair.
[Description: A manual wheelchair]
But we also support ourselves. It feels equal.
[Description: The young person telling the story, a fair-skinned person with a shoulder-length bob wearing a floral shirt, smiling rosy-cheeked next to their dog]
The Disability Support Pension helped me live on my own terms. It let me lean on myself. Support myself.
[Description: Hands pulling a $50 note out of a decorative purple wallet]
When we moved in together, my DSP was slashed. Not because my needs changed… But because of his job.
[Description: A pile of moving boxes filled with plants, a dog toy and notebook. The dog is climbing the stack]
They act like his income is my income. But his income is money I didn’t earn, Money I don’t control. Money I can’t rely on.
[Description: The young person looking concerned]
He’s great. But not everyone is.
[Description: The other young person, with brown skin and short black hair, smiling gently]
In a thought bubble: I wonder what this dependency does to other disabled people whose relationships aren’t like ours.
What happens if I can’t contribute like I used to? What if he changes? What if I can’t leave? I am my own person. My support should not rely on anyone else. I am not his dependant. I am his partner.
[Description: The young person curled into a ball in bed. Their phone is buzzing next to them and they are worriedly looking at it. The dog is sleeping at their feet.]
People with disability should not be forced into financial dependency. This is how the system makes and keeps us vulnerable.
[Description: a metal chain overlapped with coins and bank notes breaking loose]
My support should allow me to keep myself safe, be independent and feel empowered. Love shouldn’t cost me my independence. My DSP should only depend on me.
[Description: the young person smiling at their dog]
Comic by @kayganlane
This comic was written as part of CYDA’s 2025 Federal Election Campaign. You can find out more about the campaign here.
About the artist:
Kay (she/they) is a queer autistic multiply disabled activist passionate about the equitable participation in life for people with disability. They live on the unceded lands of the Whadjuk Noongar people in Boorloo (Perth). Kay is passionate about creating space for young disabled people to take leadership roles on their communities.
Follow Kay’s art on instagram: @kayganlane
