Something very strange is clearly happening with regard to the number of disabled people around. I just got back from a trip into central London, and the number of people who I saw using powerchairs, wheelchairs or wearing sunflower lanyards was far higher than it was ten of even just five years ago. Back then, it was rather rare for me to come across just one fellow powerchair user, but it now happens every time I go out. I must have seen at least four or five fellow powerchair users today. I can’t help wondering why. Could I be imagining it? Is it just occurring here in London? Is my perception biased because I live in a large urban area, or is this rise happening elsewhere too? Part of me thought I was just being bitter and cynical when I started speculating about what I called cultural intrusion, and I told myself that if more people were identifying as disabled for whatever reason, I had no cause to be upset about it. But I’m becoming more and more certain this rise in disability rates is real, possibly caused in large part by the pandemic, and that I probably need to start looking into it properly. As easy as it is to dismiss it as a kind of sociopolitical bandwagon jumping, it’s becoming apparent that something more complex is now happening which is probably worth taking the time to explore. As I wrote with regard to autism a few days ago, the definition of such conditions seems to be becoming wider. Perhaps the same is happening with our perception of what constitutes ‘a disability’.