TikTok is all about sharing people's experiences, and the differently abled communities on TikTok do this with pride, creativity and joy! In honour of Disability Pride Month, throughout July we're spotlighting and celebrating some of the creators who are using their platform to inspire and educate.

This week's spotlight is Cheryl aka @_thislineismine (they/she). Cheryl is an inspiring creator who uses their platform to educate about autism, connect with other autistic creators and share their reality of living with a disability. Whether it's showing how to create summer sensory activities, exploring their personal coping mechanisms for anxiety attacks, or sharing their tips for making travelling a little less overwhelming, we are loving all of Cheryl's helpful and informative content.

@_thislineismine

In addition to being part of the autistic community on TikTok, Cheryl is also a proud member of the LGBTQIA+ community. Recently, they've been sharing their experience during Pride Month and discussing some of their personal experiences.

With a growing following of over 620k, it's clear the TikTok community loves Cheryl's candor just as much as we do! This week, we sat down with Cheryl to talk about Disability Pride Month, what it means to them, and who their biggest inspiration has been.

What does Disability Pride Month mean to you?

Disability Pride Month means celebrating and being proud of who I am. It’s a month for the disabled community to continue to spread awareness on lots of different disabilities and campaign for meaningful and positive change.

What other creators with a disability inspire you on TikTok? @amyepohl and @thistrippyhippie are two creators who inspire me. What I love about them is their honesty and authenticity. I love how they show the highs and the lows of their journey. I think being open about the hard times is especially challenging, but I really appreciate and admire how they let people into those moments too. I also love how in every one of their videos you can see their personalities shining through.

Why did you decide to start creating content on TikTok?

When I joined TikTok I noticed there were multiple autistic content creators who were proud of who they are. At the time I was newly diagnosed as autistic and was struggling with what that meant and how I felt about it. At times I felt ashamed or angry about being autistic and didn’t accept myself. However, the autistic TikTok community were not only proud but also vocal about their lived experience.

I love this openness and for the first time I felt like it was okay to be autistic. I started to create content to feel a part of a community, sharing my experiences and having my voice heard. Through creating content on TikTok I learnt so much about myself and autism. TikTok is the first place I started unmasking my autism and showing the world who I was - who the real me is! I never expected that to turn into what it has today.

I wouldn’t be the person I am today without TikTok and I really hope I’m able to show others it’s okay to be autistic too. You can do and achieve anything you want to in life and it’s okay to be proud of yourself.

What is your goal on TikTok?

Honestly my goal is to continue to raise awareness and acceptance of autism and mental health difficulties. Every single day I strive to create the content I needed to see when I was younger. My goal is to give other people hope and acceptance and create positive change that impacts the disabled community as a whole, not just me.

What is your favourite TikTok video you have made to date and why?

Ah there’s so many to pick from. My favourite TikToks to date would have to be the ones where I vlog my lived experience as an autistic person. Whether my experience is good, bad or somewhere in between I feel that content relates to people. It highlights when accessibility is good and when my experience could have been better. I feel that series brings awareness about how I experience autism and the challenges I can face. As well as highlighting when companies are being inclusive or where improvements could be made. My favourite TikToks to film are definitely my sensory activity TikToks. This is where I make a sensory item in the comfort of my home, such as cloud dough or sensory jars. These TikToks are so fun and I hope it inspires other people to start creating or using sensory items too!

@_thislineismine I’ve missed making these #sensorybottles #autism #sensory #neurodivergent ♬ vlog, chill out, calm daily life(1370843) - SUNNY HOOD STUDIO

What else is on your For You feed?!

My For You feed is a great selection of disabled or LGBTQ+ creators, house plants, books and travel TikToks. Those travel TikToks continue to inspire me to explore the world

New to TikTok and want to explore how our community is celebrating Disability Pride Month? Getting involved couldn’t be easier, simply download the app for free via the Apple App Store, Google Play or Amazon.