Disabled vs. disabled

“Disabled” with a capital "D" refers to those who are culturally Disabled - meaning they consider their disability part of their identity, and are engaged in the Disabled community whether in person, online, or through art, literature, or activism (keeping in mind barriers to access often prevent Disabled people from gathering together). Alternatively, “disabled” with a lowercase "d" refers to someone who has a disabling condition or illness, but who does not consider disability part of their identity.