Dear Love Lounge,
I’ve been trying my hand at online dating, especially after hearing all the hype about Tinder and similar apps. I have cerebral palsy which affects my walking and speech, and I’m not sure how to bring it up to any matches.
It’s not something you can see in my photos, and putting something on my profile like ‘I’m wobbly and my speech is weird’ isn’t really going to get me anywhere I don’t think! Do you have any other suggestions?
Gaby, 25
Hi Gaby!
Love the humour in your message, and thanks for writing into us. It’s clear that you have a great sense of fun, so that can’t be a bad start, right?!
I definitely wouldn’t feel obliged to put anything in your profile outlining these things; it’s not something about yourself you should feel the need to advertised. Similarly, though, it’s not something you should be afraid to hide, either. It is, after all, part of who you are, and any potential match that is right for you will recognise and accept that.
Once you get around to messaging your matches, maybe mention that it’d be good to meet somewhere that’s relatively quiet and accessible, so that you and your match can have a good chat (without the need for you to repeat yourself over loud music every minute), and you won’t struggle with the walking distance.
If they stop talking to you after that suggestion? They’re just not the right person for you. And hey, remember that online dating isn’t everything. Get yourself out there; someone might catch your eye when you least expect it!
Happy dating!
Em x
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