Disabled Personals: How to make yours Stand Out

By Andrea Marie - 2007-09-20 - Viewed 803 times. Find more articles like this in our Disability Sexuality category.

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So, you've been browsing the a disabled singles of your favorite dating sites and you're ready to get into the game yourself.

How do you go about crafting a profile for yourself that will ensure dating, love, and maybe even marriage is on your horizon?

There are some basic tips, some more obvious than others, to advertising yourself online. And let's be frank: that's what you're doing! But if you don't have a knack for sales, don't worry. Here is a guide to getting personal.

1. Post a flattering, but realistic photo!

It goes without saying that you will need to have a photograph of yourself on hand as you join an online disabled dating website.  Rarely will someone respond to a personal if it doesn't feature a picture – it makes it seem as if there's something to hide! So, go through your photo albums or take some snap shots of yourself and pick out a great pose. It's best if you're smiling. However, do not pick out a photo that makes you look better than you really look and do not make yourself look better with tools like Photoshop.

As tempting as this may be, you're just setting up your date for disappointment and it might really sour your first encounter. So make sure the photo is recent and looks like you. Ask a friend for advice if you're not sure if the photograph looks good.

2. It's the details that count.

Don't talk about how much you like movies and music. News flash: everyone likes movies and music! To distinguish yourself from the pack, talk about some of your more personal quirks and unique qualities. Are you a night owl or do you like to snuggle up to a book every night before you fall asleep? Those are the kinds of details that truly reveal who you are as a person and not to mention, people looking for dating will be instantly interested in you.

3. Don't hide your disability.

Chances are, you are using dating sites that are designed for people who have physical handicaps, but whatever the case, be up front and honest about your limitations. Your potential mate will find out about them eventually and so there's no sense in keeping it under wraps. If you seem confident and comfortable about your disability, it will be all the more charming.

4. What makes you great?

No one's perfect, but there are amazing things about you. Your disability is hardly a fraction of what makes you who you are! If you're struggling with bragging about yourself, ask friends and family what they think is so great about you. Share this with daters! However, don't type out “you should date me, because...” Instead just describe yourself, as if to be merely informative. Those who are interested in you will respond; don't become a salesperson for a dating site.

5. It's okay to know what you want.

Don't be afraid to say what you are looking for in a guy or gal. After all, isn't the whole point of dating online to weed out all the Mr. and Mrs. Wrong's and get to the good stuff? However, be open minded about what you want and don't come off as too demanding. Make some decisions about what is absolutely necessary in a significant other and if the list is short, then go with that. If the list is really long, well, you probably have unrealistic expectations and most people will move onto the next personal of a more low-maintenance dater!

6. Use spell check.

A large part of the population has trouble spelling and makes the occasional grammatical error. This doesn't mean they are stupid. However, making spelling mistakes and leaving sentence fragments as they are is a big “no no” for a personal. Unfortunately, spelling one word wrong can make you appear like a total idiot and you will get very little response as a result.

Are you ready to add your profile to the database of personals? If so, remember to be yourself, be honest about your disability, and let your greatest qualities shine through.

When in doubt, just go to the golden rule. Would you appreciate it if someone embellished their personal with lies or exaggeration or a misleading photo or tried to hide their disability? No. So don't you do it either!

We understand online dating can be nervous at first, so we have made it fun and friendly. Register your free profile at our disabled dating website

Disabled World offers a Free Disability Dating Service for the Disabled.

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