Catherine Hale shares her chronic illness story and the journey of founding the Chronic Illness Inclusion Project. She discusses the challenges of living with ME and the impact it has had on her life, including the loss of being a parent and the realization that her future may be cut short. She also talks about the difficulties of finding flexible work opportunities and the lack of representation for people with chronic illness in the disability rights movement. The Chronic Illness Inclusion Project aimed to bridge the gap between the chronic illness community and the disability rights movement, but ultimately faced funding challenges and had to be discontinued. The conversation explores the legacy of the Chronic Illness Inclusion Project and the importance of the term 'Energy Limiting Condition' as an umbrella term for various chronic conditions. The concept emerged from the research process and was developed by a diverse group of individuals with different conditions who shared the experience of fatigue as the most debilitating aspect of their conditions. The term aims to convey the impact of energy impairment and the need for better understanding and support. The conversation also touches on the challenges of social care and PIP/Social Security assessments and the limited recognition of cognitive impairment in ME. To download the turnto app, click here! https://www.turnto.ai/?utm_source=link&utm_medium=share&utm_campaign=pempodcast Visit out website: https://www.pempod.com/ Contact us: pempodcast23@gmail.com