Category: adocacy
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Cerebral Palsy From the Inside-Part 7
My Beautiful, Capable Body A few weeks ago, I was doing a morning meditation when I heard a simple phrase: “My beautiful, capable body.” I don’t know why those words hit me the way they did. I’ve spent 48 years living in this body. I know its challenges. I know its stiffness. I know its…
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Cerebral Palsy From the Inside-Part 6
Learning to Believe in My Body Again One of the biggest challenges I faced was breaking my leg. There was a time when I honestly didn’t know if I would ever walk again. Living with cerebral palsy already made walking challenging, and suddenly I was faced with something that made it even harder. But I…
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Cerebral Palsy From the Inside- Part 5
I Was Born With Cerebral Palsy, But Acceptance Changed as I Got Older I was born with cerebral palsy. For most of my childhood, I accepted it because it was simply the life I knew. I didn’t know another body or another way of living. But as I got older, something inside me started to…
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Cerebral Palsy From the Inside-Part 4
What Is Spastic Diplegia? Let Me Tell You From the Inside If you look up spastic diplegia, you will probably find a medical explanation telling you that it is a form of cerebral palsy that primarily affects the legs. That definition is important. But it doesn’t tell you what it feels like. I can. I…
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Cerebral Palsy From the Inside- Part 3
World Cerebral Palsy Day: More Than a Diagnosis Welcome to October 6 — World Cerebral Palsy Day. 💚 Today means a lot to me and to the cerebral palsy community because it gives us a day to show the world that we are more than just a disability. We are people like anyone else. I…
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Cerebral Palsy: Myths Vs. Facts
What I Wish More People Understood About Living With CP There are many myths about cerebral palsy. Some come from people simply not knowing much about the disability. Others come from assumptions people have made for generations about what someone with a disability can and cannot do. As someone who has lived with cerebral palsy…
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Is This Place Really Accessible? Getting There: Traveling With a Disability — September Series When I’m thinking about going somewhere new, one of the first things I have to ask myself is: Is this place disability friendly for me? I say for me because accessibility isn’t exactly the same for every person with a disability.…
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How Long Can I stay
When Transportation Controls the Clock Getting There: Traveling With a Disability — September Series When you depend on paratransit, deciding what time you’re going somewhere is only half of the planning. You also have to decide what time you’re coming home—and sometimes you have to make that decision before you’ve even left your house. When…
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A simple Outing Isn’t Always Simple
Getting There: Traveling With a Disability — September Series Why isn’t a simple outing always so simple when you have a disability? For the average able-bodied person, getting out of the house might not take much thought. You decide where you want to go, get yourself ready, grab what you need, and leave. For someone…
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The Doors That Opened When I Chose to Believe
Closing Disability Pride Month As Disability Pride Month comes to an end, I’ve found myself reflecting on the journey that brought me here. This month, I’ve written about disability history. I’ve reflected on the meaning of the Disability Pride Flag. I’ve shared stories about growing up with cerebral palsy, the barriers I’ve faced, and the…
