Category: AWARENESS
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
Cerebral Palsy From the Inside-Part 2
Cerebral Palsy From the Inside — Part 2 Before It Was Called Cerebral Palsy: The Story of Little’s Disease For my entire life, I have known my disability by two words: cerebral palsy. But while researching the history of CP for this October series, I discovered something I had never known before. Before cerebral palsy…
-
The Extra Cost of Traveling with a Disability
The Extra Cost of Traveling With a Disability Getting There: Traveling With a Disability — September Series Going away for a weekend is supposed to be fun. But before I can enjoy the trip, there is something else I have to think about: How much is this weekend actually going to cost me? Living with…
-
Traveling Has Changed as My Body Has Changed
Getting There: Traveling With a Disability — September Series I’ve never really been someone who travels a lot. But when I was younger and able to move around more freely on my own, traveling looked different for me. I remember taking the train into New York City with family and friends. We could get off…
-
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…
-
When Your Ride Determines
Getting There: Traveling With a Disability — September Series Depending on paratransit—or sometimes depending on other people for a ride—can be very frustrating. I can’t always wake up one morning and say, “I think I’ll go shopping today,” and simply go. Even something like a doctor’s appointment requires planning. If I realize on the 15th…
-
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…
