Category: CEREBRAL PALSY
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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 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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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…
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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…
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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…
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I Wasn’t Meant to Be Fixed
Disability Pride Series Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie For much of my life, I believed my disability was something that needed to be fixed. Not because my parents ever made me feel that way. Not because the people who loved me believed I was broken. But because the world often acted as if I would…
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They See What’s Different-Not What’s Possible
Disability Pride series Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie There have been so many moments in my life when people noticed my disability before they noticed me. They saw my walker before they saw my smile. They noticed my cerebral palsy before they noticed my personality. Sometimes they made up their minds about what I could…
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Accessibility Is Not One Size Fit All
Disability Pride Series Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned about disability is that accessibility is not one size fits all. For years, people with disabilities have fought for equal access. The ADA changed our country in incredible ways, making schools, businesses, transportation, and housing more accessible than ever before.…
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What is the Disability Pride Flag Mean to Me
Disability Pride Month Series — Marie W.O.W.C.P. When I look at the Disability Pride Flag, I do not just see colors. I see stories. I see people. I see history. And I see pride. For many years, I struggled with what disability meant in my own life. Not because I hated who I was. But…
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Welcome to Disability Pride Month
Disability & Advocacy: Disability Pride Month& Disability History Welcome to Disability Pride Month. For me, this month is about more than awareness. It is about history, progress, community, and pride. As someone who was born with a disability, I know that many of the opportunities and freedoms I have today exist because of the people…
