Category: CEREBRAL PALSY
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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…
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Making Peace With My Journey
Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie There are moments in life when making peace with your journey feels harder than facing the journey itself. For me, one of the biggest struggles has been learning how to see myself beyond my disability. If I’m being honest, I have always known that I am more than my cerebral…
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The Women I Become
Identity & Growth Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie Sometimes I stop and think about the person I have become. Not the person other people see. Not the person people assume I am because of my disability. But the person I know myself to be. And honestly, I am grateful for her. I am a woman…
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The Strength I Find in Everyday Moments
Identity & Personal Growth Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie When people think about strength, they often picture big moments. They picture overcoming major obstacles, achieving huge goals, or surviving life’s biggest challenges. But living with cerebral palsy has taught me something different. Real strength is often found in the everyday moments. The moments nobody sees.…
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The More stressed I Am, The Harder My CP Becomes.
Health & Wellness,Living with Cerebral Palsy Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie W.O.W.C.P One thing people may not realize about living with cerebral palsy is that stress doesn’t just affect me emotionally. It affects me physically too. The more stressed I become, the harder my cerebral palsy becomes to manage. Stress can make my body tighter.…