Category: DISABILIATIES
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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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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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When Paratransit Isn’t an Option
Getting There: Traveling With a Disability — September Series Paratransit gives me an important way to get around and maintain my independence, but there are times when I can’t use it. Sometimes the rides are full. Sometimes I’m going somewhere outside of the service district. Sometimes I get a last-minute appointment and there isn’t enough…
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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 Love I Never Expected
Disability Pride Seres Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie When people think about disability, they often think about doctors, therapy, accessibility, or advocacy. What they don’t always think about is love. Yet love is something every person hopes to experience. For many years, I wasn’t sure what my future would look like. I wondered if someone…
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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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The Ugly Laws: The History Many People Never Learned
Disability Pride Month Series Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie One of the reasons I wanted to create a Disability Pride Month series was because I realized that many people—even people within the disability community—don’t know some of the history that shaped our lives today. I know I didn’t. Not long ago, I learned about something…
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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…
