Category: Disability
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A Thank You to the People Behind My Independent
Living Independently: The PCA Journey — Part Twelve Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie W.O.W.C.P. For the past several weeks, I’ve shared a lot about what it’s really like to have PCAs. I’ve talked about independence. I’ve talked about being my own boss. I’ve talked about trust, boundaries, communication, friendship, finding the right match, and what…
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What Makes a PCA Relationship Last Living Independently: The PCA Journey — Part Eleven Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie W.O.W.C.P. Finding the right PCA is one thing. Building a relationship that lasts is something else. Throughout this series, I’ve talked about trust, boundaries, friendship, communication, and even what happens when a PCA isn’t the right…
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When You PCA Is Also Your Friend
Living Independently: The PCA Journey — Part Nine Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie W.O.W.C.P. One of the unique things about being able to choose my own PCAs is that sometimes the person helping me isn’t a stranger. Sometimes they’re already a friend. On the surface, that sounds like the perfect situation. You already know each…
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When a PCA Isn’t the Right Match
Living Independently: The PCA Journey — Part Ten Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie W.O.W.C.P. One of the hardest things about managing your own PCA care is realizing that not everyone is going to be the right match. Someone can be a good person. They can have good intentions. They can genuinely want to help. And…
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What I Wish People Knew About the PCA Waiver
Living Independently: The PCA Journey — Part Eight Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie W.O.W.C.P. Throughout this series, I’ve talked about what having a PCA means to me, learning to be my own boss, choosing the right people, building trust, setting boundaries, asking for help, and redefining independence. But there’s one more thing I want to…
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Seven Things I Look for in a PCA
Living Independently: The PCA Journey — Part Four Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie W.O.W.C.P. Having a PCA is about much more than having someone come into my home and help me with certain tasks. This person becomes part of my everyday life. They may see me when I’m having a great day and when I’m…
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The Challenge of Being My Own Boss
Living Independently: The PCA Journey — Part Three Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie W.O.W.C.P. Being part of a PCA Waiver program has given me something incredibly important: choice. I have the ability to choose the people who help me and have a say in how that help is provided. That freedom is a huge part…
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The Benefits of Having a PCA- and the Benefits of Learning Without One
Living Independently: The PCA Journey — Part Two Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie W.O.W.C.P. When I first started living on my own, it was at the very beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Moving into my own apartment was already a huge step in my independence journey. But moving out during a pandemic made that experience…
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What a PCA Really Means
Living Independently: The PCA Journey — Part One Our Beautiful Challenges — Marie W.O.W.C.P. When people hear the words Personal Care Assistant, or PCA, they may assume that having one means a person with a disability cannot be independent. For me, it means almost the exact opposite. Having a PCA doesn’t mean I’m not independent.…
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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…
OUR BEAUTIFUL CHALLENGES 