Mar 26, 2015 | can do, CP, dreams, Good Memories, people with disabilities, Physical therapy, Sports |
How long does it take to fulfill a lifelong dream? For me, it was eleven hours fifty-seven minutes and twenty-nine seconds. It started when I was a little kid, back when I was a fan of “Charlie’s Angels” and TV dinners were a treat. One day I was in our...Feb 18, 2015 | Ableism, Attitudes, can do, cerebral palsy, Disabilitiy, Disabled Sports, Dogs, Ms. Wheelchair Kansas, MWA, service dogs, UCP |
The following is my first (sort of autobiographical) guest blog post for United Cerebral Palsy’s national website. It was originally published on January 12th, 2015. I feel honored to have been asked to write for such a great organization! Lorraine Cannistra...Jan 29, 2015 | Attitudes, can do, communicating respect, disability etiquette, kids with disabilities, negative perceptions, Society |
I have heard of great expectations before, but when I listened to an interview on NPR recently, it gave the whole concept a new twist for me. Bob Rosenthal is a research psychologist. Early in his career, he went into his lab and put signs on his rat cages. Some of...Oct 24, 2014 | can do, dance, dreams, negative perceptions, wheelchair dancing |
Martin Luther King Day is still a few months away, but if you will indulge me for a minute I would like to tell you about a dream I have. I want to perform my favorite dance routine on the Ellen Degeneres show. In late in November of 2006, I got a letter in the mail...Apr 17, 2013 | Attitudes, can do, Family, Lessons, overcoming challenges |
We all crash and burn. It is a sad fact of life. We can be making progress on our journey, and then out of nowhere something unexpected can knock everything we know to be true on its butt. As the rug is pulled out from under us, we are left trying to maintain...Jul 26, 2012 | ADA, Attitudes, can do, Diversity, Education, Helping people with disabilities, Independence, people with disabilities |
Every year I celebrate. This day fills my heart with a mixture of gratitude, awe, and not entirely inexplicable pride. It’s not my birthday or a date when I accomplished anything impressive individually. But it is a day that holds considerable significance to...