Jul 2, 2016 | Ableism, Attitudes, changing perspectives, communicaiton, communicating respect, CP, Disability and Relationships, disability etiquette, Good Memories |
Picture it. Me, a seventeen-year-old recent high school graduate, ready to leave behind everything familiar, and looking forward to my future with equal parts excitement and terror. But that wasn’t going to happen for a few months yet. It was early on a summer...
Apr 17, 2016 | changing perspectives, communicating respect, CP, Education, Friends, Getting to know people, Making people comfortable, negative perceptions, Questions, Walking, What some people don't think about |
January of 1987 brought lots of changes in my life. I started college in Kansas, far away from everything familiar at the time, and it definitely took some doing to adjust to my new life. Not only was I living on my own, so to speak, without the safety net of my...
Feb 9, 2016 | Ableism, communicating respect, CP, disability etiquette, Facing a fear, how to help, inclusion, negative perceptions |
To The Staff in the Office Where I Had An Appointment Last Week: I won’t stand for it. I saw the look in each of your eyes as soon as I entered the office. The look of fear mixed with pity mixed with “I don’t know what to do.” I said hello and...
Sep 15, 2015 | CP, exercise for people with disabilities, Half Marathon, Marathon, Triumph, Walking |
When a caregiver first suggested it last fall, I thought he might be a tad bit crazy. We were having a conversation about creative ways that I might be able to get some exercise since my options to do so are somewhat limited. On a whim, he got my tape measure out of...
Jul 13, 2015 | Attitudes, CP, kids with disabilities, Look Beyond, negative perceptions, overcoming challenges, Physical therapy, Society, The Cerebral Palsy Foundation, UCP, United Cerebral Palsy |
This story was originally posted on United Cerebral Palsy’s national website a few months back. They asked me to describe what it was like being poster child when I was young. They encouraged me, to be honest. I appreciate them letting me do so. I will let...
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...
