The Power of Our Stories
As many of you know, March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month. This month, we encourage you to share your lived experiences so that together, we can increase understanding of our disability and how it impacts us. Whether that means inviting someone in your life to have a conversation, or recounting a memorable moment in time on social media, or sharing some simple facts about CP and your actual diagnosis with a physician, this collective effort will elevate experiences shared by the entire disability community. And we think that’s a good thing.
We’re all living in a time where the entire practice of diversity, equity and inclusion is being challenged by the highest office. What does this mean for the disability community? Well, it doesn’t look like progress. Ableism will persist. Workplace discrimination may become more obvious, accessibility will remain an afterthought, and accommodations might start to feel like extra-special requests (if they weren’t already). There’s much more to this, but the point is, our stories and conversations about cerebral palsy are more important than ever because it humanizes the need for DEI. It also, hopefully, makes you feel less alone in this world.
The practice of sharing our stories is rooted in a need for community and belonging — all of us know what it’s like to feel isolated or misunderstood, left out or less than on the basis of our disability.
Maybe, you don’t want any part of this and you’re not really sure why or how March and the color green came to be our community’s signature combo, or maybe this just isn’t your time to shine — we’re here to say that’s okay! Life with a disability can be exhausting and the act of educating others about CP feels like work. Wherever you are in your CP Awareness journey we want you to know that there’s space for you here.
