1. What type of CP do you have?
I have spastic diplegia CP
2. How did you get CP?
I was born 11 weeks early and I was diagnosed with hydrocephulus. I got my CP diagnosis when I was one year old.
3. How did you Feel about CP growing up?
When I was little, I did not feel different from my friends. I participated in all the activities at my church; choir, Sunday School youth group, and camp. I also went to concerts with my friends when I was a teenager, and I. Also played baseball. My dad was my coach.
4. Do you ever think about what life would be like without CP?
Yes, I do. Sometimes I think about it more often than others. When I think about it, I think about how easy it would be to do different tasks like get out of the house.
5. How has CP impacted my life?
Having CP has definitely impacted my life mentally and emotionally as well as physically. It’s a pain in the butt to do specific tasks, and when I was younger, it was hard to be taken out of school because of surgery recovery. Weekly physical therapy was also something I did not like.
6. How was schooling with CP?
It wasn’t a nightmare, but it was a headache. I often had to advocate for what I wanted, and it was often assumed that I would do less than I knew I was capable of doing.
7. How has CP Changed throughout your life?
When I was little, I accepted my CP, and I didn’t think I was different; it was until seventh grade that things got difficult for me because someone who was getting teased in school started teasing me. The relationship I have with myself and myself and my CP is great. I have learned that it’s important to have a sense of community and being connected to the Rollettes and the Boundless Babe Society.
8. How will things change for people with disabilities?
I hope that there will be tons of changes for people with disabilities. The first thing I would like to see happen is that crip casting is no longer allowed in movies and TV shows, and theatre productions. I would love to see the Broadway community truly become accessible to performers who have disabilities by making the bathrooms backstage fully accessible by the standards of ADA ( Americans with Disabilities Act). I would also love to see the standards for people to be financially independent and responsible because, as the situation is now, we have to settle for a life in which we cannot be in marriage because of fear that too much financ l gain would cause us to lose our insurance.
Encouragement Notes Podcast 