My journey with cerebral palsy has never been smooth sailing, though that has never
stopped me from accomplishing any goal I set for myself. My family has always been
supportive of my endeavors and never made me feel like my disability was a negative
thing or something to be ashamed about. The prognosis about what my life would look like was rarely positive from doctors at the various appointments I had to attend as a child and as I became an adult, most times I had to prove people wrong about my abilities before they would look at me as a person first and not just someone who had a disability. Most of the time people used only what they knew about disabilities in general, which wasn’t very accurate, to judge me and then were surprised when I could do more than what was said about people with disabilities.

As an adult, going to doctor’s appointments became an uphill battle I wasn’t aware that I’d have to navigate. The treatment I received during preliminary assessments before even seeing the doctor ranged from them talking directly with the friend or family member who had assisted me that day by providing transportation for the appointment instead of asking me direct questions about the reason for my visit or even general questions about me related to my health. I’ve even experienced doctors refusing care completely because they were under the misconception that my disability was contagious.

Advocacy was something that came naturally to me once I realized that I would have to face obstacles to complete basic tasks that everyone else takes for granted. When I went to college, I knew that I wanted to help others with disabilities have a voice when they faced similar obstacles throughout their lives. My experiences within the
community surrounding advocating for myself and others in the areas of healthcare and transportation, to name a few of the issues I’ve been involved with through the years, has given me the opportunity to help inform others about the power of effective advocacy and what believing in yourself could do to help overcome the barriers you might face in life. Through my various speeches and workshops, I help motivate and educate individuals with disabilities and their families about available resources to be their own advocate and take charge of their lives when they feel powerless or have no hope that their situation can improve.

Through all the experiences I’ve had in my life, instead of getting upset about a situation or becoming bitter about how others have treated me through the years, I’ve chosen to use my voice to raise awareness of what it’s really like to live with a disability. There has never been an equal amount of representation of people with disabilities and that has been something I wanted to see change. Knowing how important increasing representation of individuals with disabilities in society is and while witnessing the evolution of disability in the media and how characters were being portrayed on television, in movies and books, I became an indie author and designer. I started writing about the experience of parenting with a disability when I gave birth to my son almost fifteen years ago and was also able to increase my platform about that topic as well as hurricane preparedness since we were among the many people affected by Hurricane Irma.

Constantly trying to challenge myself and understanding that my life truly has no limits despite the physical limitations that are with me every day, I decided to write a novel. After self-publishing my first novel last year, I wasted no time and started on the next without delay. Each novel focuses on telling stories about people with disabilities that are authentic. I also founded a merchandise company that shares uplifting messages about disabilities on a line of clothing that I have available for purchase. This is my way to increase awareness of disability issues that affect our lives but that others may not realize exist for us as a community. The idea is to create an opening for a conversation about a disability issue they are interested in learning more about but might not otherwise know how to initiate. As a result, others outside our community can gain a greater understanding about what it’s like to live with a disability.

Through my books and other writings, I strive to challenge the way individuals with
disabilities are viewed and shift the narrative from that of incapable to capable and
valuable contributors in our society. For those with disabilities and their families, my
hope is that the books I write help people see more of themselves in the characters I
develop and let them know they are not alone. Their contributions matter and make a difference in the lives of their loved ones every day. Disability isn’t a bad word or even the end of the world. It just makes you change your perspective on how things get accomplished and forces you to think outside of the box so that you become a master problem solver that is empowered by each milestone you achieve.

As individuals with disabilities our achievements should be celebrated, no matter how big or small. We should be proud of our accomplishments and move forward fearlessly with our heads held high on the path we’re on to find our purpose and how we are going to make a positive impact on the world. We are worthy of experiencing a fulfilling life and to be accepted with both the strengths and limitations that make up who we are as human beings. Don’t let other people’s misconceptions about the limitations you face stop you from reaching your goals. Personal empowerment gives you the chance to live a life free of regrets and be yourself unapologetically. Let your light shine for the whole world to see and so others can learn from your example about the strength to live out your dreams without apology.