As a child, I felt like I knew my place in the world. I assumed my adulthood wouldn’t look that different from my peers. I had high expectations for myself.
As I grew up, I began to realize that many people didn’t have the same expectations for me. My family and friends encouraged me to follow my dreams.
I was determined not to let CP stop me from achieving my goals. I quickly learned that this was unrealistic. There’s nothing in my life that my disability doesn’t affect.
In 2018, I felt like the world was my oyster. I had gotten into college and did well academically. I was excited and planning for my future.
I had hoped to have a career in marketing or communications. I dreamt of working in sports. I wanted a career that would combine two of my greatest passions: writing and sports.
As an adult, I feel like the world has gotten much smaller. I began looking for work in December 2019. I have filled out hundreds of applications since. Sadly, some employers have rescinded interviews after I tell them I have cerebral palsy.
Opportunities seem limited for a 24-year-old with cerebral palsy. I have had one paid work experience, writing for a magazine. I hope to find a steady job someday.
During my childhood, inclusion was always talked about, particularly in education. I was included fully in school, and extracurricular activities, including sports and summer camps. I played baseball and took martial arts. I even went to a weeklong technology camp at Amherst College when I was 12.
Ever since turning 18, inclusion doesn’t seem to matter much anymore. It’s as if society forgets about disabled people once they are no longer kids. When I talk about what I want my life to look like, people often seem surprised. Nobody tells you how to be an adult, let alone an adult with cerebral palsy.
Issues such as employment, marriage, and independent living have been on my mind since high school. For years, I wondered what my future would look like. I had goals, but I had no idea how to achieve them.
Cerebral palsy shouldn’t stop me from living life and pursuing my goals. I want to be able to pay taxes, vote, travel, work, and live life like everyone else. At times though, it feels like this is too much to ask for. I worry that I will never be able to live my life to the fullest.