Yesterday was World Cerebral Palsy Day. As the social media posts, awareness campaigns, and messages of support appeared across my feed, I found myself reflecting on what cerebral palsy actually means for me. I have lived with cerebral palsy for 27 years.
When most people think about CP, they think about the physical symptoms. The physical symptoms like spasticity are part of my life. However, they are not the full picture.
My physical symptoms are typically manageable. When I have experienced increased spasticity, stretching, surgery, physical therapy, and Botox injections can help me move around more comfortably. I’ve learned how to deal with the physical pain of cerebral palsy. What has been much harder to deal with are the challenges that cannot be treated with medication, therapy, or medical interventions.
Over the years, I’ve learned that some of the greatest obstacles disabled people face are not physical at all. They are societal. That is why World CP Day matters.
Every year on October 6, people share inspirational stories, and organizations launch campaigns. However, the barriers disabled people face do not disappear the day after World CP Day. Accessibility issues remain. Employment disparities remain. Disabled people continue fighting for healthcare, transportation, housing, and inclusion long after the awareness campaigns have ended.
Awareness is important, but awareness without action can only take us so far. People should not just think about cerebral palsy for one day each year. We need policymakers to consider disability when creating legislation. Employers ought to recognize the value disabled workers bring to their organizations. We need to build communities that prioritize accessibility from the beginning instead of treating it as an afterthought.
Because at the end of the day, people with cerebral palsy do not need more awareness alone. We need action. We need accessibility. We need opportunity. And we need a society that is willing to remove barriers instead of asking disabled people to overcome them on their own. Yesterday was World CP Day. Today, the awareness and action continues.
Source:
Lawson, Eleanor. Young Activist Launches Campaign Ahead of World Cerebral Palsy Day, Express And Star, 30 Sept. 2021, https://www.expressandstar.com/news/health/2021/09/30/young-activist-launches-campaign-ahead-of-world-cerebral-palsy-day/.