Author: Grace W. Dow

Over the past couple of years, I have been able to see some home movies my parents had taken when I was younger. We had some of the home movies digitally converted from our family’s old video camera. My younger sibling and I each received a flash drive this past Christmas. Aside from being a… Continue reading How Home Movies Show Life With Cerebral Palsy:

Living with a physical disability means that I spend my days with PCAs, doctors, therapists, family and friends. I have to let people into the most intimate moments of my day such as when I need a shower or need to get dressed. I’m required to invite others into places and settings you believed were… Continue reading Why I Value Time Alone with Cerebral Palsy:

One of my greatest fears as a person with Cerebral Palsy is the possibility of being placed in a nursing home when it is not actually necessary. I don’t want to have to live in a facility in my 20s. Many nondisabled adults probably don’t even realize that many people in long-term care facilities are… Continue reading Disabled People Shouldn’t Be Forced Into Long Term Care:

In August of 2020, I moved into my own apartment for the first time. For much of my life I was unsure if I would ever be able to live in my own apartment. I feared that I would have to live in a group home or nursing home. I really didn’t want to have… Continue reading Safety And Opportunity Are Paramount When Thinking About The Future With A Disability:

Once I began to attend my IEP meetings in school, they were always one of the most uncomfortable days of the year. I never enjoyed hearing myself talked about by people who often thought they knew what was best for me. Sometimes, it felt like I was invisible in the room while people talked about… Continue reading How Professionals Impact My Self Esteem:

Cerebral Palsy is mainly a physical disability. From the outside, CP might appear to be a condition that only affects my legs. Cerebral Palsy was caused by a lack of oxygen to my brain during birth. I have spastic Cerebral Palsy. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, spasticity is “abnormal muscle tightness due to prolonged muscle… Continue reading How the Physical Aspect of Cerebral Palsy Affects My Mental Health:

As someone with cerebral palsy, I am used to needing help daily. Despite this, I value my autonomy. Needing help with my activities of daily living doesn’t take away my ability to make my own decisions. To me, living independently does not necessarily mean doing everything on your own. I share an apartment with my… Continue reading Why I Value My Autonomy as a Disabled Person:

Since today is Valentine’s Day, I wanted to discuss how my disability affects love. It’s difficult for me to see myself as physically attractive as someone with cerebral palsy. I rely on others to assist me in using the restroom and showering. My relationship with my body is a complex one. I also find it… Continue reading Love And Disability:

Home healthcare has been hard to find even before the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, the turnover rate in home healthcare was 40-60%. People also started to cancel their home health aides, with some worried the illness might spread into their houses. Non-urgent procedures were canceled by hospitals, reducing the number of people who would… Continue reading The Pandemic Highlights the Difficulty in Finding Home Care:

Some disabled people receive SSI or Supplemental Security Income which is a small monthly payment to help with living expenses. Unfortunately, SSI has an asset cap of $2,000 for a single person and $3,000 for a married couple. SSI often is spent on rent or utilities, which leaves very little money left over, and you… Continue reading Asset Limits And Disabilities: