Living and Learning in the Nation’s Capital: My Internship at UCP National

(Image Description: A 21 year old woman with short, dark hair looking in the distance.)     When I first signed up for an academic internship program in Washington, DC through my college (University of California- San Diego), I had no idea that I was about to embark on the most rewarding and altering experience…

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“Jumps and Jolts”: The Ups and Downs of Living with Spasticity

[Image description: A young woman with dark hair pulled back in a ponytail wearing an orange blouse is seated and smiling at the camera.]   It is a running joke in my family that I jerk involuntarily and freeze whenever there is too much stimulation around me, or if  I’m anxious or stressed. This is…

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Reflections on the Lives of People with Disabilities in China

[Image description : A 26 year old woman with black hair sitting on a gray rock with mountains in the background, smiling at the camera.]   Since I was born and raised in mainland China, some of my foreign friends used to ask me, “why do I never see people with disabilities in China? Does…

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UCP Interns Visit the White House

  (Image description: Six women in their 20s posing at the White House Forum on LGBT and Disability Issues. Three of them have dark hair and three have light hair. Five are standing and one is in a wheelchair.)    As a representative of United Cerebral Palsy’s National Office, I was able to attend the White…

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“Warrior Cowboy”: On Strength, Persistence, and Gratitude in Life and Art

“Storms are a constant in our life, but no matter what happens to us — our spirit will never be destroyed.” -Shane Michael Taylor Guest post by: Shane Michael Taylor   As a nationwide release of my single and music video “Warrior Cowboy” is currently succeeding, you might be inclined to ask- how did he do it?…

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How I See Myself: A Self- Portrait Poem

  [image description: a young Asian American woman  with shoulder length black hair, smiling and sitting in her wheelchair outside surrounded by trees]  Guest Post by Mao Yang For most of us, whether or not we live with a disability, accepting ourselves just the way we are with flaws and all can be a very…

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“I Fall A lot:” What CP Awareness Means to Me

Kaitlyn Meuser

[Image description: Young woman with straight red hair, wearing thick-rimmed purple glasses. She is smiling widely at the camera.] This blog post was written by Kaitlyn Meuser, UCP’s Marketing Specialist. She is a young woman living with Cerebral Palsy. This blog reflects her personal experience.  I was diagnosed with Spastic Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy (CP) at…

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5 Things I Want You to Know on Cerebral Palsy Awareness Day

  [Image Description: A girl with light skin, blonde hair and glasses, wearing a blue dress and scarf smiling at the camera] This post was written by Karin Hitselberger, UCP’s Public Education Associate, and reflects her personal experiences as a young woman living with CP.   March 25 is National Cerebral  Palsy Awareness Day. I’ve been…

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I’m Still Me: On Living, No Matter What Your Address Is

[Image description: Joanne, a woman with short gray hair and wire frame glasses smiling at the camera. She is wearing a light colored top with a floral print. Her hands are leaning up against her chest.]

Guest post by Joanne Grana October 15, 2014. That was the day my life changed forever. That was the day I left the home I had lived in for 57 years. That was the day I moved into a facility.   Moving to a facility was not my choice. I was hot lined by an…

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