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Needing to overachieve when you’re disabled
I’ve always wanted to work hard and achieve. But what if this is partly because I’m disabled? When you’re disabled, you do get treated differently. As a disabled child it was assumed I wouldn’t achieve as highly as my peers. I believe this was partly because I genuinely was behind academically to begin with. Yet I can’t help wonder about the assumptions that were placed on me.
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Driving a car when you’re blind
Back in March, I was lucky enough to drive a car. I’m not talking about a simulation, I’m talking about an actual car on a race track. The Three Sisters race track to be specific. It was one of the best experiences ever.
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Independent living as a disabled young adult
Two years ago I moved into my first house. Since then, I’ve lived by myself. There’s been a lot of trial and error to figure out how I can do things independently.
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6 months of having a guide dog
I’ve been qualified with Dezzie for 6 months now. If you don’t know, Dezzie is my first guide dog. He’s a 2 year old yellow Labrador cross retriever who has so much love to give. The last 6 months together has gone so quickly. If anything, it still feels like we’re getting to know each other. Here’s an update about what we’ve been up to in the last 6 months.
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Cerebral palsy and winter: “Surely it wasn’t this bad last year…”
As the cold weather creeps up on us, pain levels start to rise. My muscles begin to contract and ache in a way that’s persistent and loud. I know I say it every year, but surely it wasn’t this bad last year.
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My experience of going to a yoga class
I first started doing some yoga during lockdown. I think this is similar to a lot of other people. It was an activity you could do at home with no equipment, with online videos being easily accessible. I’ve been going to yoga classes for about a month and wanted to share my experience as someone with cerebral palsy and a visual impairment.
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Wearing AFO splints as an adult with cerebral palsy
I have mild cerebral palsy and I’ve worn AFO splints on and off my whole life. I initially wore 1 AFO on my left leg as a child. After a deterioration in my walking, I started to wear 2 AFO splints as a young adult. Despite my walking being unrecognisable from when I got AFO splints again, I continue to wear them.
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The emotional adjustment of getting a guide dog
I’m writing this blog post while sat in a cafe, with Dezzie sleeping at my feet. This seemingly mundane task is something I’ve looked forward to for a long time — it’s huge and I’m actually emotional. Dezzie is oblivious to the enormity of this moment, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Dezzie and I are now a qualified partnership! It’s been about a month, it has gone so quickly!
