Raising awareness during Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month is vital for several reasons. Firstly, it educates the public about our condition, dispelling myths and misconceptions. Too often, individuals with cerebral palsy are misunderstood, and their challenges are either minimised or exagerated with no inbetween.
By educating the public, we can create a more inclusive environment where people with CP are better supported in all aspects of life, from education and employment to social interactions.
Why Raise awareness
Awareness helps drive important policy changes. By bringing attention to the needs of those living with cerebral palsy, we can advocate for more accessible infrastructure, better healthcare services, and improved education systems. This can lead to policy changes that directly impact the lives of people with cerebral palsy, making it easier for them to navigate daily challenges.
Raising awareness creates an opportunity for those with Cerebral Palsy and their families to share their stories. This can be empowering for those living with the condition, as it provides a platform for their voices to be heard. When people with cerebral palsy are able to share their experiences, it fosters a greater sense of community and understanding. It also helps to highlight the importance of empathy and compassion in creating a more inclusive society.
Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month is an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of individuals with CP. While it’s important to acknowledge the challenges they face, it’s equally important to recognise their successes. Many individuals with cerebral palsy have accomplished remarkable things, from excelling in academics and sports to becoming advocates for disability rights. This celebration of achievements helps to shift the narrative from one of limitation to one of possibility.
How You Can Make a Difference
While raising awareness is crucial, action is also essential. There are several ways that you can make a difference in the lives of individuals with cerebral palsy, not just during March but throughout the year. The biggest issue that we face is inclusivity in areas like schools, the workplace, and social venues.
This doesn’t mean equality. Because the truth of the matter is equality sucks. It means treating everyone the same, without allowances. Imagine. You’re going to the pub with mates and you’re in a wheelchair. The pub is up a flight of stairs. Equality would mean expecting someone who cannot get up the stairs to get up the stairs.
What we should aim for is equity. That is, the stairs are taken into account. It’s acknowledged that the disabled person cannot climb them and so the venue is either changed to one that is wheelchair accessible, or the venue has adaptions that makes the venue accessible.
Equity realises that a disabled person has limits and does not attempt to “fix” the disabled person but instead fixes the external issue. Whether that’s giving someone more time, adding lifts and ramps, counters that are at wheelchaie height, or more space and hoists in toilets.
Promote Equity Everywhere
One of the biggest help to us is if you promoted equity everywhere. For example, did you know there are only 17 hotels in the UK that have a hoist? 10 of those are in London. Disabled people who need to use a hoist cannot go on holiday or rely on hotels as temporary accommodation if needed because hotels treat disabled people with equality not equity. An able-bodied person can get into bed or use the toilet without a hoist, so a disabled person is expected to do so as well.
There’s more venues too! It’s important to be an advocate for accessibility. This means pushing for more accessible public spaces, advocating for better healthcare services, and promoting inclusive education. Whether it’s speaking up for improved access to wheelchair ramps, or ensuring that assistive technology is available, your efforts can help break down the barriers that individuals with cerebral palsy face. So if you notice it, speak up. Complain. Petition.
Support Organisations
Supporting organisations that advocate for individuals with cerebral palsy is another important way to get involved. There are many charities and foundations that provide resources, support, and services for people with Cerebral Palsy and other disabilities. Scope is perhaps one of the bigger, well known ones. By donating or volunteering with these organisations, you can help provide the necessary support to individuals with cerebral palsy, allowing them to live their lives to the fullest.
Learn, educate yourself and teach others
Making a personal commitment to educate yourself and others about cerebral palsy can help reduce stigma and discrimination. By understanding the challenges faced by people with cerebral palsy, you can be more empathetic and supportive. This can also encourage others to do the same, creating a ripple effect of understanding and kindness.
The more remove the enigma around disability, the closer we move to equity. But we can’t remove the enigma and myths ourselves. We need open ears. We need those around us to realise that those with cerebral palsy, and any other disability, are not all the same. We’re all just as different and unique as able-bodied individuals, including our needs.
Moving Forward Together
Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month is an important time to reflect on the challenges faced by those living with cerebral palsy and to work towards creating a more inclusive and supportive society. But this only works if we work together.
That means getting those that make decisions on accessibility to listen to us and our needs to create a world where everyone is included. By educating others and advocating for policy changes, we can help make the world a more accessible place for everyone. We can also remove the stigma around disability. Whether that’s stigma around intelligence, health, or ability.
Able-bodied people and disabled people need to unite for us to move forward. It’s essential that our voices are heard, and our value recognised. By fostering a culture of inclusion, we can ensure that individuals with Cerebral Palsy, like myself and my friends, have the opportunity to live their lives to the fullest, just like anyone else.
This March, and every month, let’s commit to making a difference. Together, we can raise awareness, create positive change, and build a world that is truly inclusive for all.