"I Am. . .So Much More Than You See!"

Imagine a world where everybody was accepted for their differences and included in the community. Unfortunately, this is not the world we live in today but I hope one day it will be. I hope one day we can live in a world where there won't have to be "special" proms, "special" education and "special" camps for people with disabilities because people with disabilities will be included in the mainstream community. My coworkers and I recently had a training/conversation led by professors at Temple University about the importance and fundamentals of community inclusion . We also invited partners from the community to come and learn about the fundamentals of community inclusion and discuss ways we can make the Raleigh community more inclusive. This was such an interesting conversation and I have never felt more passionate about helping those with disabilities accomplish community inclusion. I know first hand how being included in the community through ...

"As soon as I put them on, I felt like I could fly!" On Friday, I finally got to try my leg braces on for the first time.  When I stood up with the braces, it was definitely a weird feeling but as I walked up and down the hallway I started to feel balanced and confident. It was such a great feeling and one that I never felt with the walker or the last braces. I honestly feel like I have superpowers when they are on because the shakiness in my legs, when I walk for too long, has gone away and I feel like I can take off in a sprint.  While I wish that we could have come up with this solution years ago, it is all about the journey. If it wasn't for having a walker for over a year. I wouldn't have experienced first-hand how important the Americans with Disabilities Act is for people who need accessibility features in buildings. I also was able to see and accept the helping hand of most people and the rudeness of some.  I am very excited to start this new jou...