“A lot of disabilities are invisible. Your reactions are not.”
That quote says it all.
People often don’t know how to react when they meet someone with a visible or invisible disability. It’s not always their fault—but let’s be honest, it doesn’t always go well. Sometimes, someone ends up hurt or super embarrassed. And when it comes to kids or teenagers? Oof. That’s a whole other level. As we all know, those are sensitive years—emotions are wild, filters are optional, and awkwardness is at an all-time high.
Let me tell you something: anyone who knows me knows one thing for sure—I love to talk. I talk a lot. Like, Olympic-gold-medal-in-talking a lot.
Yes, I have cerebral palsy. Yes, it affects how I speak—I talk slower than most people.
But does that stop me? Absolutely not. It just means I serve up my words like a gourmet meal: slow-cooked, full of flavor, and totally worth the wait.
What does bother me, though? When people talk about disability without understanding it. Or worse—when they talk to me just for the sake of talking, without actually thinking.
They say things like, “People like you…” and I’m like, “People like me? What do you mean? White? Blonde? Brown-eyed?”
Then I keep going: “Girl? British? Nice?”
Look, I’m happy to talk. I love answering questions—about me, about CP, about life. Just don’t come at me with half-baked assumptions and expect a round of applause. Let’s have a real conversation. With real curiosity. And maybe a bit of laughter too.