"You're very lucky to have CP". Six words that I never thought I'd hear. Did I hear that correctly? Huh? The kind voice at the end of the phone went on to say "What I mean is, of all the disabilities, you're very fortunate to have CP because we have a society with things we can offer you to help you make your life easier. Things that are not readily available to people with other disabilities."
Oh, okay, gotcha.
At 36 years old, I was contacting the Cerebral Palsy Society of New Zealand for the first time, to find out about what the society offers, and to join as a member.
I had been quite involved in the disability sector as a child, going to Riding for the Disabled, and other camps, meeting people of all ages and stages of disability, but having grown up, and moved out of the family home, I had become disconnected with the disability sector and really had no idea what help was available to me. I simply hadn't needed help for quite some time, but now, things were different. I had no need for a mobility parking permit, crutches, walking aids, wheelchairs, or home-help. I could manage on my own. But things change with time, and in time they had. Significantly.
Very true that the amount of help these days for people with disabilities is much more than it was even a few years ago. Unfortunately it's harder and harder to get that help as governments find ways to cut funding.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog!
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