Cerebral Palsy is a group of disorders that affect a person's ability to move and maintain balance and posture. It is caused by abnormal brain development or damage to the developing brain that affects muscle control. Symptoms vary from person to person and are often classified in four types: stiff muscles, uncontrollable movements, poor balance and coordination, or a mix of any previously mentioned.
(Information from the CDC)
Cerebral Palsy by
Living with cerebral palsy is enormously difficult. But what if you never knew you had it? Born the second of premature twins, an hour apart, from a young age Ilana knew she was different, but for all the wrong reasons. A child of the 1960s, Ilana experienced first-hand the way that disability was, at the time, so often brushed under the carpet, not spoken about. Her constant physical and mental struggles made her feel isolated, alone, frustrated, and misunderstood... and it took 46 years for her to find out why.
The Cerebral Palsy Tool Kit by
The Cerebral Palsy Tool Kit was created to help you sort through the initial emotions in response to your child or loved one receiving a diagnosis of CP and to answer your questions and concerns related to CP. It will guide you through the initial diagnosis period, direct you to other helpful resources and provide information to you about the different approaches to treating and managing CP.
Eye Can Write by
Can you imagine not being able to speak or communicate? Jonathan Bryan has locked-in syndrome, a disease that makes him incapable of speech or moving in any way apart from moving his eyes and blinking. He was locked inside his own mind, aware of the outside world but unable to communicate with it, until he found a way of communicating by using his eyes to laboriously choose individual letters, and through this make his thoughts known. In this, we read of his intense passion for life, his mischievous sense of fun, his hopes, his fears and what it's like to be him.
The Pretty One by
From the disability rights advocate and creator of the #DisabledAndCute viral campaign, a thoughtful, inspiring, and charming collection of essays exploring what it means to be black and disabled in a mostly able-bodied white America. Keah Brown loves herself, but that hadn't always been the case. Born with cerebral palsy, her greatest desire used to be normalcy and refuge from the steady stream of self-hate society strengthened inside her. But after years of introspection and reaching out to others in her community, she has reclaimed herself and changed her perspective. In The Pretty One, Brown gives a contemporary and relatable voice to the disabled -- so often portrayed as mute, weak, or isolated.
Trapped by
The true story of one woman's life with cerebral palsy. Growing up with her siblings in Africa, Fran always felt different. When everyone else was playing and having fun, she would watch and wish she could join in. After the family moved to Scotland and Fran grew older, her hurt turned into anger, self-hatred, and suicidal depression. In her revealing account, she shows just how hard it is to maintain the appearance of a normal life. More importantly, out of her million and one mistakes have come lessons in real acceptance, peace, and joy, which she would like to share with her readers.
This educational video gives an overview of cerebral palsy, including what it is, where it comes from, what treatment options are, and how to live with it.
"I have cerebral palsy. I shake all the time," Maysoon Zayid announces at the beginning of this exhilarating, hilarious talk. (Really, it's hilarious.) "I'm like Shakira meets Muhammad Ali." With grace and wit, the Arab-American comedian takes us on a whistle-stop tour of her adventures as an actress, stand-up comic, philanthropist and advocate for the disabled.
This webinar is a recording from a conference on developmental disabilities run at the University of California in 2018. It includes both medical professionals' information on cerebral palsy, but direct input from an individual with CP to answer questions from a lived experience.
Special, is a distinctive and uplifting new series about a gay man, Ryan with mild cerebral palsy who decides to rewrite his identity and finally go after the life he wants. After years of dead-end internships, working in his pajamas as a blogger and communicating mostly via text, Ryan eventually figured out how to take his life from bleak to chic and began limping towards adulthood. The offbeat comedy is based on series creator and star Ryan O’Connell’s memoir, “I’m Special: And Other Lies We Tell Ourselves.”
