Living With a Disability

    People with developmental disabilities can lead normal lives just like everyone else; the only difference is that we do things a little differently and maybe more slowly than everyone else. These differences do not change the fact that we have hopes, dreams, and expectations just like everyone else.
    I was born with cerebral palsy, which has caused me to use a wheelchair or a walker for assistance in order to get around. This has been hard for me, especially when I am in small spaces, at work, or in large crowds. It is also hard when I need to use the restroom. Some restrooms are not big enough for my wheelchair to fit in, which causes problems for me. Sometimes I need to wait for assistance in order to use the bathroom, which is very frustrating - I wish I could do this myself, it would be much easier.
    I also wish that people were a little nicer to me when I go out. Most of the time people are very nice and help me when I ask for it, but sometimes when I go out people can be very rude. If I say excuse me while I am trying to get by, they act like they do not hear me and go on with their lives as if I do not exist. They often talk about me, which I do not like.
    There are things that I wish would be changed in order to make my life a little easier. First, I wish that there would be more handicap accessible restrooms available in all buildings. I wish that some of the doors to those restrooms would open at the push of the button. It would also be nice if the stalls were all big enough so that people with wheelchairs, like me, would have an easier time and make going to the bathroom less of a project. I also wish that there were more opportunities for handicaps to be able to work and be included in society. I think that people should be hired based on their skills and not based on whether or not they have a disability, which is not always the case today.
    Living with cerebral palsy may limit my mobility, but it has not changed my creativeness or my mind. I think of things some people might not. I wonder about places I have not been and might never go. I think about the different customs they have and how their lives may be different. I also enjoy writing and using the computer very much. One day I hope to work for the Carroll County Times or another newspaper.
    This is how living with a disability is for me, Charlie Rachel.