Cerebral Palsy Scotland

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When I went to TRNSMT My name is Barry Smith, and I am 46 years old. I suffer from Cerebral Palsy, which is a physical disability. Because I...Read More My university experience so far My name is Rachel Collie, and I am 20 years old. I have Spastic Diplegia Cerebral Palsy. For me this means that I am a...Read More How I use Exercise as an Alternative to Physiotherapy - Mark Brown Hi, my name is Mark, I am 53 years old, striving through life with Cerebral Palsy (CP).  My CP affects all parts of my...Read More Cerebral palsy doesn't hold me back Every March is Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month. This is my disability, but it doesn't hold me back. Cerebral palsy...Read More Cerebral palsy and theatre - my story - Abby Paris Being a teenager with Cerebral Palsy isn’t easy, especially when your physical differences set you apart from your...Read More My experience of cerebral palsy and clubfoot - Christina MacLean This is my second year taking part in Cerebral Palsy Awareness month. Reflecting on my experiences from last year, I...Read More Breaking down barriers and starting my own business I’m Jack,  I’m 29 from Clydebank. I work as a metal artist/sculptor who creates art from car parts, horseshoes and mild ...Read More What I wish I knew about cerebral palsy when I was younger - Melissa Cassidy As part of Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, Melissa shares what she wishes she knew about cerebral palsy when she was...Read More Using head switches to drive Derrick, my powerchair In this blog, Fraser Somerville talks about his journey towards driving his powerchair independently using head...Read More Interested in joining the new Glasgow AAC Group? Hi, my name is Fraser Somerville,  I'm 21, I'm from Glasgow, I have Athetoid Cerebral Palsy and I am the founder of the ...Read More Caribbean (Lazy) Adventure - Mark Brown Mark and Gemma sharing their experience of their 10th anniversary cruise travelling as a couple with cerebral...Read More What I want people to know about cerebral palsy - Rebecca McIntosh As part of Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, Rebecca shares what she wants people to know about cerebral palsy. I...Read More My life as an ambulatory wheelchair user - Mhairi McKendrick As part of Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, Mhairi shares her story of being an ambulatory wheelchair user and the...Read More Exploring the connection between cerebral palsy and anxiety - Guinni Baker As part of Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, Guinni shares her story of being an adult with cerebral palsy and...Read More Living as a person of colour with cerebral palsy - Ruthanne Miller Hello, My name is Ruthanne Miller, I’m 26 years old and I am from London, I have Diplegia, cerebral palsy. I also...Read More How I followed my dreams and started my own business I’m Jack, I’m 28 from Clydebank. I work as a metal artist/sculptor who creates art from car parts, horseshoes and mild...Read More My views on disabled access - Faith Wright As part of Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, we have teamed up with Euan’s Guide to ask our content creators their views...Read More My views on disabled access - Christina MacLean As part of Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, we have teamed up with Euan's Guide to ask our content creators their views...Read More Barry's holiday to Sandpipers Southport As part of Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, Barry shares his experience on a recent respite holiday to Sandpipers in...Read More Christina’s academic journey as a person with Mixed Cerebral Palsy As part of Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, Christina shares her experience of education as a person with mixed cerebral ...Read More Cerebral Palsy is different for everyone- Guinni Baker As part of Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, Guinni shares her experience of growing up with cerebral palsy and her...Read More Breaking down barriers to employment - Michael McEwan As part of Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, Michael shares his experiences of employment as an adult with cerebral...Read More Joseph's journey: living with Dyskinetic Cerebral Palsy - Danielle McKay As part of Cerebral Palsy Awareness month, Danielle shares her experiences as a parent of her son Joseph who has...Read More How my cats help me In this blog, Barry talks about how important his pets are to him, the impact of losing his cat Ruby, and getting new...Read More Edward Stanton leaves a lasting impact Leaving a gift in your will can have a life-changing impact for people with cerebral palsy in Scotland and their...Read More My experience with accessible train travel In this blog, Barry writes about his recent train trips, and his experiences of the new system for accessing ramps when ...Read More Straight Talking group - my journey with Dundee University The University of Dundee has a long history of research into Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) - ways to ...Read More What does independence mean to me? - Melissa Cassidy As part of cerebral palsy awareness month, Melissa Cassidy has written a blog about independence and what it means to...Read More My cerebral palsy is a part of me - Barry Smith As part of cerebral palsy awareness month, Barry has written a poem titled "My Cerebral Palsy is a part of me".  My...Read More Accessible adventure holidays at Calvert Trust Kielder As part of cerebral palsy awareness month, Barry Smith has written a blog to let people know about the accessible...Read More Going to school with cerebral palsy - Melissa Cassidy As part of Cerebral Palsy Awareness month, Melissa shares her experiences of education as a person with cerebral...Read More Barry - A day in my life As part of cerebral palsy awareness month, Barry writes about a typical day in his life. Hello my name is Barry...Read More How I look after mental and physical health as a disabled teenager - Melissa Cassidy As part of Cerebral Palsy Awareness month, Melissa shares how she looks after her mental and physical wellbeing as a...Read More Navigating my way through college - Ciara McCarthy As part of Cerebral Palsy Awareness month, Ciara shares her helpful guide to help you through your time at...Read More How I communicate all of my life - Barry Smith As part of cerebral palsy awareness month, Barry writes about the journey he has taken in school and beyond to develop...Read More Why I love volunteering for my local radio station For cerebral palsy awareness month, Adam Baird writes about how volunteering at his local radio station has allowed him ...Read More Our experience of therapy with Mrs Berta Bobath Ann McIntyre’s son, Ewen, is 61 and has athetoid cerebral palsy. He lives at Capability Scotland’s Upper Springlands...Read More Be part of the "clean thinking” revolution - Rebecca Nicholson Rebecca Nicholson is the founder of Naked Brains - a consultancy that provides training to revolutionise how we...Read More How and why I started getting Self Directed Support In this blog, Barry talks about his decision to start accessing Self Directed Support (SDS) and how it has helped him...Read More Raising cerebral palsy awareness in education We all know how important it is to raise awareness, whether it is a cause or a disability and there are many ways to...Read More An interview with Jack Hunter by Jack Hunter Hello Cerebral Palsy Scotland readers! I hope you are well. My name is Jack Hunter and I’m going interview myself. No,...Read More Interview with Kirsty Soutar In the spring, I interviewed a woman called Kirsty who I have known for several years. We first met at an inclusive...Read More This is much more than volunteering to me Volunteers' Week runs every year between 1-7 June. It's a time to recognise and thank volunteers for all they...Read More My thoughts on 'Jordi's Letters' In this blog, volunteer Marion Burns gives her thoughts and reactions to 'Jordi's Letters', a new documentary about a...Read More Avoiding midges in Aviemore - Scottish accessible camping As part of Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, Katherine Toomey shares her experiences of accessible camping at Badaguish...Read More Bernie meets...Harris Menshawi Following on from her interview with dancer Eilidh Elizabeth Molly McGrath, volunteer Bernie Hunter meets frame runner...Read More Stories from the front line of cerebral palsy You’ve got to be Ballsy: Stories from the Front Line of Cerebral Palsy is a film that investigates the experiences of...Read More A passion for dance: interview with Eilidh McGrath Cerebral Palsy Scotland volunteer Bernie Hunter interviews Eilidh Elizabeth Molly McGrath about society's attitudes to...Read More Why I run - the journey I went on to complete the Berlin Marathon Andy Tomlinson writes for us about the physical and emotional journey he went on that led to him completing the Berlin...Read More My story and why I'm supporting World Cerebral Palsy Day In this blog, Jack explains how the barriers and prejudice he faced at school and college led him to get involved in...Read More My reasons for supporting World CP Day Cerebral Palsy Scotland volunteer Marion shares her personal reasons for supporting World Cerebral Palsy Day on 6...Read More Get involved in World Cerebral Palsy Day! Cerebral Palsy Scotland volunteer Bernie shines a spotlight on World Cerebral Palsy Day, explaining what it is and how...Read More An app to help with your wellbeing In this blog, Barry shares his experience of using Headspace, a mindfulness and meditation app, and how he feels it has ...Read More Access an accessible group! Cerebral Palsy Scotland volunteer Bernie Hunter examines how accessible groups have coped during Covid restrictions,...Read More How Covid restrictions have affected access to public spaces Cerebral Palsy Scotland volunteer Bernie Hunter writes about the impact that Covid-19 restrictions have had on disabled ...Read More My move into supportive accommodation This blog from Marion is about her experience with moving into supportive accommodation and some of the changes and...Read More Using my toe to type In this blog, Barry talks about the skills he has developed to allow him to type and use a computer. Hi, it is Barry...Read More Anyone can dance This week, blogger Bernie Hunter shares her experiences of learning to dance, the adventures it has taken her on, and ...Read More Barry: Respite care and holidays Respite care and holidays Hello, it is Baz Smith here again with a blog and I am going tell you about two holiday...Read More Using a communication aid – Barry’s experience My name is Barry Smith and I am 42 years old. I am from Scotland and I have cerebral palsy. Down to this I use a...Read More COVID 19 Pandemic: Life as a hospital doctor with CP Kirsty Colquhoun is a consultant geriatrician and has CP. Her blog looks at life working in a COVID ward during the...Read More Getting my Covid-19 vaccine In this blog, Marion talks about her experience of getting her first Covid-19 vaccination. Hello everyone, I hope you...Read More Bernie: Lockdown life Our world has been a very different place for almost a year now due to the pandemic. In my latest blog, I am going to...Read More Life in lockdown - Barry's story Hi, I am Barry or Baz to my friends. I am 41 years old with cerebral palsy. Down to me stumbling I am in a power...Read More A life of Bobath therapy: Ewen’s story For Ewen McIntyre, soon to turn 60, the Bobath concept of therapy has been – and continues to be – a central part of...Read More Iain MacLeod: Wheels galore! Writer Iain MacLeod talks about his experiences of growing up with cerebral palsy in the Western Isles. Born in...Read More World CP Day: What can you achieve? The Biggest Achievement in My Life: Marion remembers the boost of achieving a goal and getting a qualification. Our...Read More World Cerebral Palsy Day What is it? How can you make your mark? October is usually the month of Halloween, but did you know that there is a...Read More Bernie: My education journey “Don't be afraid to move on & try something new, you'll find your path eventually” Education is one of the most...Read More Jon McFarlane: My return to therapy What's it really like to have in person therapy again? Last week, I returned to Cerebral Palsy Scotland for a therapy...Read More Being able to stand is so important to me Marion talks about how she's enjoying being able to stand in a standing frame once again. At the start of 2020, way...Read More Bernie Hunter: Lockdown dancing Over the past few months our lives have been far from normal; we have seen big changes due to COVID-19. The lockdown...Read More Jon McFarlane: Lockdown life My name is Jon McFarlane, I am 23 years old and have cerebral palsy. I started attending Bobath when I was 2 not being...Read More Coming for therapy as an adult by Jill Clark In this blog I am going to talk about how Cerebral Palsy Scotland can provide therapy for adults who are ...Read More Keeping cosy over winter 'I'm going to be warm this winter'...Bernie shares some tips on how to help keep yourself cosy for winter...Read More Finding accessible gifts

Volunteer Bernie discusses the challenge of buying suitable gifts for people with cerebral palsy.

...Read More Day to day life using AAC In my last blog I talked about my own and other people’s experiences of getting AAC equipment and support. In...Read More Is there enough communication support?

In this blog, Jill Clark looks at whether people are getting enough support with their communication devices.

...Read More Rachel's story - preparing for high school Preparing for high school “Rachel was very clear about the goal of her therapy – she wanted to be able to...Read More Kirsty's story Kirsty is 34. As a busy hospital doctor, she’s on her feet constantly and describes what went through her mind before...Read More Elaine - my story and returning to therapy as an adult Regular therapy can help you avoid the need for surgery “I was blessed with incredible parents. They found creative...Read More Jackie - going back to physiotherapy as an adult “I never thought about ageing I just carried on… physiotherapy even at my age has made a huge difference to how I can...Read More Melissa's story - our school and therapy experiences “It’s a battle to get her to do half an hour of physio, but she’ll do two hours of gymnastics.” Melissa’s mum...Read More Cooper's story - my advice for parents of twins Kerry is mum to Cooper and Lewis, two gorgeous boys called who are three years old, and who keep her very busy. Cooper...Read More Jack's story - our early years experience "He is becoming a lot more aware of the fact he is different. It can be difficult to answer these questions but I just...Read More Dylan's story - diagnosis and beyond “Dylan’s using parts of his brain that others might not use, he’s finding other ways.” Dylan’s mum Susan shares her...Read More Cooper's story - preparing for nursery “The therapists did things I hadn’t even thought about to help Cooper get ready for nursery.” Cooper’s mum Kerrie...Read More Ciaran's story - preparing for primary school “We were given a Novochat machine on loan, the different in Ciaran’s life in that month was amazing.” Mum Jacqui...Read More Alfie's story - the early years Alfie Ashcroft has the same interests as big brothers, Hamish and Dougal, and identical twin, Rory. Like any little...Read More Bernie’s Still Game Journey Bernie’s Still Game Journey A blog from Bernie Hunter, who talks about her connection with the hit comedy series ...Read More Accessible Accessories Accessible Accessories Bernie Hunter shares her thoughts on accessible accessories, and why it's important to be able...Read More Disability Life Hacks Disability Life Hacks In her latest blog post, Bernie Hunter share her top life hacks - those tips and tricks for...Read More World Toilet Day World Toilet Day   World Toilet Day (WTD) is an official day organised by the United Nations on 19 November...Read More Why we work: being disabled and employed Why we work: being disabled and employed Some people may think that disability and employment don’t go in the...Read More What's a Neater Eater?

In the first of a series of equipment reviews, blogger Bernie tells us about the Neater Eater

...Read More Bernie's top equipment and gadgets - eating and drinking Bernie's top equipment and gadgets - eating and drinking Neater Eater This piece of equipment allows me to feed...Read More Bernie's top equipment and gadgets - wheelchair accessories Bernie's top equipment and gadgets - wheelchair accessories In the third of her equipment review blogs, Bernie Hunter...Read More Bernie's top equipment and gadgets - computer equipment Bernie's top equipment and gadgets - computer equipment In her final gadget review blog, Bernie Hunter provides a...Read More Elaine Boyd - I believe I can fly! I believe I can fly! Bobath Scotland trustee, Elaine Boyd, is currently taking part in the Flying Scholarships for...Read More Elaine's journey to become a pilot Back in September, I saw a post on a cerebral palsy FaceBook page about a young lady, Bethany Cockburn, who had...Read More