Cerebral Palsy Scotland

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 palsy. 

As part of Cerebral Palsy Awareness month, I would like to share my experiences of education and the challenges I have had to face. I was diagnosed with Mixed Cerebral Palsy when I was 2, now 26. Throughout nursery and primary school, I received educational support to help with subjects like maths and English. However, this stopped before I got into high school.

Transitioning from primary into high school is difficult for both neurotypical and neurodiverse students – new friends, teachers and subjects can be overwhelming for us all but for me it felt like a nightmare. I found it difficult going between classes, corridors full of students pushing and shoving to get to class on time. I do not use any walking aids, I am VERY clumsy on my feet which means I am prone to falls. Amongst all of that, I struggled with the change of teachers due to the various teaching styles. I had maths teachers who would get frustrated and angry if I did not understand an equation and would sometimes shout. This always made me feel uncomfortable and embarrassed as some students thought I was “DUMB” and my teachers thought I did not study. I had to constantly explain “I have Cerebral Palsy” and “please be patient with me”.

This was sometimes ignored. One teacher told me… “I would never make it in life”. Most days I would go home in tears… school became such a negative place. Those comments have always stuck with me and made me doubt myself. I became extremely anxious about going to school which ended up effecting my mental and physical health. This had an effect on my exam results to which I failed most of my exams.

However, not all teachers were bad in fourth year, I had an amazing English teacher who would always make sure I understood my work and took time to go over anything if I needed it. He made the time to listen to what I had to say and was very patient – I will be forever grateful for his support. The music department was the place I felt most comfortable and where I would spend most lunchtimes. I was a member of the school choir, took part in various competitions and always enjoyed singing for our local community.

Once I finished school I went to college and then university to study music. I have a BA(Hons) in Popular Music and will hopefully receive my dissertation marks for an MScR in Music. I am looking at PhD applications and hoping to apply soon! Though education continues to be a challenge, I would like educators to receive training about the different types of Cerebral Palsy and how it may affect individuals learning abilities.

If you are a parent or carer supporting a child in education, there’s is a range of organisations you can go to for support and advice.

If you are thinking about raising awareness of cerebral palsy in your school, we have a short powerpoint presentation aimed at primary school children explaining cerebral palsy and how it affects each person differently, you can find this here.

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 palsy. 

March is Cerebral Palsy month, an opportunity to raise awareness for those all ages with lived experience of Cerebral Palsy(CP) across Scotland, showing the diversity of the CP community and share what matters to us all.

Every day is about raising awareness of disability, when we talk about various disabilities it’s not just a label, it’s important to look at the person, not the disability and focus on ability.

One of my biggest passion is employment for those with disabilities, the sad reality is the gap is getting wider, we may be aware in families or community, those people who would love to get a job, but not given the same opportunities.

According to the National Office of Statistics report last year, there were 53.6 %  with disabilities in employment, compared with 82.5% without disabilities.

In 2020 the employment rate was 53.4% so very little growth or development in four years, with existing barriers , employers should look beyond people disability, and look at what a candidate can bring to the job.

Because as we know all we have all got some kind of talent we just need a change to showcase and ok people may need a bit of support but we all need a bit of support one way or other.

I have experience of my struggle into employment, each time I met barriers, I was more determined to prove people wrong, many doubted I’d become a journalist but here I am, not the conventional route, but as freelancer I can make my own career, and still focus on my advocacy work.

My advice is never lose focus on what u want to do in life, from an early age wanted to be a journalist, was told by many people it’s not the job for me, twenty years on, that’s my chosen career and I love my job.

I often wonder if I didn’t have a disability then would my path have been shorter and easier, but then perhaps I wouldn’t have the same determination.

Society now  is opening doors slightly for people with a disability, but when we talk about employment there are many barriers, I didn’t realise we would be talking about this in 2024, when I speak at different events , the story is the same.

In reading this article I would like employers to acknowledge the need for change, see people for their own merit and don’t just categorize them.

If you are an employer and would like to better support people with disabilities at work,  please visit – Talking about disability – Supporting disabled people at work – Acas

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 disabled teen.

Melissa is a young author and disability activist who has cerebral palsy. Growing up, writing was the most effective way she could communicate. Melissa has her own blog called Buttons and Ramps which you can find here – https://buttonsandramps.wordpress.com

How I look after mental and physical health

Being disabled and attending mainstream school can be a lot for me sometimes and despite being a relatively happy person, I have times where I drop the ball on making sure I stay healthy. So I thought it might be helpful to share some of the things I do to keep myself both physically and mentally well.

When it comes to physical health when you have cerebral palsy it’s often hard to find the balance between doing enough activity to keep your muscles strong and taking enough rest so you don’t burn out. I find this difficult as someone who loves learning, working, sports and essentially most creative or physical activities. I’m constantly working on projects like my blog, or my social media and sometimes I forget that everything I do costs me energy. So recently I’ve been working on striking this balance by accepting the fact that sometimes I need to just say no to things; saying no to going out, to going to my usual clubs, and sometimes saying no to opportunities. Being able to understand and accept my limitations has been really valuable because it allows me to conserve energy for things I really care about and want to do.

Another thing I do to take care of my physical health is making sure I divide my time equally between being in a wheelchair and walking around. Since I spend most of my day at school in a wheelchair, I generally avoid my wheelchair outside of school. I’m extremely fortunate to be a ambulant wheelchair user and I often try to take advantage of that by picking and choosing when I’m in my chair and when I’m up and about.

I have found my mental health is much harder to take care of as a teenager with cerebral palsy. I have an amazing support network around me which makes life easier but I find that often having a physical disability takes a toll on how I manage my thoughts and feelings. As I previously referenced, my energy is really limited and this can make it hard sometimes to process everything going on which becomes stressful. I think because CP is so physical, people don’t consider the impact it has on our mental states. This as well as the social challenges and physical difficulties adds up and can ultimately be quite draining. But there are things that I have found that really help like trying to openly communicate how I feel to someone close to me just to get it out there, or taking hours out my day to just sit and watch TV and switch off. It sounds like common sense but I think people often don’t understand or downplay the mental side of being disabled.

Whether you’re disabled yourself, a parent or carer of someone disabled or even just know a disabled person, it’s important to understand how their mental and physical health may be impacted by different things and strive to be more accommodating of this.

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 college.

Hello, my name is Ciara McCarthy, and I am a college student with cerebral palsy, autism, and profound hearing loss. For a cerebral palsy month, I compiled tips to help guide you through your time at college as someone with cerebral palsy.

I began at college in the autumn of 2022, and these are things I found helpful in navigating my way through college.

Attend the Open Days of the college you’re going to.

  • It can be helpful to familiarise the surroundings and to communicate with lecturers and support staff. Often these open days have useful information about the course you’re attending, and you can ask questions

Get to know student advisors or support staff who will help you through college.

  • They can reassure you about your anxieties or support needs. Their job is to support you throughout your course. If you have specific accommodations, they ensure that you have them. The earlier you reach out to them, the quicker your Disabled Student Allowance can be processed.

Ask for a tour around the college.

  • This helped me visualise where the nearest lifts and classes were. You can get tours on open days; however, the person that supports you can have a personal one so that you feel more comfortable attending college.

Sit with people in the class.

  • As someone bullied for having cerebral palsy, it can be scary talking to new people all over again. Still, I have met incredible friends in my class; sometimes, overcoming your anxieties can help.

Join Societies.

  • Societies are a fantastic way to make friends outside of class. There are various interest-based and community-based societies. I joined the disabled students’ network, and it’s so much fun.

Don’t be embarrassed to use mobility aids.

  • If they help you, then use them as they are designed to support you. Please don’t focus on anyone else; it’s what supports you and keeps you safe.

Contact your guidance or support teacher if you’re scared about transitioning from secondary school to college. You deserve to have a smooth and safe transition tailored to your needs.

This is my personal experience at college, and it will not apply to everyone, but I hope this gives you some reassurance for your journey to college.