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People with Disabilities

Meet Cindy Frostad

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Cindy Frostad, a passionate advocate for children living with disabilities and recent graduate of the Harvard Graduate School of Education will be sharing her unique perspective on why education matters. Beautifully said: “How we provide for, how much we support, and how we embrace individual differences in education is integral to the advancement of our society. Each one of us has an opportunity and a choice to ensure this happens.”  Read her full story at:

https://www.bccerebralpalsy.com/2018/02/learn-without-limits-cindy-frostad/

Meet Mohini Tahker

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We encourage you to attend the Cerebral Palsy Association of BC’s Annual fundraising Gala and celebrate the successes of educational bursary recipients and help raise funds to support future students. The Cerebral Palsy Association of BC is shining a spotlight on Mohini Tahker, an inspirational young woman with a love of film and creative writing. To read more about Mohini’s journey, click here:

https://www.bccerebralpalsy.com/2018/01/learn-without-limits-mohini-tahkar/

Meet Nathan Bragg

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In anticipation of the upcoming “Learn Without Limits” Gala, which is focused on supporting young people with CP in achieving their goals for post-secondary education, the Cerebral Palsy Association of BC is featuring Nathan Bragg’s Academic Journey. To learn more about Nathan’s successful university experience, and the opportunities his advanced education has created for him, click here: https://www.bccerebralpalsy.com/2018/02/learn-without-limits-nathan-bragg/

How do you parent a child with a disability

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Some wise and witty advice on parenting a child with a disability from Zach Anner

Parenting is the hardest job in the world at the best of times. Zach Anner, a comedian, actor and writer with cerebral palsy has some wise advice for parents on strategies for raising a child with cerebral palsy:

1. Be okay with watching your kids struggle.
Zach gives a great example of how his mom had to step back and allow him to struggle – for two hours! – to learn to put on his socks. It now only takes him 5 minutes. Zach credits his current independence and “coolness” to his mother’s ability to step back and allow him to struggle through his challenges.

2. Raise your kids to be considerate, thoughtful adults who aren’t always the centre of attention.
Zach describes how growing up, a child with a disability can get used to the world revolving around him or her. Getting use to this is dangerous as it can breed co-dependency. It can also encourage narcissism – which he jokingly admits he has, firmly of the belief that no party starts until he has arrived!

3. Be careful about accidentally patronizing your child.
Zach explains that there can be a tendency to give kids with a disability credit that they have not earned. Don’t do this. Instead, find ways for your child to contribute in realistic and meaningful ways and give them credit for what they have contributed.

4. Treat your disabled teenager as a teenager.
Simply put – if you would not barge into your able bodied 15 year old’s bedroom – don’t do it for your disabled teenager!

A few other random pieces of advice offered by Zach …

5. Let your kid’s passion lead rather than their disability.
In other words, don’t conflate your child’ disability with their identity – who they really are in their hearts, minds and souls.

6. You want to prepare your child with a disability for the real world.
Focus on strategies for independence that will work in the real world, outside the familiarity and comfort of their own home.

7. Most important piece of advice – this one is for the kids – thank your mom for EVERYTHING!

For some great insights, and a laugh, click here for the full video: https://www.facebook.com/littlethingscom/videos/1029249823951056/

Also, I encourage you to read Zach’s book, “If at Birth You Don’t Succeed”, a similarly witty and frank memoir about the trials and tribulations of living life to the fullest. For a brief glimpse into the book click here: https://www.pacificmedicallaw.ca/blog/2016/03/if-at-birth-you-dont-succeed.shtml

To purchase the book and get to know Zach better, click here:

http://ifatbirthyoudontsucceed.com/

If at Birth you Don’t Succeed…

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Zach Anner was born 2 months early, weighing in at 3 pounds and 7 ounces, and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. He explains, “There is no denying it – I was a crappy baby who failed my way into this world, and I’ve been making the best of it ever since.”

And so he has. As a young adult, Zach has amassed considerable fame in his life. He has had his own travel show on the Oprah Winfrey Network called Rollin’ with Zach, and has hosted a show called Have a Little Faith for Rainn Wilson’s media company SoulPancake. He also has his own popular shows on his own YouTube Channel called Riding Shotgun and Workout Wednesdays, which has over 10 millions hits.

In his recent memoir, “If at Birth you Don’t Succeed”, Zach recounts the peaks and valleys of his life living with cerebral palsy. A gifted storyteller, Zach takes his readers on a journey with him through a life of adventures, triumph and failure to friendship, love and loss. He does so with an honesty that will make your heart ache and a sense of humour that will make you fall out of your chair with laughter. Along the way he shares pearls of wisdom such as this,

What I’ve learned from taking a bird’s-eye view of my life so far is that the good fortune I’ve had has come from seizing not just my moments but my mistakes. I might not be able to tie my own shoelaces, but if there’s one skill I’ve perfected, it’s the art of finding the humor and the purpose in every failure. I’ve accepted that we’ve all got crap to deal with and problems that we’re fighting not to be defined by. At the end of the day, we all want the same stuff: fulfillment, love, support, comfort, and a hot-air balloon with laser guns attached to it. The most important thing is that we appreciate the crazy ride we’re on.

Simply put, Zach is brilliant – his perseverance, optimism and sharp wit pierce through the often dim shadows cast on the lives of people living with disabilities, and serve to enlighten and uplift us all.

Heartfelt, hilarious and inspiring, this book is a must read.

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