As long as someone focuses his thoughts on the fact that he can’t walk, he won’t be able to discover what he really can do from a wheelchair. Some people, who can’t walk, won’t break away from the idea of how limited wheelchairs make them.

I have had cerebral palsy since birth and I have never walked. Like some in this situation, I tried to walk because of the belief that if you can walk you can be more like other people. I know one lady with cerebral palsy who spent years trying to walk and it caused her to develop emotional problems. I truly wanted to walk, but after giving it a good try, I accepted it wasn’t going to happen. I began to explore pursuits and goals that I could do even if I was unable to walk.

It is better if someone discovers early in life that he won’t ever walk because he can start to learn what things he can do. When I was young, I asked the boys in the neighborhood to let me be the batboy. As the batboy, I was taking part in being involved with the other kids in the neighborhood. This also helped me later in life because it taught me to find ways that I could be part of things that came my way and to enjoy them.

A person needs to discover that he can do meaningful things even though he is confined to a wheelchair. In my case, I learned that I could write. After high school, I was wondering what I was going to do with the rest of my life. Then a lady offered to help me pursue the writing that I had always felt drawn toward. This was when my life-long adventure began. Writing has brought me some challenges, but for the most part, writing has given me much satisfaction and pleasure. Writing doesn’t require me to walk and I am becoming good at it.

An individual who can’t walk can have a social life. Even though I’m in a wheelchair, I have a pretty active social life. Many evenings you can find me in the Tower District part of town having a soft drink. I have met several people there and when they see me we often have conversations about all kinds of things. It’s very stimulating and enjoyable to communicate with others in this manner.

Someone who can’t walk can go to college and obtain an education. Even if you don’t earn a degree, you can become a more well-rounded person by attending college. At nearly sixty, I’m still going to school and meeting interesting people there.

Someone who can’t walk can hold down a job. I worked as a newsletter editor for the disabled both at Long Beach State and at an independent living center in Southern California. I did very well in these occupations and learned the responsibilities of having a job. The fact that I couldn’t walk had very little to do with my abilities to perform in the work place.

Once someone believes that he can learn to do many things, even though he can’t walk, he will find numerous doors open to a happy and fulfilling life. Being the neighborhood batboy can teach you how to become involved with your surroundings even from a wheelchair. Learning that you can do something special, such as write, helps to give you a better self-image. Going out in public, even though you are different, will help you to realize that you do have a place in society. A handicapped person who attends school soon realizes he faces many of the same challenges as other students. The work place can be rewarding, even to someone who is unable to walk. Focus on what you can do rather than on what limitations you have. The world is yours, even from a wheelchair.