I was born with a disability. I was born with Spina Bifida. Basically it is a brake in your spine that causes nerve damage. Depending on where in your spine it broke depends on how much nerve damage occured. For me I have no feeling in my feet,I have feeling all the way down up until my feet. I am also completely incon. I self cath myself. I wore pull-ups until I was in 8th grade because I was always very worried about accidents at school.
When I was younger I had to use a walker to walk and I absolutely hated it. I then got big enough to walk with ankle braces and crutches. I have been walking with ankle braces and crutches most my life. I am very used to it. I live my life pretty much the way I want to. I am about as stubborn as they come and when someone tells me I cant or shouldnt do something because of my disabiity that makes me want to do it even more. Not to brag just to give more examples of things I have done even with my disability, I have gone to Thailand,Vietnam, Burma,Brazil,Tawaiin, Alaska ,Switzerland,France,Germany,Rwanda and Kenya. I have parasailed, rock climbed, hiked, swam with dolphins and walked 4 miles on a lava bed. I have always been of the mindset that if you want to do something bad enough and are willing to work at it you can acheive it. Mainly through all my trying things I have learned I cant run, cant ice skate or rollerskate and thats about it as of now.
I have been very lucky to be around and surrounded by those who understand my disability and look past it and learn who I am really am and what I am about. I have never had to deal with being made fun of. Now that being said I have always had to deal with people staring at me. I do not understand why adults would stare at a younger adult with a disabiiity,if they dont understand it why dont they just ask? I understand children staring, but unlike adults they blurt out questions and then the adult with them tell them not to ask questions and perceed to apologize to me. I dont understand why parents pull their children out of my way when I am coming through, even if they accidentally trip me just like anyone else I will get up and move on.
Along with my physical disability I have many learning disabilities and cognitive learning disabilities. I have tried and chosen that driving a car is just not a possibility for me because of my learning and cognitive disabilities. So that does lead to a lack of independance at my age. Again my friends and family all understand it and have been wonderful in accomodating me.
For me I have learned that I am more sensitive to peoples words than some of their actions. Over the years I have had my disability reffered to as many things some I am okay with and some I really get offended by. For the most part I consider myself disabled. I do not consider myself handicapped. The one word that has and will always offend me is the word crippled. In no way am I crippled. I am able to be independant and make my own choices. It may take me a bit longer to do something or I might need to change it a bit so I can do it but for me the word crippled means I am helpless and needy. I do not want peoples pity,I dont want people to feel sorry for me. I was born this way I dont know anything else. And although I can see what I am missing it wasnt taken away from me because I never had it. I know many people who have it way worse then I can ever imagine so for me I am so very gratefull for what I do have and what I am able to do. I am not saying I am happy with having a disability because Im not, but I am happy with the life I have been able to have. And throwing myself a pity party accomplishes nothing. I was never told to get over it and move on because everyone knows that its not something you can just get over you have to live this way the rest of your life,but I was told to work through it daily and sometimes minute by minute. smile
naughtyangel1982 Community Member 
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