My Journey to Becoming Independent: Navigating Life with a Disability

I often get the question of how I am so independent at a young age with a disability. The simple answer is it was how I was raised. When I was younger I would always get upset when my parents wouldn't help me with things or they would push me to do things for myself. They knew that I was capable of doing but I thought it was easier to have them do it for me. They knew that me having a disability the world wasn't going to accommodate me and that I was going to learn to accommodate to a world that is not made for people with disabilities. They knew I was able to do it just sometimes took trial and air. There is no instruction manual for living life with a disability.

It used to make me upset but now I am so thankful they raised me the way I did because it is how I am so independent now. The older I have gotten I have learned that my parents or anyone won't be at my becking call, and I don't want it to be like that it feels good to go out with friends, have sleepovers, go on trips with friends, track meets, etc. knowing that I am capable of doing everything for myself. It's a relief for my parents as well, knowing I know how to manage everything.

Another reason that I have found such beauty in independence is that it challenges the societal misconception that people with disabilities need help all of the time. I find myself often denying help from others because I have become stubborn about doing things for myself even if it's difficult. The more people in my community see that I and other people with disabilities are functioning members of society the more it changes people's perception of people with disabilities and their actions towards people with disabilities.

The last reason that becoming independent has been life-changing is preparing for when I graduate high school, before becoming independent the thought of living away from was petrifying and seemed impossible. Now that I am independent I feel a lot more confident that I will be able to get a job, provide for myself and my future family, drive myself, etc.

Independence with a disability does not come overnight and in reality, it can be quite frustrating when you can't find a way that works for you to become independent because what may work for one person may not work for another.

What helped me become independent was the motivation to go to a summer camp. This is a camp called Camp TLC through Camp John Marc. This a summer camp that caters to children and teens with Spina Bifida. What makes this camp special and different from traditional summer camps is that medical teams come out and care for the campers for the week. For many like me, this is the only summer camp that they will ever be able to attend because of the medical care. From the time I was eight to fifteen nurses helped assist me with my medical care for the week. When you are sixteen you can be accepted into a leadership program that allows you to learn about transitioning to being an adult with a disability and navigating those waters in the camp setting. The catch with this is you have to be able to completely take care of your personal and medical care by yourself.

I was physically able to be independent but I was resistant because it was easier to just have my parents help me. But I loved camp so much and I so badly wanted to be accepted into this leadership program I was able to figure out what I needed to become independent. At times it was difficult to overcome obstacles but in those times, it was crucial to always remember my why.