July is Disability Pride Month

Our goal at CP is to share the message that having a disability doesn’t limit anyone on what they can do. From summer fishing and camping, to creating art and attending summer concerts, at the end of the day, people with disabilities like to do the same things as their peers. They might just have to find a different way to do them.  

More often than not, the biggest barrier to better understanding people with disabilities are the misconceptions that are out there. July is Disability Pride Month and CP is celebrating by bringing awareness to all of the amazing things the disability community adds to our area.

We thought it best to kick off the month by going to the source – our good friend Joe. Just read his letter describing what it’s like to have a disability and some of the common misconceptions that tend to go with it. We think you’ll be pretty impressed what he shares. We certainly are as Joe represents lots of people who have a disability, live and work in our community, and thrive each day, continuing to make a positive impact.  

An open community letter: What you need to know about people with disabilities

I’m not that much different, except for the wheelchair. I was part of the graduation [class] from Green Bay West in 1988. I was expected to complete all schoolwork like my able bodied peers. I think a common reaction is to exclude any person with a disability from daily life just because of their disability. I’m here to tell you the word inclusion should be more accepted than it is.    

To really get a clear picture of inclusion you need to spend a day here at CP. You’ll be blown away by what you see. If you see us out and about please don’t be shy and say hi. You’ll be happy you did. I’ve gone to college on a scholarship for computer programming that I earned based on my high school transcript. I have had the good fortune to meet and work with some very dedicated people on this amazing journey called life. In closing I would like to acknowledge the hard working adult day service staff who since ’91 I’ve been blessed to call family. Love you all.                                              

Joe C.

During the month, we’ll be posting videos from other clients who share things they want you to know about people with disabilities. We encourage you to check our social channels often, or head to our website to learn more.