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ThinkQuest Junior interviewed a student at our school, Sherwood Elementary School. Nicole (not her real name) is a fifth grader with cerebral palsy.Think Quest: How has having a disability helped you as a person?
Nicole: Having a disability doesn't keep me from doing the things I want to do. I don't think about having a disability. If I want to go ice skating, I go ice skating. If I want to roller blade, I go rollerblading. If I want to go skiing, I go skiing. If it is warm enough to swim, I will go swimming. Even if you are scared of something you should try it. This goes for everyone even if you have a disability or not.
Think Quest: Tell us about your friends.
Nicole: I have disabled friends and I have friends without disabilities. I have a disabled friend that I went to camp with. She gets around in a wheelchair. I also like to do things with my friends who aren't disabled, like going to the swimming pool.
Think Quest: What is difficult about having cerebral palsy?
Nicole: Some difficult things are not being able to walk independently and having to go to physical therapy. People also stare at me and one time at the pool a boy came up to me and asked me if I was sick. That made me feel really bad.
Think Quest: What do you do at physical therapy?
Nicole: At physical therapy I have to stretch all the muscles in my legs and that hurts. There are also other things I have to do like get against a wall and squat. I have to walk up and down little cases of stairs. The case of stairs has only four steps.
Think Quest: Do you use any special equipment?
Nicole: Yes, I have special leg braces. Once when I was getting my pajamas on I was reaching for my watch and as I was reaching I fell off of my bed and twisted my foot. Luckily, my leg braces were on. If I didn't have my leg braces on I would have broken my foot. There are canes that I walk with and I also have a dressing stick, a shoe horn, and shoes buttons. I also have a walker that I use.
Think Quest: What do you think people need to learn about disabilities?
Nicole: People need to learn not to stare and take time to learn about disabilities so they understand more about them.
Think Quest: Thank you Nicole for taking time out of your schedule to let me ask you some questions.