Cerebral Palsy Consciousness Month: Meghan Forte on Breaking Limitations and Altering the Narrative in Media

April 22, 2025

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March is Cerebral Palsy Consciousness Month, a time to boost consciousness and have a good time the lives of people dwelling with cerebral palsy (CP). It’s a chance for all of us to raised perceive the situation, problem misconceptions, and work towards a extra inclusive society. As we mirror on the lives of these dwelling with CP, you will need to acknowledge their achievements, energy, and resilience. One such particular person is Meghan Forte, an completed author who lives each day with cerebral palsy. By way of her work in literature and media, Meghan challenges the stereotypes surrounding CP and advocates for a world the place disabled persons are represented precisely and inclusively.

Meghan’s Journey: Energy, Resilience, and Neighborhood

Meghan Forte’s story is considered one of perseverance. “I’ve a bodily incapacity and neurological dysfunction known as cerebral palsy, which impacts motion, together with each effective and gross motor abilities,” Meghan explains. “For me, which means utilizing my legs and decrease physique muscular tissues can generally be difficult.” Like many individuals with CP, Meghan’s journey includes a mix of ongoing remedy, resilience, and self-advocacy. “To keep up my mobility and muscle energy, I attend bodily remedy classes every week as a part of my ongoing remedy plan,” she shares.

Although the bodily challenges of CP are actual, Meghan’s outlook on life has at all times targeted on the connections she has made and the alternatives she has seized. “One facet of my journey that I at all times cherish is the social connections I’ve made throughout the incapacity neighborhood,” Meghan notes. “Rising up, I appeared ahead to attending summer season camps particularly designed for folks with disabilities. The camp counselors’ major aim was to make sure that we, as campers, had enjoyable whereas being protected. These experiences allowed me to take part in actions I won’t at all times have entry to at residence—issues like singing, dancing, camp-wide scavenger hunts, and, most significantly, forming lifelong friendships.”

By way of her faculty years, Meghan’s dedication to succeed remained robust regardless of the bodily calls for. “School was an ideal expertise for me. It was actually bodily demanding, however I additionally needed to push myself to proceed and obtain the next training,” she remembers. In the present day, she proudly works in her neighborhood, utilizing her training and experiences to advocate for incapacity inclusion.

A Profession That Breaks Limitations

Meghan’s profession as a author additional challenges societal views of individuals dwelling with disabilities. “I studied at a small college in New Jersey. Initially, I needed to deal with working with kids, so I majored in Instructing with English Literature. I nonetheless work throughout the training business, and I’m additionally honored to be a author,” she shares. Meghan’s work spans a number of genres, from contributing to Social Way of life Journal to authoring kids’s books. “My hope is that the kids’s guide I wrote will encourage academics to advertise kindness and friendship amongst all kids,” she explains. “All of us have completely different pursuits or talents once we are nonetheless studying at an elementary or preschool degree. Nevertheless, with the suitable instructing instruments, we will additionally be taught kindness and empathy on the similar time.”

Her deal with inclusivity additionally extends to her work in leisure. As somebody deeply invested within the media, Meghan is obsessed with the way in which incapacity is portrayed on-screen. “I really feel just like the illustration of individuals with disabilities in right this moment’s leisure business has turn into rather more constructive in comparison with once I was rising up,” Meghan says, acknowledging the progress made lately. “Extra folks now acknowledge disability-related consciousness months, and people with disabilities are more and more being featured in commercials, films, and even in merchandise like Barbie dolls.”

Nevertheless, she additionally highlights areas the place enchancment is required. “One factor I might personally change is the frequent portrayal of disabled characters experiencing tragedy or dying,” Meghan observes. “Whereas I perceive that these storylines could be legitimate and reflective of some folks’s experiences, it usually looks like characters with disabilities are disproportionately given tragic endings. For instance, in Simon Birch, Simon passes away, and in Of Mice and Males, Lennie is shot. Why do these characters so usually meet such unlucky fates? I might like to see extra tales the place folks with disabilities thrive, succeed, and lead fulfilling lives—simply as they do in actuality.”

Meghan believes the answer lies in providing extra alternatives for folks with disabilities in media. “Extra individuals who have and stay with incapacity needs to be solid and/or work behind the scenes extra in movie and literature,” she advocates. “I admire exhibits like Speechless and Breaking Unhealthy, together with fashions like Ellie Goldstein—the primary mannequin with Down syndrome to be featured in British Vogue—as a result of they’re making an actual impression. It’s inspiring to see this shift as a result of, once I was youthful, I didn’t usually see folks with disabilities in mainstream media. Now, youthful generations can develop up seeing themselves represented and dreaming large.”

Empowering Change By way of Consciousness

Cerebral Palsy Consciousness Month is a name to motion—an opportunity to acknowledge the achievements of people with CP whereas advocating for a extra inclusive world. Meghan’s private {and professional} journey demonstrates that individuals with disabilities not solely have the potential to succeed but additionally to make important contributions to society.

As we mirror on this month, take into account how we will all assist the incapacity neighborhood:

Amplify the voices of people like Meghan, whose experiences problem and encourage.
Advocate for illustration in all types of media—on display, in literature, and past.
Assist insurance policies and initiatives that foster inclusivity and accessibility for all.

The world of leisure is shifting, and as Meghan Forte’s story exhibits, folks dwelling with disabilities can thrive in each space of life when given the chance. Let’s proceed to vary the narrative, making certain that every one folks, no matter their talents, are seen, heard, and valued.

Unique Interview:

1. Please share just a little about your self, your incapacity, and your journey!

Meghan Forte: “I’ve a bodily incapacity and neurological dysfunction known as cerebral palsy, which impacts motion, together with each effective and gross motor abilities. For me, which means utilizing my legs and decrease physique muscular tissues (gross motor abilities) can generally be difficult. Effective motor abilities contain hand actions, and once I was youthful, I labored with an occupational therapist to strengthen my palms and enhance abilities like tying my footwear and writing with a pencil.

Primarily, my gross motor actions are extra affected. To keep up my mobility and muscle energy, I attend bodily remedy classes every week as a part of my ongoing remedy plan.

One facet of my journey that I at all times cherish is the social connections I’ve made throughout the incapacity neighborhood. Rising up, I appeared ahead to attending summer season camps particularly designed for folks with disabilities. The camp counselors’ major aim was to make sure that we, as campers, had enjoyable whereas being protected. These experiences allowed me to take part in actions I won’t at all times have entry to at residence—issues like singing, dancing, camp-wide scavenger hunts, and, most significantly, forming lifelong friendships.

School was an ideal expertise for me. It was actually bodily demanding, however I additionally needed to push myself to proceed and obtain the next training. So, right this moment, I can be extra concerned in my neighborhood.”

2. With consideration to your earlier response, would you inform us about your profession as a author? Elaborate in your professional deal with leisure & share your guide/different profession accomplishments!

Meghan Forte: “Thanks once more, Bridget for considering of interviewing me right this moment. I studied at a small college in New Jersey. Initially, I needed to deal with working with kids. So, I majored in Instructing with English Literature. I nonetheless work throughout the training business, and I’m additionally honored to be a author.

I’ve additionally been studying about extra industries for writing for Social Way of life Journal, and I’m additionally a kids’s guide creator. My hope is that the kids’s guide I wrote will encourage academics to advertise kindness and friendship amongst all kids. All of us have completely different pursuits, or talents once we are nonetheless studying at an elementary or preschool studying middle. Nevertheless, I really feel that with the suitable instructing instruments, we will additionally be taught kindness and empathy on the similar time.”

3) How do you’re feeling about the way in which folks with disabilities are represented in right this moment’s leisure business? What do you want?/What do you dislike? – What would you alter and the way would you alter it?

Meghan Forte: “I really feel just like the illustration of individuals with disabilities in right this moment’s leisure business has turn into rather more constructive in comparison with once I was rising up. Nevertheless, there are nonetheless sure well being situations, ranges of severity, and skills that most people could also be much less aware of. One of the vital priceless classes I discovered at camp was the significance of empathy—understanding that each particular person’s expertise with incapacity is exclusive.

Every household’s expertise with incapacity is completely different. Talents fluctuate from individual to individual, and what works for one particular person won’t work for an additional—and that’s okay.

I’m pleased with how a lot consciousness has grown over time. Extra folks now acknowledge disability-related consciousness months, and people with disabilities are more and more being featured in commercials, films, and even in merchandise like Barbie dolls.

Whereas I like movies and all tales that discover the incapacity perspective and expertise, one factor I might personally change is the frequent portrayal of disabled characters experiencing tragedy or dying. Whereas I perceive that these storylines could be legitimate and reflective of some folks’s experiences, it usually looks like characters with disabilities are disproportionately given tragic endings.

For instance, in Simon Birch, Simon passes away, and in Of Mice and Males, Lennie is shot. Why do these characters so usually meet such unlucky fates? I might like to see extra tales the place folks with disabilities thrive, succeed, and lead fulfilling lives—simply as they do in actuality. To vary the narrative, I feel extra individuals who have and stay with incapacity needs to be casted and or work behind the scenes extra in movie and literature.

I additionally admire that extra tv characters with disabilities are being represented within the media. Exhibits like Speechless and Breaking Unhealthy, together with fashions like Ellie Goldstein—the primary mannequin with Down syndrome to be featured in British Vogue—are making an actual impression. It’s inspiring to see this shift as a result of, once I was youthful, I didn’t usually see folks with disabilities in mainstream media. Now, youthful generations can develop up seeing themselves represented and are dreaming large!”

Thanks! Meghan Forte https://socialifestylemag.com/creator/meghanf/