An article by Tylia Flores
It’s no secret that technology has taken over the world in the way we had to connect with the world and adapt to the many things around us.
I have always had to use different types of technology to help me adapt to the world around me as someone with cerebral palsy.
I first got introduced to using technology to help me adapt to my everyday life was when I was in the first grade when my teacher noticed that I had a difficult time with handwriting due to my lack of mobility.
So after many failed attempts of trying to occupational therapy to correct the issue of having lack mobility when it came to handwriting and tracing letters, my 1st-grade teacher decided to call my parents for an IEP meeting.
During the IEP meeting, it was determined that I would be given an alpha smart to type with the alpha smart was like a small little keyboard just like you would have it on the computer but without access to the internet and all that good stuff.
I remember being so excited to get the alpha smart so that I didn’t have to have someone help me write my ABC’s I could be an independent student.
But it wasn’t easy learning how to use the alpha smart because I would type very slowly and because the tip of my swan fingers would hurt every time I would touch the keyboard I hated it so much. After all, it had a small screen and couldn’t see what I was typing.
On top of that, the Alpha smart had little accessibility options for me and as someone with Cerebral palsy with lack of mobility it could become overwhelming for us and using the alpha smart did get overwhelming for me and I didn’t enjoy doing my schoolwork and adapting to the world around me as someone with Cerebral palsy.
But luckily, in the 4th grade, my opinion and my heart changed when it came to technology after transferring to a different elementary where they gave me an apple ibookg4 laptop to use for my school work and everyday activities.
Immediately when receiving the ibookg4 model of the Apple laptop I fell in love with it and all the programs on it that had accessibility options to help me adapt to the world and my cerebral palsy.
I felt like the possibilities are endless when opening my MacBook pro every day as I gained the confidence to leave my mark and say take it or leave it this is me my story my way of leaving my mark on society.
As an author, Advocate, Radio show using technology such as Apple products have been it easier to allow my creativity to come out more without worrying about my cerebral palsy being an obstacle in front of me .
I honestly will be forever grateful for technology and the way it has helped me lived my life with Cerebral palsy.
