Dear Disabled & Proud

Dear Disabled & Proud,

I recently moved away to go to college. This is my second week and I am miserable. While I’ve had my disability my entire life (CP), I feel so alone here. I know no one and I am struggling with just figuring out how to do my own laundry. It seems like every one else has it so much easier than I do. Please help.

Sincerely,
Homesick
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Dear Homesick,

First and foremost, Congratulations on getting accepted into college!

As any disabled person can tell you, moving away from home for the first time is hard on all of us. Growing up, many of us had our parent(s) to help solve accessibility issues and now we are left trying to figure it out on our own. If you’re like the rest of us, you’re probably wishing someone would swoop in and problem solve for you all over again and wondering why you weren’t paying more attention when they did. The good news is that, while challenging at first, you’re guaranteed to become a more creative problem solver in the very near future. You’re also likely to soon decide that you can solve accessibility issues better than your parents ever could. 🙂

With that said, you’re not alone with figuring out these things. You have an entire army of disabled people that have come before you that can help. I encourage you to reach out to your local Center for Independent Living (CIL), as they have an abundance of local resources and solutions. Check out our website (here) for a complete listing of all CILs. They will also be able to help problem-solve your laundry pile. 🙂

Further, reach out to the Disability Services Center on your campus. This is the place to go if you are needing any accommodations in the classroom, but they also will know of any on-campus clubs that are happening, specifically for disabled people. Go check out these clubs and meet other disabled people. You have to put yourself out there, but you’ll soon find your tribe.