Monthly Archives: June 2016

#CPChatNow Recap- 06-22-2016

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Community shined during our weekly Twitter chat Wednesday, June 22nd.  I am co-host Zachary Fenell tasked to bring you the recap. This includes exploring the different communal elements, like encouragement and inspiration. The latter kicked off the night.

Members in the #CPChatNow share how they are becoming more physically active.To see Devin and Hannah refer to my walking as at a certain “level” made me smile. Erin though hit on an important factor.

You are in competition with no one but yourself.Discussion about physical activity continued as the topic transitioned to physical therapy (PT). Not everyone enjoys a positive history with PT. Enter the need for our community to provide encouragement.

#CPChatNow discusses PT's importance.PT or no PT you can still find ways to stay physically active with cerebral palsy.

#CPChatNow co-host Zachary Fenell discusses the exercises he does at home.In order to help others visualize reverse crunches I shared the following.

Since I started doing reverse crunches daily I feel stronger in my abs. As a result I am better able to catch my balance whenever I stumble.

Obviously, I am not the only one with cerebral palsy who exercises at home. So shall we open up the dialogue? Answer Devin’s question for the extend-the-conversation question. “Do you do any exercises at home?”

If yes, please give an example. Follow the usual routine and respond in the “Comments” section.

Moving forward allow me to return to the community theme. A community offers comfortableness and a safe place to share. Erin did exactly that, tweeting out a link to her recent blog post.

Erin shares a personal, emotional blog post.Keep the conversation going! Answer the extend-the-conversation question.Read Erin’s emotional post here. However, first remember to answer the extend-the-conversation question. “Do you do exercises at home?”

Reply in the “Comments” section below. If you answer yes, give an example!

Also consider purchasing a #CPChatNow sleeveless performance t shirt. Made by Sport-Tek, the performance shirt remains ideal for physical activity. Or, explore the other shirt styles available. Sale ends July 11th!

Tweet you tonight!

-Zachary

 

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#CPChatNow Recap – Breaking Down Stereotypes Focus Chat

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I am co-host Blake Henry back again to bring you the June Focus Chat recap. This week we welcomed special guest, Zach Wood to break down stereotypes about cerebral palsy.

Screen Shot 2016-06-16 at 6.20.31 PMThe change in the chat time made me feel like I was on a time zone vacation to California. We normally chat every Wednesday from 8-10PM ET, however, to accommodate our guest we moved the time to 5-7PM ET.

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I wasted no time asking Zach Wood the first question of the night to break the ice and learn more about his mission of “Breaking Down Stereotypes.”

Screen Shot 2016-06-16 at 6.21.28 PMZach was eager to share his creative genius behind The Disability Gang.

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My co-host Zachary Fenell had a question that was right up our special guest’s alley.

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Erin Muse shared the stereotype she comes in contact with way too often. It is time to educate and leave ignorant people in the dust.Screen Shot 2016-06-16 at 6.26.12 PM

Hannah Pike also shared with the community of her struggles with stereotypes.

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Who is behind my co-host Zachary Fenell and thinks we should use our creative juices and create a funky wheelchair Public Service Announcement?

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Do you ever get tired of 100 questions about cerebral palsy? Well, many of us do too and some days we just want to run away and go hide. Maybe the next big #CPChatNow creation is a resource of answers to those 100 questions.

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Our special guest Zach Wood brings up a great point. Regardless, if we created resources there will always be that one idiot who fails to listen and learn.

Screen Shot 2016-06-16 at 6.32.44 PMZach asks another great question that has been on the back burner for some time. Many of us face insults from children and adults alike, who are mean lumpy eggs.

Screen Shot 2016-06-16 at 6.38.05 PMMy co-host said he usually receives warm curious questions about his awkward gait.

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Erin said that she does not mind the curiosity and children mean no harm in their questions.

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Zach quickly chimes in again to share his mission of breaking down stereotypes and educating.

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Remember that our long anticipated #CPChatNow gear is now finally available at Custom Cat. You have until July 9th to purchase your desired products. Learn more about the sale.

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Time to dispel your own stereotypes. Go ahead and answer the week’s extend-the-conversation question.

“What is the worst stereotype you have encountered?”

Leave your answer in the “Comments” section

Respond by commenting below.

Don’t forget to give Zach a big thank you for breaking down cerebral palsy stereo types with us.

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Thanks for your participation in this month’s #CPChatNow Focus Chat.

See you soon,

Blake

#CPChatNow Recap- 06-08-2016

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Excitement remains abuzz the #CPChatNow community. I am co-host Zachary Fenell, back again. Amidst all the exciting prospects I am tasked to focus and recap the June 8th Twitter chat.

In-part the aforementioned excitement extends to announcements made June 8th.

#CPChatNow co-host Zachary Fenell announces Zach Wood will lead a focus chat on breaking down stereotypes Wednesday, June 15th.Co-host Blake Henry announces the date for #CPChatNow's monthly Google Hangouts video chat.Now the focus chat news first broke June 3rd, right here on our website! To ensure you stay updated on everything, subscribe to the website. When using a laptop or desktop, you will find the option located on the left hand side bar. On mobile devices scroll down until you see the “Subscribe” forum.

Subscribers know another reason for the recent #CPChatNow enthusiasm. Yes! I am talking about the #CPChatNow t-shirts and tank tops sale. Long awaited news I first made public here. Learn more about the sale. Then purchase your own #CPChatNow gear to wear.

With that plug complete, let me resume recapping. Early conversation segued to chatter about physical therapy.

Early conversation segued to discussion on physical therapy.#CPChatNow community members share how physical therapists had them deal with pain in physical therapy.The ability to relate to physical therapy matters seems small. However, such ability can prove a difference maker. You can especially gain a greater appreciation when remembering a time before social media. A time frame our participants recalled.

Our community recalls the time before #CPChatNow and social media.More reflection on life before #CPChatNow and social media

Answer "Before #CPChatNow and social media, did you know anyone else with cerebral palsy? If yes, how did you meet?"

Leave your answer in the “Comments” section.

Time for you to share your voice. Regulars know the drill. Go ahead and answer the week’s extend-the-conversation question.

“Before #CPChatNow and social media, did you know anyone else with cerebral palsy? If yes, how did you meet?”

Respond by commenting below. Tweet you shortly during our focus chat on breaking down stereotypes.

-Zachary

 

#CPCHATNOW T-Shirts and Tank Tops NOW On Sale!

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You can now wear your #CPChatNow pride! Hi, co-host Zachary Fenell here with exciting news. The long wait for #CPChatNow shirts remains over. This thanks to a 30-day Custom Cat campaign launched June 9th. Through the campaign #CPChatNow will raise funds for the nonprofit organization Keep On Keeping On (KOKO) Foundation.

Custom Cat offers a platform for creating customized gear. Orders print on demand and ship directly to the customer. Ideal for us at #CPChatNow! No upfront costs. No inventory to deal with. No postage and mailing to worry about.

Fundraising for KOKO!

KOKO provides funds for a new wheelchair.

KOKO Executive Director Dave Kunicki and President Tim Wambach present Jessica a check for buying a new wheelchair. KOKO stepped in after Jessica’s insurance company denied her a replacement.

As aforementioned the sale will raise funds for the nonprofit Keep On Keeping On Foundation. Our own founding father Tim Wambach also founded KOKO, back in 2007. KOKO assists those living with severe physical disabilities.

Assistance provided by purchasing medical equipment, paying for needed physical therapy, helping to cover outstanding medical expenses, and more. Learn about those KOKO helped in the past. Click for the stories.

Please note the money that goes to KOKO differs from the price you pay. Production costs need paying too. The chart below crunches the numbers for you. So you can see exactly where your money goes.

See exactly how much of the sales price goes to KOKO!

Build Your T-Shirt or Tank Top

Start by selecting your preferred shirt design. You will find three options.

Option #1: The Legendary #CPChatNow Train

Our own Erin Diericx brings the legendary #CPChatNow train to life. Underneath her beautifully designed train, the shirt reads.

BOARD THE #CPCHATNOW TRAIN

EVERY WEDNESDAY 8 ET ON TWITTER

& ON FACEBOOK ANYTIME

 

CPCHATNOW.COM

Option #2: Colored Logo

Option two features a colorful #CPChatNow logo, a Sarah Wambach creation. Beneath the gold, blue, and green #CPChatNow logo accompanies the slogan.

Community for Those with Cerebral Palsy (written in blue)

cpchatnow.com (written in green)

Option #3: Join the Family

Regularly we in our community refer to ourselves as family. That familial theme takes center stage in the final shirt design. A white #CPChatNow logo dons the shirt with the following words (also in white).

JOIN THE CEREBRAL PALSY FAMILY

ON TWITTER & FACEBOOK

CPCHATNOW.COM

Choose Your Product

Next after selecting your design, click the “Available Products” dropdown menu and explore. You will see various t-shirts and tank tops, including variations for women and youths. Once you decide on a product, play with the colors. When you key in on a combination you like, put in your size, and hit “Buy It Now.”

Check Your Spam Folder

Upon order completion you will receive a confirmation email. If you do not see the confirmation, check your spam folder. Custom Cat fills orders within 24 to 48 hours. Add in time for shipping too.

Do not let the confirmation email panic you. Personally I ordered a sleeveless performance shirt (true red) with the colored logo design. Plus I ordered a t-shirt (Irish green) featuring the join the family design.

Yet my confirmation order simply showed the right color sleeveless performance shirt but with the train design. No mention about my second shirt outside the total price. Therefore I wrote Custom Cat customer service to double check my order. They replied in under 12 hours, confirming my double check. If you wish to confirm your order, you can email Custom Cat at contact@customcat.com.

Final FYIs

Unfortunately Custom Cat currently only ships domestically within the United States and to Canada. Hopefully in the future we can find a way to offer #CPChatNow gear to our participants located other places around the world.

In the meantime the countdown clock in the United States and Canada ticks away. Order your #CPChatNow t-shirts and tank tops today! Rep #CPChatNow wherever you go. When someone asks, “Why are you smiling?” You can say “Because I helped raise funds for KOKO.”

ORDER YOUR T-SHIRTS AND TANK TOPS TODAY!

#CPChatNow Recap- 06-01-2016

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Cerebral palsy or drunk, the too common mix up triggered much conversation Wednesday, June 1st. Hi! Co-host Zachary Fenell back as promised to recap our most recent Twitter chat. Due to my co-host Blake Henry dealing with other priorities, I remained without my metaphorical co-pilot.

Blake inform the community other priorities will keep him from the night's Twitter chat.After sending well wishes to Blake’s father, we proceeded with our traditional Wednesday evening ritual. I sparked dialogue, sharing an experience from earlier in the day.

#CPChatNow community members discuss how some people assume people with cerebral palsy are just drunk.Devin asks if I used the cerebral palsy or drunk confusion as a teachable moment.Honestly, I read about others encountering the cerebral palsy or drunk confusion before. Yet if I indeed heard correctly, the interaction marks my first personal experience with the issue. I wonder how many face the cerebral palsy or drunk mix up.

Wait! That gives me an idea. How about I ask for this week’s extend-the-conversation question “Has your cerebral palsy ever led someone to mistaken you for being drunk? How did you react?”

Leave your answer in the “Comments” section.

Another noteworthy aspect came when I teased the next focus chat announcement.

Zachary tells the community to visit the website Thursday for the June 2016 focus chat announcement.Those who missed Thursday’s post, click here. Personally I believe this upcoming focus chat will lead to some standout discussion! Make sure to mark the special time on your calendar, 5pm ET- 7pm ET (June 15th).

Speaking about focus chats, Devin mentioned a past focus chat leader.

Devin recommends Emily Ladau's new podcast The Accessible Stall.Last year Devin and Emily teamed up to lead an advocacy focus chat. While I still need to listen to The Accessible Stall myself, I hold no hesitation echoing Devin’s recommendation here. I am more than confident Emily delivers an awesome podcast.

Additionally I wish to echo a plug I made Wednesday evening.

I encourage others to sign a We the People petition, asking the White House for adult changing areas in restrooms.Everyone deserves the chance to go to the bathroom in a private, dignified setting. So again, I am encouraging everyone to sign. Use this active link to visit the petition and show your support on said important matter.

Answer, has your cerebral palsy ever led someone to mistaken you for being drunk? How did you react?Once you sign the petition, return here to the recap and answer the extend-the-conversation question.

“Has your cerebral palsy ever led someone to mistaken you for being drunk? How did you react?”

Simply leave a comment below to respond.

I hope to talk with you Wednesday.

-Zachary

 

 

 

ANNOUNCEMENT: June 2016 Focus Chat Details

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A calendar flip brings about exciting prospects. For our community that involves the thought. “What will the monthly focus chat be?” Well I am your co-host Zachary Fenell and I am here to tell you!

Typically my co-host Blake Henry and I like to make these announcements during the Twitter chats. Unfortunately circumstances beyond our control prevented that from happening yesterday. Rather waiting another week to make the announcement, we realized. “Wait! We have a website. Let us make the announcement there.”

So without further babbling, I give you the details for our June focus chat.

June 15th author Zach Wood will lead #CPChatNow in a focus chat on breaking down barriers.

Sure I could carry on with my words to tell you about Zach Wood. Better, I will let Zach’s award winning video share his story. He won The Arc of Larimer County Fourth Annual Film Festival with the following.

Given his wheelchair and speech pattern Zach deals with stereotypes too much. People make certain judgments about him because how he sounds or looks. The unfortunate situation however leaves him a perfect candidate to lead our focus chat on breaking down stereotypes!

By living an active life Zach continuously meets new people. When people meet him, stereotypes breakdown and possibilities shine. In this guest blog post for Handicap This Productions, Zach details the many ways he lives actively.

Please join us on Twitter Wednesday, June 15th for a Q & A about breaking down stereotypes with Zach Wood (@zlwbooks). You will enjoy the opportunity to tweet Zach your questions.

IMPORTANT!

You will notice our “Breaking Down Stereotypes” focus chat begins at a special time! #CPChatNow takes place between 5pm ET and 7pm ET Wednesday, June 15th. Mark your calendars accordingly!

Now I realize the time change will cause schedule conflicts for some. Conversely our regular time would not work for our guest and his aid/cohort John Teumer. Therefore I apologize for any inconvenience and thank you for your willingness to accommodate. I am confident those who can attend will revel in a memorable conversation.

Anyhow in a few days I will return with a recap from our June 1st Twitter chat.

Until then!

-Zachary

P.S. For more about our upcoming guest, visit his website www.zlwbooks.com.

#CPChatNow Recap- 05-25-2016

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On Wednesday, May 25th, 2016 our live cerebral palsy Twitter chat discussed many subjects. Hello again! I, #CPChatNow co-founder and co-host Zachary Fenell, am back with you. Hopefully you enjoyed the past two recaps, put together by my co-host Blake Henry. Those recaps prove the start to empowering our community to use this website to share their voices. More about that soon enough though!

In the meantime I possess a lot to recap from our most recent chat. Blake sparked conversation early, asking about inspiration.

Blake aks the #CPChatNow community about what inspires them.#CPChatNow participants share what inspires them.Regular recap readers, yes! You will notice another new Twitter handle in the above screen grab.

The Twitter chat #CPChatNow seems to be growing on a weekly basis!Hamda later specified he lives in Dubai. His presence allowed us to learn about disability perceptions there.

Hamda discusses disability perceptions in Dubai. Fittingly enough, disability perception in general stood out as a hot topic during the weekly chat. Regular Devin triggered the dialogue sharing an article from CNN, “Paralyzed After Falling From Tree, Hunter and Dad-to-be Opts to End Life.”

#CPChatNow responds to the CNN article Devin shares.Now I must admit selecting highlights from the disability perception discussion remained challenging. Personally I thought our community raised several great points. Since such a rich topic, why not keep the dialogue going? In other words, extend the conversation! Answer for the extend-the-conversation question, “What can you do to encourage those who become disabled to push forward, to keep on keeping on?”

Leave your answer in the “Comments” section.

Moving forward, an additional loaded topic emerged thanks to chatter about botox treatment.

Conversation about botox treatment turns to discussion over insurance.Lucinda’s recommendation to checkout Botox Savings Card exemplifies our community’s helpful nature. Join in the Twitter chat fun one week and see what beneficial advice you receive. I sought to contribute to the good advice too when the conversation transitioned to exercise.

Co-host Zachary gives a tip about exercising.

Keep the conversation going and answer "What can you do to encourage those who become disabled to push forward, to keep on keeping on?"

Answer in the “Comments” section.

Overall last week’s Twitter chat conversation covered a lot. From helpful advice to disability perceptions to disability in Dubai and more! I excitedly await to see how the dialogue for tonight’s chat progresses.

Assist me in passing the time until 8:00pm ET by keeping last week’s conversation going. Answer the extend-the-conversation question.

“What can you do to encourage those who become disabled to push forward, to keep on keeping on?”

Thank you for reading. Tweet you soon!

-Zachary