It starts as soon as I wake up each morning. The feeling that I’m being stabbed, stung by 1,000 bees and burnt alive.

“Cerebral palsy,” the term conjures up different emotions for different people. Parents receiving the CP diagnosis for their child will most certainly feel concern, perhaps even fear. Classmates, co-workers, neighbors, and passersby may let uncertainty and hesitation take over. Those with cerebral palsy themselves encounter not only physical challenges but can also face self-doubt, loneliness and others’ pre-conceived notions.

Real, thought provoking and honest describe author Rob J. Quinn’s I’m Not Here to Inspire You: Essays on disability from a regular guy living with cerebral palsy.

During the summer, fellow The Mobility Resource writer Jennifer Gorman raised an intriguing question, “Are There Perks to Having a Disability?” Response from our readers proved mixed. Personally, I’m in the “yes” camp. I believe with certainty my cerebral palsy (CP) benefits me, enriching my life in fulfilling ways. Take the following instances for example.

Cerebral palsy and not driving, with or without accessible car modificaitons, fails to deter California State University Long Beach (CSULB) student Hamid Ala from his music-related ambitions. Ala studies singing at CSULB’s Bob Cole Conservatory of Music, specifically pursuing his bachelors of arts in art and music. He maintains a special passion for classical music, an interest rooted in his native London, England culture. Hamid Ala’s experiences as an individual with a disability provided some intriguing insights during a recent interview with The Mobility Resource.