Cerebral Palsy EffectsCerebral Palsy effects refers to limitations or restrictions of individual’s participation in day to day activities by a child with cerebral palsy. These limitations can be found at personal, family and community level.Personal Level These limitations include daily chores such as waking up from sleep, toileting, bathing, taking meals and cleaning up. A child with cerebral palsy may not be able to do these chores or may do them on her own but at slow pace or may require some assistance.Family Level The restriction can be at family or neighbourhood level. You may find that the child with cerebral palsy is not able to share in eating meals on equal terms with her friends or she is unable to participate in playing with other children.See this girl on the wheelchair, who is unable to participate in playing on a trampoline.Community Level Exclusion at community level included public places such as church, schools, shops, government buildings and amusement centres. The child with cerebral palsy may not have access to these places. A recent study tour to the National Museum organised by the school for pupils including my daughter on wheel chair is classic of exclusion. The Museum does not have provisions for accessibility for a person on a wheel chair. The Museum is s single story building but is elevated and one has to use a number of stairs to get the place. My daughter had to be lifted in the wheel chair into the museum. Apart from this set back may daughter enjoyed her study tour. The limitations to participate in the daily activities is due to inadequate information on disability issues because the law provides accessibility for people with disabilities. Good News Our Church has recognised this challenge of accessibility by persons with disabilities and has erected ramps for ease access by persons with wheel chairs. Due to economic boom in the country, a number of shopping malls have sprung up like mushrooms across the town of Lusaka. These new building are user friendly, the have provisions for persons with wheel chairs. This is the short story on cerebral palsy effects or rather restrictions of individual’s participation in daily activities by children with cerebral palsy and on wheel chairs.
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