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I used to be a biker... Hello Community! I am Matteo Cattini, the captain of the Italian Para Powerlifting Team. I want to share my inspiring story with you. After a life-changing accident that left me with a disability, I found new hope and passion in para powerlifting. Despite facing discouraging feedback from doctors, I remained determined and turned to the gym for rehabilitation and empowerment. Para powerlifting, a challenging sport, became my outlet for resilience and positivity. My journey is a testament to the power of determination and a positive mindset in the face of adversity. I am grateful for the opportunity to share my story with the Yoocan community and beyond, inspiring others with disabilities to pursue their passions. Join me in spreading motivation and positivity. Let's continue to inspire the disability community together. Follow my journey as I strive to make a difference through para powerlifting. Remember, with resilience and determination, you can overcome any challenge and achieve your dreams. Together, let's uplift and empower the disability community! From the hospital, to Para Powerlifting, to Rio 2016 Paralympic Games After spending over eight months in the hospital, I decided to go to the gym as a way to regain muscle tone. To my surprise, I discovered that I had a talent for it, and I soon began competing at a national level, winning my first titles. In 2012, I was invited to join the National Team, and I started traveling internationally for competitions. The highlight of my career came in 2016 when I received the call to represent Italy at the Rio Paralympic Games, a dream come true for any Para Athlete. Fast forward thirteen years, and I am now a dedicated athlete, devoting most of my time to training and competitions, while also working as an employee at the Italian Weightlifting Federation (FIPE). I am proud to contribute to my sports national federation and continue to pursue my passion for para powerlifting at the highest level. It has been an incredible journey, and I am grateful for the opportunities and experiences that have come my way through the world of sports. Never Stop Exploring! In addition to my passion for para powerlifting, I am also an avid traveler, thanks to my bionic leg that allows me to explore the world. I have been fortunate to visit various countries such as Jordan, Iceland, Norway, the United States, Greek Islands, Ireland, Finland, and my beautiful home country of Italy, with many more destinations on my bucket list. While traveling, I sometimes encounter curious stares from people, but I am often met with kind words of admiration for my spirit. While I am flattered, I also hope for a world where every amputee has the same opportunities to travel and explore without limitations. Unfortunately, this is not the current reality for everyone. I am optimistic that things will change in the near future, and communities like this one play an essential role in showcasing the capabilities of individuals with disabilities. We are capable of achieving anything we set our minds to, and I am proud to be a part of a community that inspires and promotes inclusivity. Let's continue to advocate for a more inclusive world where everyone has equal opportunities to pursue their passions and explore the wonders of our beautiful planet.

Be unique! My name is Joshua Rucker. I was born and raised in Warren, Michigan. Growing up, I always had an athlete's mentality. From an early age I had a passion for lifting weights and for fitness and wellbeing in general. That came from my father. He got me pumped up for sports, especially football, and encouraged me to train physically to achieve my goals. I loved football, but began to realize I loved the preparation for sports more. When I was 18, my world changed in ways I could have never have imagined. On September 17, 2002, I was headed to work and tragedy struck. My work vehicle’s axle had DETACHED; causing my work vehicle to flip 15 times. I never made it to work that day. Instead, I was pronounced dead on the scene! But by the grace of God, I survived. I was in a coma for a month. At 18 years old, I was told I'd never walk again. I don't need to describe how that made me feel... I'm sure you can imagine. My life was forever changed. For a while I let it get the best of me. I went through a dark period of time. And then one day I had enough. I remembered who I was! And I knew who I wanted to be! And now, here I am, living and breathing and making the most of life with exercise. Working out is more than just a great physique to me, it is my life. It helps me to be strong and live an independent life being paralyzed from the belly button down. Many people look at exercise/working out as a chore. I look at it as my independence in life. I am a personal trainer, I want to help people with exercise and nutrition. Showing the benefits from it and how it can help them in their life in so many ways.

Introduction My name is Kat Gray. I am 15 years old, I'm nonbinary, and I have cerebral palsy. This means I'm a part-time wheelchair and mobility aid user. Growing up, I never saw myself in the media ANYWHERE and I still don't. Disability representation on screen is minimal despite coming a long way in recent times, and as an aspiring actor and writer, I am to change this. As a kid, I was relentlessly bullied for "faking" my disability as no one really understood the fact that I have good days and bad days and don't rely on any of my walking aids 24/7. My cerebral palsy means that I am in pain a lot of the time, but people can't see that this is what's disabling me, and for whatever reason, they chose to assume I'm exaggerating my condition for attention. The reason for this misunderstanding is the lack of representation that part-time wheelchair/mobility aid users get in the media. We are pretty much nowhere to be seen and that causes a gap in knowledge for most able-bodied people. Impressions of disabilities are heavily influenced by what is seen on TV and elsewhere in the media, so if we're not included, we're not recognized or heard. This leads to so many people believing that most if not all wheelchair users are paralyzed or unable to walk whatsoever because that's what gets the most media coverage. #AllDisabilitiesOnScreen I have spent so much of my life being harassed for "not being disabled enough". These types of comments from people are so damaging because they alter my own perception and the relationship that I have with my disability. Most of this harassment can be traced back to a lack of knowledge. This lack of knowledge can be traced back to a complete gap in coverage for people who are part-time wheelchair users in the media. This needs to change so I've taken things into my own hands. I audition for lots of different roles and even experiment with writing my own shows and concepts that highlight inclusivity. I have started an online awareness campaign called #AllDisabilitiesOnScreen and I am trying my best to get people on board. Make sure to check out my hashtag!

The world would be a much better place, if people realized that you win more when you lose. I recently ran in an election that we had in our municipality. I myself didn’t earn a seat on council, but my soul won. When out campaigning the situation wasn’t easy. Little did I know that running in this election would shine a light on my inner being? When it comes to politics, I’m very passionate. It’s not my political views that are misunderstood, it’s me. Showing up at someone’s door asking for support is one of the hardest things I will ever do. Not because I was worried about them voting for me, it was showing people that I have a brain and was not invisible. When people saw me coming to their door, they saw that there was a person with me. They would knock on the door and take notes. It was up to me to break the stigmatism of “Awww, that’s nice Alex is running”, and show people that my thought process and passion for the community was in full force. When talking to people during my campaign, there were so many things at play. My voice and powerchair are first things that people notice. I have to try my very best to speak clearly. This is not easy, especially when talking to people who don’t know me that well. As soon as I speak, people either ignore me or listen to me. This puts a lot of pressure on me to speak well. People see me before they hear me. Seeing my powerchair automatically makes people have the classic stereotype of “all people in powerchairs are dumb.” Naturally, if you do not understand somebody you look for a scapegoat. This was the person who was with me. Even though I would be talking directly to the individual, their eyes would tend to drift to my helper. Years ago, I would never have gone out to campaign. Add to that, dealing with the elements of fall weather and talking to strangers. It was a nerve wracking but eye opening few months. Life has taught me that “nothing good comes easy” & in order for me to get anywhere in life, I’ll have keep pushing for my voice not to be heard, but more importantly understood. My Cerebral Palsy created obstacles for me during the campaign, at the same time showing me how much of a positive influence it can be. Cerebral Palsy can push a person sideways. When this occurs, I’m the only person that can get my life back on even keel. Looking at the word “disability”, the ability part of the word is located at the end. This could take a lifetime, but we have to find out who we are. After this is done, our true ability can shine through.

Independant fun Quinten’s Quest Meet Quinn! A 3yo #cpwarrior sharing the challenges, achievements & experiences of daily life. See him have some independent fun and enjoy the video.

Being an Influencer and Activist Hi my name is Tarik Rever. I am a disabled model, artist, activist, inventor for the disabled, and singer. I used to be a dancer and martial artist. Over time I developed myasthenia gravis and my health declined. I am still disabled but I built up my health from a very low point. At first I was barely conscious and had trouble speaking. Nowadays I still have rough days but it is much better than before. I channel my energy to helping others as an influencer, activist, and model. Using social media as a platform to help others in the disabled community have a voice. I ask others that are disabled or have medical issues to share their experience on my post so my reach as an influencer lends its energy to others. I am trying to create a movement where there is more emotional support for the disabled. We are helping each other lift each other up. The Medical System I also focus on the injustice of the medical system. Most of us that are disabled don’t get the full care we need. Either it’s too expensive or we are often misdiagnosed, which creates a whole host of health problems. Over the years I have been working with other disabled influencers to shine a spotlight on this issue. I hope to gain more reach working with others. We truly can create more change with unity. My Technology for the Disabled I am developing tech that helps those that are disabled gain more mobility and strength. There are a lot of prototypes that I am building that show great promise. I could do more with more funding and resources. Right now I created a glove that dramatically increases the grip of the wearer. There is an articulated neck brace that gives more natural movement while still supporting the head and neck muscles. In the works is a body support that will have ways to improve breathing and support the spine. Stay tuned for more updates.

The Diagnosis: Tetraplegia One day I found myself bleeding in my cervical spine causing me to lose all movement below my shoulder. In fact, I believe a miracle made the bleeding stop while my parents were telling my brothers and sister I could die in the days to come. The difficulty in breathing ceased and some arm movements returned, but I could not move my fingers or legs. At first, I was sad and cried. I was reluctant to accept assistive technologies. I entered the hospital walking in with a neck pain and left in a wheelchair with Tetraplegia at levels c5 / c6. It was time to relearn to live, and I did. I realized that I was still the same girl with the same dreams with the same rights to be happy. With faith in God, support from my family and friends, I have moved on. I learned to tie my hand in a racket and I started playing table tennis. To my surprise, I became a good athlete and won the Brazilian class two champion eight times. Table tennis opened up several opportunities, and motivated me to be more independent. What I've Done In my Life With Tetraplegia My life definitely changed when I decided to travel abroad to Greece. At that moment, I needed two people to help me in daily life. I could not even imagine traveling domestically. However, I currently have a new dream to watch the Paralympic Games. This new motivation increased my courage and as a journalism student, I enrolled in a university project to cover the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. It was not easy. I had to go back to the rehab hospital to learn how to do everything with just one caretaker. We have learned to make simple activities for a person without physical limitations, and a big challenge for us at that moment, such as transferring to the wheelchair, taking a shower or using the toilet. After this training, I thought I had achieved my independence, but it really had come when I faced all the problems I had during the adventurous journey. I have learned that problems have a solution. Therefore, you have to avoid problems happening, and if you cannot not prevent them, you must try to fix them. I believe that a successful plan made me stronger to always seek more. Looking back, I did not stop my life or complain about about what I lost. I look forward to all good things that are happening in my life. I graduated university and became a television reporter. I was the first quadriplegic journalist on a daily TV news story in my country. At the end of 2017, I was selected to represent Brazil in the first Miss Wheelchair World in Poland. I have never been a model before, and I had the most unique experience in my life with 23 other beautiful women on wheelchairs from many parts of the world. I was fourth place in the popular vote and my self-confidence strengthened. I believe the best is yet to come. Yes, we can. For the future? I would love to find a special partner to share the next experiences. This would be a great adventure!!!

There are occasions when words cannot express feelings Sometimes, feelings must be expressed beyond words. Ruti Gaon, the author of Flower Quilt has done it again. She has now taken her passion to the stage through her new play The Boy With The Dotts. Based on the true story of her children Noah and Erez, Gaon’s play has been awarded 4 prestigious prizes in the Haifa competition for kids' theater plays (Best Writing, Best Actor, Best Director, Best Music). Erez is Yoocan’s Hero. He inspires through the power of love, diversity, inclusion, acceptance, and togetherness. The Boy With the Dotts sends a strong message that no one should ever feel alone, no matter what. The plot goes as follows: Sixth grader Noa moves with her family to a new city. She harbors feelings of concern and excitement but is mostly focused on acclimating to her new environment. In her first days at a new school, Noa witnesses her brother endure bullying for his condition. She feels terrible for him but fears that if she expresses this, she will be known as the sister of the boy with spots. Noa now faces conflict. She knows that her little brother Erez is so much more than his condition. He is the sweetest and funniest boy in the world and has dreams of becoming a magician. Unfortunately, in order to find her place at the new school, she becomes entangled in a growing lie. She faces the difficult decision between endangering her relationship with Erez or her standing with new classmates. Noa will discover that with the power of truth: through her love for her brother she can create real magic. The Boy with the Dotts is a story about true friendship, sibling love, and the ability to see the inner beauty hidden in each and every one of us. You can check out more details by following this link.

About Me Hey i'm Abi. I'm a 47yr old disabled woman, living in West Sussex with my dog Little Dorrit, who you’ll get to know from my blogs. I was born in May 1976 with Spina Bifida and have since become a double below knee amputee, as a result of complications related to my condition, I've also inherited a Supra Pubic Catheter and a rather attractive leg bag (yes, you've got the dog/bag connection now, its all shits and giggles around here). Although I do walk, with crutches, these days I choose to use my wheelchair most of the time as it increases my level of independence, rather than reduce it - it’s taken a very long time to realise this, and accept that using a wheelchair is a positive rather than a negative part of my life, and walking, after all, is totally overrated! Being independent and maintaining my independence is very important to me and, over the years, I have learnt ways of making this possible. However, as the nature of my disability changes, so does my need to find new ways to enable my independence to continue. My hope is that my blogs will be of interest and may be some help to those who may have had a disability from birth or to those who may have acquired a disability later in life, or simply to those who are interested in finding out what life is like from the perspective of a disabled person living in a non disabled world. Oh, and i try to add humour too, being a disabled person can really lead to some very entertaining scenarios!!! The link to my blog is in the bio of my Instagram account @One_dog_and_a_bag ☺️

About Me Hi there! My name is Danielle, and I am a YouTuber, artist, and model. I was born with a birth defect called Spina Bifida, which means I’ve spent most of my life in a wheelchair. But hold the sympathy! If there’s one thing I’ve learned about disabilities, it’s that we all have them in some form or another. Mine is just more visible than most. With my YouTube channel called “Daniellability”, I strive to raise awareness and open up conversations surrounding disabilities. I would like to see disabilities included in conversations regarding diversity – in Hollywood, in modeling, in fashion, and in creating spaces (whether that be homes or public spaces) that are accessible for all. When I was growing up, I rarely (if ever) saw anyone who looked like me in the movies, on the television, or in magazines. If I did, it was typically in a sad and depressing way; so, I would like that to be different for the next generation. It’s time that the world sees people with disabilities as people who can be fashionable, interesting, vibrant, and important parts of society. But that is not where my mission stops as I would also like to encourage fellow wheelchair users to be brave, innovative, and live life to the fullest. This includes showing parents of children with disabilities that they can not only survive but THRIVE if given the proper tools. The way all of these things start is by being open and communicating.

A Little Poem About Life with Lipedema ​​At around age 12, I noticed my legs were abnormally large with a noticeable ankle cuff. I tried several diet and exercise plans, but I couldn't lose weight. This was rough. At age 26, I needed an answer! So I typed "Large painful legs" on the search line and I couldn't believe my eyes... could it be real? Images of legs that looked exactly like mine! At age 27, I had an appointment with a vascular surgeon, who finally diagnosed me! She said a pneumatic compression pump, & wearing compression stockings, will be key. At age 29, I had my beautiful daughter, but afterwards, my body changed quite a bit. Lipedema progresses with hormonal changes, but no complaints here! She's SO worth it! At age 34, I had to quit my job, because I could no longer handle the intense daily pain With unpredictable symptoms, swelling, & more, to continue would've been inhumane. At age 35, I'm a disabled stay-at-home mom, which allows me time for treatments and rest. Living with this body is frustrating & difficult, but I try to stay positive & always do my best!

My diagnosis I have fibromyalgia- this looks like muscle pain, exhaustion, fatigue, and personally also heat exhaustion. No doctors really know where it comes from and what the starting point of having fibro is, but some theories say it’s related to trauma. I do know that from all the theories this one is the probable reason for me to have fibromyalgia at such a young age. We started to look for a diagnosis when I was 14. I got diagnosed 2 years later with fibromyalgia, which is rare for someone so young. The major problem with having such a rare diagnosis is that there's no representation. Two years after the initial diagnosis, I started needing a wheelchair, but it has been difficult to find mobility aids. This is why I want to be the representation. I hope to talk about fibromyalgia among youth and explain its importance. I've been doing cosplay for 3 years, which has been crucial in my representation journey. Cosplay helps me show what life is like as an ambulatory wheelchair user and demonstrate the difficulties behind it. I still hope for more help from our government. I hope living will get easier. I hope it will get easier for me and for everyone else with fibromyalgia.