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Loving my dots advocating for body positivity My name is Nathalia Moraes Freitas (@lovingmydots). I’m from Brazil, but I have been living in Los Angeles, CA since 2012. I was born with a condition called Congenital Melanocytic Nevus, or just Nevus. A large birthmark that covered 40% of the right side of my face, plus thousands of satellites all over my body. From nine months to 13 years old, I had nine surgeries to remove my facial Nevus. Being different was always a big deal especially in my childhood, I would be noticed very easily. At school kids were cruel and used to call me Freddy Kruger, monster, ugly face and that was very hard for me until I realized four things: 1. I was born like that, that was not a choice, that’s a condition. 2. I am healthy - I was not in a car accident, I was not in a fire. I AM FINE 3. Image is not everything - it’s just the way I look, it’s just the outside 4. It does not define me, I can do whatever I want, just like YOU. When I decided to embrace myself and love the way I look, everything became easier. Today, I share my story on social media and advocate for body positivity. I give motivational speeches against bullying and how to improve self-esteem. I have a background in marketing, love to cook and dancing is my therapy.

Rocco Keller My name is Rocco and I am five years old! I live in Laguna Beach, California. I have two sisters and one of my favorite things to do is have dance parties! I love to play with my superhero figures and dress up! I love to act, sing, play baseball, surf and horseback ride. Spending the day at the beach is my favorite thing to do outside. I love walks in my red car with my family and love to laugh and joke around. I was born with Down syndrome and I love being me My parents taught me that I can achieve and do anything I work hard at. Spreading awareness on differences, kindness and joy one smile at a time is my thing and making others laugh. You can see a glimpse of my life on @aetv show Born This Way on season three and four️ and follow me @roccosradlife.

My life Hi, I'm Daniele and I'm 31 years old. I had a car accident in 2007 that caused me a cervical spinal injury (C4 - C5). Despite this, I have never stopped living my life as normal as possible. In these years I have done a lot of physiotherapy and recently I decided to go to the gym too. My life has changed a lot compared to before but thanks to my family and my friends, I have never felt alone. I live in Italy and I love traveling, this has never been a problem despite my situation. Hello everybody.

I have to accept me for who am I Hey, everyone! Well, it's been an eventful few years but this past week has been the most challenging. After 7 years of marriage, the divorce is happening. The most difficult part is I feel like I'm fighting for independence yet again. When I was in a car accident in 2006 at the age of 16, I thought life was doomed. But I knew I wanted to prove everyone wrong and fought to be as independent as possible. As a c6/7 Quadriplegic, I was told I would need constant help and I refused to believe that. Now, 13 years later - I'm fully independent but relied on my ex-husband for love and acceptance. I have to accept me for who am I and improve daily. I need to learn to drive and remember what it feels like to come home to an empty house. I want to prove to myself that I'm worthy of happiness. I always strived to make everyone else happy but now it's my turn.

ארז חלם להתחפש לילד חתול מכוח פי׳ג׳יי אז בית איזי ביחד עם HIT ואנשים טובים רבים הגשימו לו ולחברים שלו את החלומות :-) This is what is called the exciting project of Beit Issie Shapiro and the HIT Institute of Technology. So Arazi Chelm and Guy, Kobi and Roi realized that I would only be healthy, the boy really dreams of dreams ... and he invites himself the amazing ones to be fulfilled !!! And I'm sure it's because he believes in love and people. Learn reality creation courses, write books about it ... in Arazi it's built in just looking and learning! Thank you for your help. Thank you Guy, Kobi and Roi ️️ Get the cat boy by virtue of Fiji

Dream Custumes Designers Project This week, Erez and his friends at Beit Issie Shapiro in collaboration with the HIT designer college showcased their dream costume parade! Erez wanted to be Cat Boy from the PJ Force TV show, which seemed like a very challenging task. But for the team, it was just a greater feeling of fulfillment to make his dream come true. And as you can see the Catmobile was a killer show including Erez’s Cat boy Uniform and outfit, which made him feel like a hero!! Big thanks to all of the good people out there sharing their time and creativity to make kids happy. Thank you to you Erez always aiming higher and higher making us all better! Happy Purim!

She Makes Me Feel Better Taina came to teach me. I have learned with her to have the courage to be who I am. She is not ashamed to be who she is, she is not afraid of looks, she is not afraid of questions. She simply loves what she sees in the mirror.

MASIS the Mobility And Support Information Service ................................

Dream Big This is Ryan and he’s 15. He was born with two genetic diseases called Congenital Melanocytic Naevus (CMN) and Neurocutaneous melanosis (NCM) and because of this, he has Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and learning disabilities. He was told as a youngster that he wouldn’t achieve much in life as he really struggles academically. He feels sad that he struggles at school and worries what he will do when he is older. He goes to a special needs school and also has to cope on a daily basis with issues that CMN/NCM bring. Ryan loves swimming & he’s very good! He's so good that he’s currently ranked top 10 in Britain as the youngest para-swimmer. He loves swimming and trains hard. He’s overcome so much in life, he just gets on with it and it’s really good for him to stay healthy. He loves showing people that the underdog always has his/her day. Dream big and don’t let barriers get in the way!

Tired of dropping things off your lap while using a wheelchair? Well now you don't have to worry. Hi, I'm Mike and I've been dropping things off my lap for the last six years. I've broken things, made a mess, and made a fool of myself. I got sick of feeling frustrated and embarrassed. Wheelchair users, you know what I'm talking about. That's why we invented the Lapstacker™ It's the world's first retractable strap system for wheelchairs. It allows you to secure items to your lap, so you can roll with confidence. It frees up your hands, it saves time and energy, and it removes worry and frustration. It works great in the wind, on uneven ground, and on inclines. The patent pending design has been created to retrofit onto any manual wheelchair. It's simple to install, lightweight and durable. If you have reduced hand function, the finger loops make it easy to grip and extend, while the magnetic clips make it easy to attach together. The self locking system makes sure your stuff isn't going anywhere. The retractable straps tuck away discreetly under the chair, and it's out of the way so you don't hit your thumbs. It's made from superior materials, that are built to last, and you can stack anything, anywhere. At the office. At the airport. At home. At the shops. At the beach. Out and about. Or just about anywhere. "Things on your lap bounce around and then tend to fall out. The Lapstacker™ is gonna solve that problem, immediately and really simply, just by pulling a couple of straps up and locking them down. " - Ben Lucas ( former paralympian). For more details visit https://adaptdefy.com/lapstacker

Autism Awareness My name is Dominika and I am 18 years old from Poland. I was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. I had social and sensory challenges. I had to deal with bullying at school, but that didn't stop me from writing poetry, sport stacking, drawing, playing the piano, ice-skating, working as a volunteer with kids and leading a perfect vegan lifestyle. I won a lot of poetry competitions. I accepted that my mind works in a different way. I want to share Autism awareness, understanding, acceptance and show that different doesn' t mean less. I want to be an inspiration for other people on similar journeys. Having a disability has given me a unique perspective of life and I am grateful for that. My life motto is "if you want to achieve your dreams, just go for it. You are able to overcome your obstacles. You just have to find your strength. Now is time to create, not to give up.”

What do you really mean when you say I'm "inspiring"? My name is Gabriela, I’m 25 am I'm from Poland. I was born with Cerebral Palsy (spastic diplegia). Even a few years ago I didn’t think I would be able to say it out loud with confidence, let alone post it on the Internet. That’s because I never wanted it to define me, but it took me years to actually believe that it’s just a fact about me. As much as I wish I could say that I’m grateful for it, I don’t think I ever will. But I am truly grateful for the person it helped me become. For the clarity it allowed me to have about what’s important. For how it shaped my attitude towards challenges. For everything I achieved despite the difficulties it placed, and continues to place, on my way. For being one of the things which allow me to say that I’m quite content with the woman I see when I look into the mirror today. And a bit proud of her too. Fighting for Equality But…Yes, there is a big but. My disability and the physical challenges I deal with do not mean that I am inherently inspiring. I know that when people say “you’re so inspiring/strong/brave” they generally have good intentions. But, to be honest, I often find it quite patronizing. I cannot help but notice that people with disabilities are most often portrayed by the media and in public discourse in one of two ways: we are either miserable/tragic or inspirational. But it’s pretty rarely that we are seen as equal, valuable human beings. As people who are capable and who want to have equal chances and live “normal” lives. Goals There’s truly nothing I want more than to be treated like the grown, intellectually and emotionally capable woman that I am (and not, as it often happens, like a child). To be able to work outside of home (I currently work from home as an educational content creator and, as much as I enjoy what I do, I would love to do it in a more “interactive” environment). To help others as much as I can. Finally, to one day find a partner and start my own family. I’m human My goals and dreams are not extraordinary and neither is my life. It’s all I’ve ever known and I just want to make the most of it. I have passions, ambitions, strengths and shortcomings. I also happen to have a disability and it doesn’t mean that I’m inspiring or miserable. I’m human.