'Don't give up': Advocating for college students with disabilities (Enable: The Disability Podcast)

*Note: The audio version of this podcast episode features an AI voice for guest Helena Schmidt's answers exactly as she wrote them. A video version of her interview appears on the YouTube version of "Enable: The Disability Podcast" with her voice and subtitles.* What challenges do college students with physical disabilities face? Helena Schmidt, who was born with cerebral palsy, speaks with "Enable: The Disability Podcast" about her experiences with CP, becoming an advocate for herself and others with special needs, and making efforts to improve accessibility on campus. "Advocating is not easy, but it is super important to help bring about change for yourself and others. You have to be confident in yourself and believe in yourself," Helena said. "You can't let others tell you that you are wrong, or that you should give up, or that it will never work. There are people who are on your side; you just have to find them and work together. Having support from others is vital. Try not to over-extend yourself. Get in touch with your emotions because your emotions will actually help you to keep fighting. Be nice to yourself and give yourself grace, and don't give up. Even small victories can have a huge impact." "I hope more people learn NOT to judge others just because they look different, move differently, or speak differently," she added. “Enable: The Disability Podcast,” which highlights amazing people with disabilities and different abilities, releases new episodes weekly on YouTube and all major podcast platforms. Follow facebook.com/enablepodcast or @enablepodcast on Instagram and TikTok for more. Note: Views expressed in this podcast do not necessarily reflect the views of Advance Local. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices