Recently, in accordance with its 60th anniversary, the Cerebral Palsy Foundation (CPF) launched a new public service campaign called “Just Say Hi.”
The campaign focuses on addressing societal uneasiness and awkwardness when having conversations with people with physical and intellectual disabilities. So far, many celebrities, including The Wire actor Jim True-Frost, CBS This Morning anchor Gayle King and Shameless actor William H. Macy have released videos in support of the initiative.
“We want to share the message that there is nothing difficult about interaction with people with disabilities,” Macy said in his video. “We can all simply start a conversation like we do with everyone — by just saying, ‘Hi.’”
Mashable.com reports that 1 billion people worldwide or about 15 percent of the population lives with some form of disability. In America, cerebral palsy affects about 1 in 323 American kids, who may face discrimination when encountering people in the public beginning at a young age.
“One real and immediate area of opportunity is simple engagement. While ‘just saying hi’ only scratches the surface of all we can do, it’s a simple and impactful first step,” Richard Ellenson, the CEO of the CPF, said in a statement.
To support the campaign, in addition to practicing ‘just saying hi’ to those in public, people are being asked to start conversations on social media by using the hashtag #JustSayHi.
Cerebral Palsy and SSDI: What Do I Need to Know?
It is unfortunate that people struggle interacting with those with physical and intellectual disabilities. We hope this campaign raises awareness about this subject.
Sadly, people with cerebral palsy often have to deal with a litany of complications, in addition to issues with communication. People with cerebral palsy should know that if their symptoms are severe, they might be eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
To obtain SSDI, someone with cerebral palsy would need to show that he or she has earned work credits, but his or her condition has worsened, leaving him or her unable to perform tasks. If you have further questions about the SSDI, you can visit our Social Security FAQ page.
Source: http://mashable.com/2015/10/20/cerebral-palsy-psa/#hJiBWYUzLGqV
