Anna Kraft

Why We Step

Disability is a natural part of the human experience and it touches more lives than you might think. In the U.S., more than 61 million adults — that’s 1 in 4 of us — report having at least one disability. That means millions of our friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors face barriers that affect their independence, health, education, and careers.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common lifelong physical disability, affecting 18 million people worldwide. Yet research into its causes and treatments is among the most underfunded in medicine. That’s where Cerebral Palsy Alliance Research Foundation (CPARF) comes in. They fund early-stage research that meets the needs of people with CP and related conditions at every age and stage of life. These discoveries make a real difference for individuals, families, and care teams.

This is a lot of facts, numbers, and data. And it's all important. But the real reason we step is our son, Bert. Bert was diagnosed with CP when he was 20 months old, after having been diagnosed with global development delay since he was 9 months old. Since Bert is our first child, our entire parenting experience is parenting a disabled child. Over the past few years, we have done our best to learn about CP so that we can best care for our son and give him his best chance. 

Will you make a donation to support this work? Your gift is more than an act of generosity, it’s a powerful investment in research and technology that changes lives.

Together, we can help build a more inclusive and accessible world for everyone.