Carrie Writes column published in the Republican October 2019

My writing mentor and spiritual teacher, Gabrielle Bernstein, has written her seventh book, Super Attractor. The book is about manifesting what you desire. A super attractor is someone who makes being positive a priority, which attracts what they want in life.

The book talks about how we let negative feelings block us from feeling good and positive about life. The first step to unblocking yourself is to recognize the negative feelings that make us feel bad. The second step is to forgive yourself while moving away from the negative feelings. The final step is to choose to have a positive mindset while letting go of the negativity.

This book will help many people to be more positive and trust the universe to lead them to their desires. This concept requires patience, consistency and faith.

For the past ten years, Gabrielle has inspired my own writing and motivational speaking by empowering me to speak from the heart to share my experiences. In my spiritual practice I follow Gabrielle’s guidance in meditation to trust that the universe will always have my back while living in a loving, positive and peaceful way.

Today all of Gabrielle’s books sit on my nightstand, always ready to give me guidance and inspiration.

Printed sept 2019 in the Republican

On September 9, I went to the Brookline Booksmith to see my mentor Seane Corn, who was promoting her new book, “Revolution of the Soul.”  It is a memoir of her journey through yoga.  Seane is a world-renowned yoga teacher and activist. The purpose of her book is to help people understand theirtrue selves and to see love and truth everywhere through the practice of yoga.  She shared her personal story of healing and transformation to finding her purpose.  Seane shared how she wrote this book from her heart and soul.

I have known Seane for over fifteen years.  I came into contact with yoga at a time I was feeling lost and disconnected.  Her DVDs were perfect for me because she put emphasis on proper alignment and using props to flow through the poses.

Over the years, I have learned about Seane’s work with organizations such as Off the Mat Into the World.  She inspired me to find my purpose, which is my passion for writing.  Through writing, I have hopefully inspired and helped people with disabilities.

After moving to Massachusetts, I was given the opportunity to meet Seane in person at Kripalu, where our bond grew stronger through yoga and many in-depth discussions.  I was also given the opportunity to go to Omega for her Off the Mat Into the World Leadership Training, where I was empowered to become a chair yoga teacher.  We have remained friends through social media and workshops.

Today, we are kindred spirits, sharing our love of yoga through teaching and practicing while living our purpose of helping and inspiring many people.

Published in the Republican April 2019

Carrie Writes
The Beginning
Carrie Barrepski

Fourteen years ago this week, my column Carrie Writes was born, which turned into a regular feature. I remember it like yesterday, meeting with the editor, Cynthia Simison. I remember showing her copies of my writing and discussing ideas for my column.
My column has helped me find my optimistic voice in helping and inspiring people with disabilities. My goal was to be a voice for people with disabilities, while putting disability issues in the spotlight. Many of my columns have been based on my own experiences in dealing with disability issues as a way to educate and empower people.
Through writing my column, I have researched and learned many things. Every time I sit down to write a column, I am always excited to discover new things for my readers.
By writing my column, I have gained many opportunities to meet new people and explore new resources. One activity that has grown through my writing is motivational speaking, from conferences to support groups and classes.
I am very grateful to have the opportunity to share my experiences and to talk passionately about disability issues while being part of the self-advocacy movement. Writing my column has shaped me into a competent advocate for people with disabilities, while inspiring them to live their best life.

Published in the Republican 2019

Carrie Writes
College Admissions Scandal
Carrie Barrepski

Last month, federal indictments were filed against fifty people across the country who used fraudulent tactics too get their children into elite colleges.
One example is William Singer, a “college admissions coach,” who told families to have their student fake a learning disability so they could obtain special accommodations to take the SAT or ACT tests. Some of these accommodations would be extra time or private settings, where students’ answers were corrected or someone else took the test in their name.
Disability advocates are concerned that accommodations for college admissions tests could be tightened and make life more difficult for those who truly need the accommodations. The accused parents paid $10,000 per exam to Singer, who last week pleaded guilty to such charges as conspiracy and racketeering.
The accommodations that were taken advantage of fall under the Americans With Disabilities Act that are intended to help students succeed in their college careers. One in four students at elite US universities benefit from these accommodations due to anxiety.
This scandal takes the spotlight away from those, like myself, who worked hard to get into college and achieve their goals. College is a place where anyone can learn and grow in their own way with the help of accommodations that are truly needed.

Published in the republican 2019

Carrie Writes
Making History
Carrie Barrepski

In New York City, a man became the first blind person to complete the city’s half marathon. Thomas Panek completed his goal with three service dogs for the blind. Three Labradors led him through 13.1 miles by taking turns in leading him.
Thomas is the president and chief executive officer of a non-profit organization called Guiding Eyes for the Blind. The group matches guide dogs to people with vision loss. In 2015, he developed the Running Guide Program in which dogs are trained to guide blind runners at a running pace.
After losing his sight, Thomas continued with his marathon racing with human guides. He eventually progressed to running with guide dogs. He and his dogs completed this half marathon in 2:20:52.
More often, people with disabilities are looked down upon and perceived as being unable to achieve their goals due to their disabilities. Just because there are limitations does not mean that barriers cannot be overcome.
At times, we have to be creative in finding solutions while experimenting with new ideas and techniques. Life is full of unexplored adventures that are waiting for us. We should not let our disabilities stop us. In an interview, Thomas said, “No matter what your challenge or disability is, you can do it. You can do it, one step at a time.”

Published in the Republican 2019

Carrie Writes
Making Assumptions
Carrie Barrepski

Through Twitter, allegations were made towards Southwest Airlines, where a gate agent accused an individual with special needs of faking their disability. A cheerleader who has cerebral palsy, who is part of an Illinois cheerleading squad called the Reign Athletes Dynasty tried to board an airplane with an early boarding pass.
When it came time to check in, the man checking tickets mocked the girl, saying, “HAHA I can do that with my hand too and say I’m disabled.” When the cheerleader’s sister heard the comments and laughter, she immediately demanded to speak to whoever was in charge. Another agent asked the sister if she herself were disabled and claimed they were both faking a disability. The only response they got from the person in charge was a free drink coupon.
According to Fox News, Southwest Airlines stated that “preboarding is available to our customers who have a specific seating need to accommodate their disability. . . . If a customer with a disability simply needs a little extra time to board, we will permit the customer to board before family boarding, between the ‘A’ and ‘B’ groups. We are following up with the employees working this particular flight to emphasize our policies and procedures and underscore our expectations to offer all customers the legendary customer service we’re known for – and especially customers with disabilities.”
It is incidents like this that show that there is a lot of stereotyping happening in our society. There are still many misconceptions floating around that cause many problems for people with disabilities. More importantly, it needs to be remembered that not all disabilities are visible and assumptions should not be made about anyone.

Published in the Republican 2019

I was invited to be interviewed for an online yoga summit organized by yoga teacher and psychotherapist Ashley Turner. The conference is from March 18 to March 22. Ashley asked me to focus on how to make yoga accessible for people with disabilities based on my own personal experiences.
Yoga has been a wonderful practice, helping people connect with their bodies, calming their minds and releasing anxiety. Like myself, many people have trouble with different poses, such as standing and balancing poses due to physical limitations.
In teaching yoga or practicing, you need to be creative in adapting to the pose by taking it apart to make adjustments. I am a big fan of using props, such as blocks, straps and a chair to get the full effect of the yoga pose.
Oftentimes, it can be useful to find a new and safe way to modify the pose to your body’s limitations. In yoga, having proper alignment is the key to keeping your body safe.
As in any practice, maintaining proper breath to the movement is the key to getting the full effect of the mind and body connection. I am always reminded of a quote I learned from a yoga teacher at Kripalu. “Your yoga mat is your science lab in experimenting with your body’s movements.”

Printed in the Republican 2019

In September of 2018, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights received a complaint that an individual with intellectual disabilities was denied a heart transplant. A doctor at the University of North Carolina Health Care system claimed the person was not a good candidate due to their developmental learning disability and because the person was not independent.
The issue was resolved through negotiation by the three parties involved, with the end result of the patient being placed on an organ transplant list while UNC Health Care will change its policy on organ transplants. The director of the Civil Rights off for HHS, said, “Every life is precious and no one should be blocked from access to an organ transplant because of stereotypes about persons with disabilities. It is also against the law.”
However, UNC Healthcare asserts that it had not engaged in wrongdoing, stating that “UNC Health Care has not denied any patient access to transplant because of that individual’s disability status, nor was there any finding by OCR that we did so.”
According to the Washington Post, many organ transplant decisions are made by individual doctors. Oftentimes, people with disabilities are left off the transplant list because of how doctors view disabilities.

Published in Republican 2019

Carrie Writes
Barbie Dolls
Carrie Barrepski

I have very fond memories of spending hours playing with Barbie dolls with my sister and best friend as a young girl. We had many dolls, including all of the accessories, from cars to motor homes and a dream house. We would spend hours making up stories for our dolls, including background information. We had so much fun dressing them up and doing their hair.
Today Barbie dolls are available in different skin tones, body types, eye color and hairstyles. For the first time, Mattel will feature dolls with disabilities. One example is a Barbie doll that uses a wheelchair, while another one has a prosthetic leg.
Mattel’s head of design for Barbie, Kim Culmone, said, “For 60 years, Barbie has been a reflection of culture and fashion and that is key to the brand’s continued relevance. This year our Barbie line will include dolls reflecting physical disabilities in order to better represent the people and the world kids see around them.”
Mattel worked with experts at UCLA and Mattel Children’s Hospital to develop a wheelchair model similar to those used by individuals with physical disabilities. They used actual patients’ input to help designers make Barbie’s disabilities more realistic. The dolls with disabilities should be available this fall.
Playing with dolls can help children learn new skills and experiences while expanding their imagination.

Printed in the Republican in 2019

Carrie Writes
Disabilities and Lawyers
Carrie Barrepski

Former Representative of the House Tony Coelho of California donated $1 million to the Loyola Law School in Los Angeles to establish a department for disability law. This section is called the Coehlo Center for Disability Law, Policy and Innovation. It also works in conjunction with the seven other schools of Loyola University.
His interest in disability law was sparked at least in part by his epilepsy, and he was one of the major sponsors of the Americans With Disabilities Act.
In his opinion, many federal judges and elected officials make decisions based on their own experiences, which is why he wants to have more people with disabilities in those positions deciding disability issues. The law school plans on becoming a leader in accommodations for law students with disabilities and to create a national dialogue that identifies barriers. The school hopes to recruit law students with disabilities and hold “prelaw boot camps” for the public.
The group has several plans in the works for the next year, such as a paper on workplace accommodations for people with mental disabilities, a summer program for disability law fellows and a summer conference to discuss disability issues in general.