Meet The Unlimited: Lucy Meyer

My name is Lucy Meyer. I am a Global Champion for Generation Unlimited and the Spokesperson for the Special Olympics—UNICEF USA Partnership. I graduated high school in June 2019 and have been working full time to help young people with disabilities around the world. I have cerebral palsy because I was deprived of oxygen for five minutes at birth. It was a mess. The doctors told my parents that I would never sit up or swallow. The doctors were wrong!

I have both intellectual and physical disabilities, but I love my life. I play sports, have lots of friends, and have so many memories of my school years being full of acceptance, inclusion, and support. I am very fortunate that at my school girls were encouraged to support each other and to know that our opinions mattered just as much as the boys and that our success was not limited by our gender.

I want all girls to have a “safe place.”  A safe place is a place where girls can feel comfortable sharing their feelings and know they will be supported. A place where their opinions matter, no matter what.

A place where they can feel safe to explore whatever opportunities that exist in their schools, jobs, and communities. A safe space should provide a support system for girls to develop their self-confidence and a sense of security. 

Having a space that allows girls to ask any questions they want without feeling uncomfortable or judged is so important.  It provides a level of safety necessary for them to feel good about who they are and gives them a chance to learn more about themselves. Having self-confidence and feeling secure are very important to successes in education, jobs, and being productive members of society.

As an advocate for kids with disabilities, I believe that a safe space is especially important for girls with disabilities. Being a girl and also having a disability makes it even harder to develop the self-confidence necessary to be brave, to take on challenges, and be the best person that we can be.

So my call to action is this:

Every school should work very hard to protect, enrich, and empower girls through education and comradery. To do this, each school should have a private place for girls to speak freely with each other, and to share their experiences and feelings. When girls work together and support each other their potential is unlimited!!!