Tell Us Your Story

My name is Freddie Epperson, and I was born with cerebral palsy in March of 1983. I was born into a family with six other siblings, and a mother with a very strong and determined spirit. My father was not around. He unfortunately was an absent father and I'm not sure if the fact that his oldest son had a disability had anything to do with him being an absent father. For anyone who may not know what cerebral palsy is, it is a form of brain damage that happens during the process of birth when there is a lack of oxygen to the brain. Cerebral palsy affects fine motor skills. Based nohow much oxygen was lost will play a part into the severity of the disability. In my case, the doctor was supposed to perform an Emergency Cesarean Section (C-Section) on my mother and well for some reason that didn't happen.

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In spite of all that, I was raised to be a strong and determined individual and to never let my circumstances define who I am or what I'm capable of achieving. I am a resident of Arkansas and a product of the Arkansas public school system. Kindergarten through first grade I was placed in the special education system basically because I was in a wheelchair. The summer before second grade I asked my mother if she would have me tested for regular classroom placement and she did and I was placed into a regular classroom with the same workload and expectations as everyone else. I graduated from high school and I went on to receive my Bachelor's degree from the University of Little Rock at Little Rock as well as recently receiving a Master's degree from Webster University. Even with my extensive education, I have been on several job interviews under my fields of study and I have been turned down for employment I believe because of my physical stature or preconceived notion of my disability. All of which brings me to the purpose of Beyond our Limitations which is my passion to create a safe place for disabled persons so that they may come to deliver and share their unique stories, network, and motivate one another to achieve their goals. Eventually, another goal of Beyond our Limitations will be to help individuals with limitations find job placement whether the individual has formal education or vocational training.

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I would like to take this time to public thank my mother for always supporting me no matter what. Because of that she has shaped me into the out going and determined man I am today.