PathPoint newsletter featuring Erika Abbott

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This month's opening letter comes from Erika Abbott. Erika is an individual who receives support through PathPoint's Independent Living Services in Los Angeles County. She writes:

Dear PathPoint Community,

July is Disability Pride Month! It is a time to honor the full spectrum of disability—both visible and invisible. It is also a time to celebrate the strength, creativity, and diversity of people with disabilities. For me, disability pride means embracing every part of who I am: an artist, a poet, a daughter of storytellers, and someone living with both visible and invisible disabilities.

Too often, disability is seen through a narrow lens—like the image of a wheelchair. Though disability comes in many forms, you can’t be “a little bit” disabled. I’ve lived with epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and a learning disability, and while my leg brace may be visible, much of my experience is not. Growing up, my parents told me I could do anything—it might just take longer. That mindset shaped me as an artist and poet. I love poetry because there’s no wrong way to write it. Art, like identity, exists in many shades. It teaches, surprises, and gives voice to those who can’t always speak for themselves.

PathPoint has helped me embrace all parts of who I am. With support from my staff, I’ve learned to write professional emails, prepare presentations, and share my story with confidence. My staff have helped me find balance—what to share, how to say it, and how to represent our community with pride.

This month, let’s celebrate all the ways we show up in the world—boldly, creatively, and unapologetically ourselves.

With pride,

Erika Abbott