With World Cerebral Palsy Day taking place tomorrow, now is a good time to reflect on the challenges faced by those with cerebral palsy and their families.

As a solicitor who specialises in acting for children who have this lifelong condition., I witness the battles faced by my clients every day. I am constantly amazed by the efforts made by them and their loved ones to overcome their day-to-day difficulties, whether that be accessing appropriate care, therapies, or funding.

World CP Day brings together non-profit organisations and other others to celebrate the life of people living with cerebral palsy. Every year, it provides an opportunity to raise awareness of the barriers those living with the condition face and for the many voices of those calling for change to be shared.

This year, we will be delighted to be joining our charity partner Bobath Centre at their open day to celebrate the amazing work that they do.

Bobath is a charity we have supported for several years and what it does for children and their families is nothing short of life changing. Cerebral palsy can cause severe physical and cognitive disabilities, and Bobath provides therapy which aims to improve the physical and communication skills of their service users with a view to increasing their independence.

This approach mirrors the ethos of the cerebral palsy specialists at JMW who act for many children who have cerebral palsy due to mistakes that have been made with their care during birth or when they were a newborn. We work to secure everything that these children need to participate as fully as possible in education, life experiences, such as holidays, a safe and secure home life, communication, and transportation. We do this by obtaining the financial means to make these things possible.

However, even with access to this care and support, those with cerebral palsy still need to overcome barriers to achieve a fulfilling life. The barriers can be gradually overcome, but it needs commitment from the rest of us to speak out and raise awareness of the issues involved.