North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities - NCCDD

My ADA Story: Overcoming Stigma and Discrimination

By Diana Cook

Image depicts a clipboard, blue nurse’s scrubs, and a stethoscope folded into the shape of a heart In 1949, I was 11 years old. I was also in a diabetic coma. Little was known about diabetes. I was ostracized as a child because many people feared diabetes was contagious and you could “catch it” from someone who had it. We didn’t have finger prick tests back then. Testing your sugar level was cumbersome. It was hard to accurately predict when my sugar levels would swing.

I wanted to be a cheerleader. I practiced every day with a group of friends. The cheerleading coach said I was really good, but I wouldn’t be allowed on the team because I was diabetic. When I graduated high school I wanted to be a registered nurse (RN), but most nursing schools would not admit a diabetic into their programs. I finally met someone on the board of a nursing school who helped me get into a licensed practice nurse (LPN) program. I graduated and practiced for a couple years before getting married and starting a family. I had several complicated pregnancies and finally had a son. We were also blessed with two daughters whom we adopted.

In my 81 years, I have seen many things change. I am so thankful that I no longer live with the stigma and discrimination I once experienced. I am thankful for the ADA and the fact I can be an accepted and useful citizen.

Quote from Diana Cook:

“In my 81 years I’ve seen many things change. I’m so thankful that I no longer live with the stigma and discrimination I once experienced. I’m thankful for the ADA and the fact I can be an accepted and useful citizen.”

Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the ADA

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