Santa Elia Perez was born in East Los Angeles, California. She is a 55-year-old Hispanic woman and she has Athetoid Cerebral Palsy (CP). She is a nationally recognized leader in the disability community, sitting on many committees, both State and Federal. In spite of her severe CP, she has had an extraordinary life, with so many great, wild, crazy, happy, and sad experiences that many other people might not have had, disability or not. Santa wants to be a good role model for other people with disabilities and wants to inspire others with disabilities to live their lives as they want. As Santa often says, “My disability is a part of me, but it’s not all of me.”

Santa Elia Perez was born in East Los Angeles, California. She is a 55-year-old Hispanic woman and she has Athetoid Cerebral Palsy (CP). She is a nationally recognized leader in the disability community, sitting on many committees, both State and Federal. In spite of her severe CP, she has had an extraordinary life, with so many great, wild, crazy, happy, and sad experiences that many other people might not have had, disability or not. Santa wants to be a good role model for other people with disabilities and wants to inspire others with disabilities to live their lives as they want. As Santa often says, “My disability is a part of me, but it’s not all of me.”