When you hear the word “disability”, what comes to mind?

Cheryl Schiltz tells her story of being introduced to disability. She shares her journey from a silent world to one that encased her in constant anxiety. Her life as she knew it had disappeared. It became one of a continuous fight between psychological and physical change. Noise.

From her childhood, you’ll find yourself traveling with her as she discovers the power to gain control. She shares her story openly and honestly, raw and sensitive.

She now says her introduction to disability "became the best thing that ever happened to her".

She writes in her foreward:

My life bonded with joy, happiness, love, and laughter. I was in love with anticipating new adventures. My career was outstanding. I was embraced by all that made me, me.

Then, without warning, I wasn’t capable of walking, sitting, or standing without feeling I was falling. My body constantly fought me for just a moment of stillness. I was consumed by anxiety making it impossible for me to move. Beautiful sights, glorious sounds, cherished walks of delight—all vanished. Connections between my mind and body screamed at the top of their interrupted relationships. I was consumed with continuous thoughts of destructive change—this is what noise is.

We all look for stories of hope, of resilience, of how to just keep going when the world seems out of control. Cheryl Schiltz teaches to always look forward, into the silence.

Cheryl’s experience was the subject in the first chapter of Dr. Norman Doidge’s book The Brain That Changes Itself. She reveals how her transition into disability changed her brain, and her life. Dr. Doidge goes on to detail Cheryl’s involvement in groundbreaking research in sensory substitution, using one sense to regain the use of another, which led to the development of the BrainPort® Balance Device. Using it, Cheryl’s life re-emerged as she knew it, only better. Her life has become an extraordinary journey.

Dr. Doidge included Cheryl's story in a documentary of his book The Brain that Changes Itself.

Cheryl became a main character in Scott McCredie’s Balance: In Search of the Lost Sense. His book brings to the forefront how vital the sense of balance is and how it isn’t recognized as part of our other senses. He examines the mysteries of the human balance system that allow our bodies to counteract the force of gravity as we move through space.

Michelle Rosenthal, a trauma recovery specialist and survivor, invited Cheryl to share her story on her podcast Change you Choose. Michelle’s own story is fascinating, you can find more about her at mytraumacoach.com/about.

Cheryl has been featured on the Discovery Channel and in several publications from Discover Magazine to the New York Times. Her story and the research were featured on Wisconsin Public Television and Wisconsin Public Broadcasting Service. The Today Show and National Geographic visited the lab after hearing about the New York Times article.

Cheryl took part in Leadership Wisconsin, a two-year program based upon building a stronger Wisconsin through increased leadership capacity. This is accomplished by seeking out innovative and collaborative strategies that promote and invest in the ability of leaders to address community and organizational challenges.