STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — After meeting at a picnic hosted by CP Unlimited in the late 1980s, Rosalind Glasper-Gregg and Harrison Gregg have been inseparable.

“It was an annual picnic for cerebral palsy at the time. That was the beginning of mine and Harry’s relationship,” Rosalind, who will turn 60 this year, said.

This year, the couple — both of whom have cerebral palsy and use wheelchairs — will celebrate 33 years of marriage.

Cerebral palsy is a group of neurological disorders that impact a person’s ability to move and maintain balance and posture. According to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 1 in every 345 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with cerebral palsy.

“I had eyes for her,” Harrison, 70, said. “I was a little nervous trying to ask her to marry me, but I finally did it.”

After dating for over a decade, the couple tied the knot on Sept. 5, 1992, after Harrison proposed to Rosalind at a Christmas party.

‘If I want to see him … I will’

Though they faced challenges early in their marriage, they have always supported each other along the way, they shared.

“I was living in Queens, and he was on Staten Island. After we got married, we couldn’t find a place because it was difficult back then to find a place for us to both live together, so we were married and apart for a while,” Rosalind recounted. “Eventually, they found us a place here.”

Three years after their wedding, in May 1995, the couple finally moved in together in a wheelchair-accessible apartment facility in Rosebank, where they have lived ever since.

But even during their three years apart, Rosalind and Harrison made sure to visit each other in their respective boroughs.

“I was like, if I want to see him — and at the time it was $60 — I will,” Rosalind smiled, sharing that she visited him every other weekend.

Harrison also made occasional trips to Queens, a commute that took him an hour and a half, he remembered.

“I would have to set up transportation. That was a challenge in and of itself. Then, when I went to see her, I had to go all the way up to the 30th floor … I was kinda scared,” Harrison shared.

‘It’s better living together’

The couple receives support services with 24-hour staff assistance and supervision at their apartment, designed to help them live independently in their community. These services are provided through CP Unlimited, a New York-based nonprofit organization that advocates for and provides services to individuals with disabilities.

“It’s better living together. And as every marriage does, we have our ups and downs, because we’re two different people with disabilities, so we try to work and help each other out,” Rosalind said.

Rosalind and Harrison both work three to four days a week at Staten Island’s SecurE-doc, where Harrison handles shredding and Rosalind manages scanning and computer tasks. The company, which helps create jobs for people with disabilities, specializes in document scanning, file classification, indexing and shredding.

“We all work off of each other’s abilities at work and try to help each other out. We are all basically a family at work and make everything more convenient for people with disabilities,” Rosalind described of those she works with.

Outside of work, the couple enjoys attending church, visiting the casino, listening to music, participating in book clubs and going to various programs and events.

“Having a disability is not all that you are because I can still do things like other people,” Rosalind said.

‘I hope our love lasts forever’

When asked about her favorite thing about her husband, Rosalind said, “He always makes me laugh,” to which Harrison replied, “I’m a joker.”

“I love him very much and I hope our love lasts forever,” Rosalind added.

They shared that the secret to their long-lasting marriage is their effort to communicate in the best way possible. On days when they’re not feeling their best, they comfort each other and strive to make life a little better for others.

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