This month I attended the Massachusetts Conference for Women at the Boston Conference and Exhibition Center which brought together a total of 6,500 participants from our state to come together and learn more about empowerment, wellness, and to provide us with the inspiration, guidance, courage and direction that we all need to be successful business and career women in today’s constantly changing world. There were two keynote sessions, the opening session as well as a keynote luncheon in the middle of the day, which included a variety of inspirational speakers all through video streaming and internet services including Mrs. Angela Menino, Glenda Hatchett (aka Judge Hatchett on television!), and first lady Diane Patrick as well. All of these women were so inspiring and shared very powerful messages about how they started their careers, where they were coming from and where they are today. There was also a man named Michael A. Guglielmo who was the founder of Save Giovanni’s Friends, which is a non-profit organization that stress the importance and significance of organ and cord blood donation because of his wonderful story about how cord blood saved his son’s life.

What was a little different this year was that there was an award presented called the “Be the Change Award” presented by Candy O’Terry from Magic 106.7’s Exceptional Women program. “The Be The Change Award, created in conjunction with our generous award sponsor, Canyon Ranch, has recognized a Massachusetts woman who personifies compassion for her community and commitment to improving the everyday lives of those around her.” This year’s recipient was Johanna Crawford who created Web of Benefit which is an organization that helps women who have been victims of domestic violence get out of those situations and find housing and jobs and other resources to help them become independent people living in the community.

There were also three seminar sessions where we got to choose different seminars to attend, each having a panel of speakers and a moderator. Each seminar session presented lectures in the following categories: leadership, personal development, professional development, finance, health and wellness, and finally small business/entrepreneurship.

The first session that I went to was the health and wellness one entitled “The CEO of Your Health: Are You Ready to Lead the Charge?” which talked about tips if you are a caregiver and taking a family member to doctor’s appointments but also gave tips to help yourself make your own doctor’s appointments more effective with the little time you have during your visit. They talked about what questions you might want to ask and why it is important to ask questions, and of course working with your doctor to optimize your own health and wellness to live a long and healthy life. Finally, they were asked questions both from the audience as well as from the moderator as a panel and individually about pressing healthcare issues of today ranging from dealing with insurance to their opinion about our current healthcare system and the changes being made to serve our population, and also about where to obtain the resources you need to make informed choices about your health and your healthcare providers. Personally, I found this session to be a really informative and well-done presentation and I learned more about my own healthcare situation and things that I can be doing better or differently with regards to my own healthcare than I have been so for that reason, I am glad to have chosen to attend this one.

The second session that I went to was the personal development one and it was entitled “Making a Difference: Finding Your Unique Way to Give Back” which was all about finding a cause to stand up for that you are passionate about and the practical skills you need to build your passion and your dreams and to turn them into a reality, to be able to earn a living and make a difference at the same time. For me, this was another practical session because of how many organizations I’ve already been involved with giving my time and pursuing my many passions including working with children with and without disabilities, promoting disability advocacy and helping people with disabilities find their callings and helping them and their families live happy and successful lives. It also once again confirmed what I already know which is that I think my “unique way of giving back” is choosing teaching as a profession, as well as being a counselor, mentor, leader etc. All of my roles have helped shaped my ultimate career goal, which is to become a teacher in the public schools system, and that is what I am still working on…one day at a time!

The last session that I had chosen to attend was for personal development and it was called “Practical Tools to Live an Organized Life and Control Your Chaos”. It talked about how to balance things in everyday life including home, kids and work as well as to plan for unforeseen circumstances and major events like weddings, moves and birth. In college during my years as an undergraduate student I found myself making up for lost time not being involved in as many things as I wanted to be in high school, so I often found myself over-extended and over-tired from over-piling my plate and still continue to live the same way most of the time. This last session was great because it was all about prioritizing and finding that balance between the things you want to do and the things you need to do. They recommended just choosing a few things or even just one thing and being able to give 100% of your time to that instead of just giving some of your time and energy to multiple organizations because then you’ll never really be happy with what you are doing because what you’re doing isn’t really your best. This was a really valuable lesson for me and also probably one of those lessons I’ll be learning over and over because I am the type of person who wants to give to everyone and give it all, even when I can’t.

In the exhibit hall there were so many different tables for exhibitors which again provided another opportunity for networking and getting to know people. There was information about colleges, healthcare facilities, medical equipment companies and more. We also had the opportunity for book signing by many of the keynote speakers of the day for their most recent books as well as a career fair which included resume critiquing which I also wanted to participate in as well as a mentor match session, working with someone to help you get started on achieving your goals in life. I did get to see some familiar faces from the Spina Bifida Association of Massachusetts and from Compass Healthcare which was really nice too.

This was another wonderful opportunity to meet some great people and also once again reflect on the challenges of being a woman with a disability in today’s world. However, as the theme of this year’s conference states: “Your Time is Now!”—to be fearlessly resilient, to rebound with purpose and power, to lead with intention and to discover what you want and go get it! This conference teaches you how and inspires you to do just that and it was a wonderful opportunity to be one of the 6,500 participants that attended the conference. I hope that I can attend this event again next year and gain even more from it all.

Spina Bifida and Disability Awareness Month for Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts 2010

For the month of October, I participated in two events. The first one was an appearance at my old elementary school, the F.A. Cleveland Elementary School in Norwood, MA on October 22nd, where I got to speak with the entire second grade about my life and the advocacy work I do for Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts and other organizations. During the summer I contacted the current principal of my elementary school briefly explaining about being Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts 2010 and how one of my goals was to mentor children with and without disabilities to pursue their dreams no matter what obstacles they may face and also to teach them that people with disabilities are exactly the same as people without disabilities. I had requested to speak to a first or second grade class because I am going to be going into Early Childhood Education and I will be certified from PK-2nd grade, and I think the younger the better. A few weeks later, I got in contact with one of the second grade teachers who had showed great interest in my request for an appearance and we communicated through e-mail and coordinated a date and time for me to come in, and I was very excited it all worked out. At the same time, I was nervous about going back to the school I haven’t set foot in since 1995. Overall, I was happy and grateful to finally be able to give back to a school that did so much for me.

My plan was very specific about what I wanted to do, but I did have to do a little re-organizing at the last minute because I hadn’t realized I would be talking to the entire second grade at the school. Originally I thought it was just one class, but this was even more exciting! I talked a little bit about my life and the physical and attitudinal challenges I face day to day and about how I advocate for other people with disabilities, through the Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation. I also wanted to leave time to answer any questions that they might have for me. Finally I ended my visit by reading to them the Dr. Seuss book, “Oh, the Places You’ll Go!!” which I think carries a really positive message about overcoming obstacles and having patience and perseverance to achieve all of your goals in life.

Overall, I just wanted them to learn a little bit about disability awareness, how to treat others who are different from them and for them to see for themselves that people with disabilities are exactly the same as people without disabilities. In the end, I feel great to have been able to teach children such an important lesson at a young age. It is so important to have good “roll”/role models in life.

One thing that really amazes me about children is how much more willing they can be to learn about people who are different from themselves than adults usually are and that they always come up with great questions to ask out of curiosity. Often times they seem to be more willing to give people who are different a chance than adults are, but of course they need to be taught to respect differences in others. If no one teaches them, then the same attitudinal barriers will remain about people with disabilities, not giving them equal rights. It all starts with children; if they learn at an early age to accept diversity and to treat everyone with respect regardless of their differences then they will continue that practice as adults and pass that quality on to future generations there by making a great impact on the world around them. As a future educator, mentor and role model to my prospective students I definitely plan on teaching my students about this very important topic and help them make good decisions about others. I enjoyed the short time I got to spend at my old elementary school making a difference.

The second event that I participated in was the Boston Spinal Cord Injury Conference (Stepping Forward- Staying Informed 2010 Consumer Research Conference) which was held at the Boston Convention Center on October 23rd from 9-5pm. With October being Spina Bifida Awareness Month and being born with Spina Bifida, it was very important for me to attend this conference to promote awareness of all those who have some sort of spinal cord injury. This was another event that I got to participate in along with some of the other women involved with Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts which was really fun being able to advocate together for people with disabilities. The woman who was organizing this event was Judi Zazula, who was our main contact person for the day. Upon arrival to check in I saw that my cousin who works with kids with disabilities too was helping out with sign-in and registration which was a nice surprise, and a good opportunity to catch up with her too. The topics presented ranged from life with a spinal cord injury to medical conditions associated with it, and health promotion for people with spinal cord injuries. The speakers were all nice people who were very knowledgeable and overall it was an informative meeting with a lot to learn about the progress with spinal cord injury research.

There was also an excellent opportunity for networking as well because there were many different exhibitors who had tables, just like the vendors at our Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts pageant. They ranged from wheelchair companies to independent living centers to fitness facilities, all the way to adaptive sports including sailing and hand cycling. I got to learn about ILC meetings in my area and also got some contacts for the fitness facilities as well. We had a table for the Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation with information about the pageant and although we didn’t seem to recruit many more contestants (there were a few interests here and there), we seemed to have a couple of vendors interested in our program which was great.

So ends another great month as Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts. I hope to continue to meet more wonderful people and make more connections and friendships with this great opportunity. Stay tuned for updates during the upcoming months as I continue my adventures with advocacy and meeting new people during my reign as Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts 2010!

Ms.Wheelchair America 2011…A glimpse of my adventure in Michigan

So this was finally it—the month that I competed in the Ms.Wheelchair America 2011 pageant representing the state of Massachusetts. It was not only my first time competing but also my first airplane adventure in my electric wheelchair, so I was very interested in how that whole process works. My family and I arrived at the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel on Monday evening just shortly before dinner was about to be served. This was the time that all the contestants and state coordinators introduced themselves and as orientation began we also got our red binders which were named our “bible” for the week, as they were very important in telling us where and when we had to be at different places throughout the week. This was also the time when the expectations for us were set for the week as far as how we should present ourselves as representatives of our home states and contestants. Little did I know, this was the beginning of the ride of a lifetime, as I met 27 of the most amazing people ever who were all so positive, radiant, and friendly. We all became very close very quickly.
The next day we got up bright and early (as we did every morning) to begin our Fun Day, which consisted of visiting the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum and afterwards breaking up into teams with the coordinators acting as our team leaders to go on a scavenger hunt of different things that we could find in the city…with a little help from the locals. Later that evening our team was given the “Most Determined” award for completing everything on the list, including all the bonus items! This announcement was made later that evening when we all went out to dinner at Mojo’s for a night of good food and fun entertainment. I even got to sing karaoke a little bit, along with a few of the state coordinators who were also called up to sing as well. It was fun to loosen up and be a little silly. The term “Fun Day” definitely suited the day!
Throughout the week we attended many different workshops when we were not in our judging sessions (interviews). The topics ranged from hearing inspirational stories of other men and women with wheels to learning some self-defense and learning more about the ADA and what things are acceptable and which are not when it comes to disability issues. These workshops were all very interesting, but I do wish that they could have incorporated more interactive material, as far as things to do with the other contestants in groups as another chance to get to know all the ladies that you are competing with throughout the week.
The interviews were Wednesday, Thursday and Friday ranging from five to fifteen minutes long and were in somewhat of a random order depending on the day. The judges were all nice people.
On Wednesday and Thursday night we had theme nights which were “At the Movies”, which meant dressing up as our favorite actor/actress or movie character and “Cruisin’ to Motown” which meant thinking of famous Motown singers and dressing like them. I (and about four other people-haha) thought alike and all dressed up in Dream Girls costumes. With mine I even got the make-up accessories and a toy microphone. There was also a Temptation Review band that came to sing for us that night which was really awesome. Due to my love and slight obsession over the Harry Potter series, I decided to dress up as Hermione Granger for movie night. They gave us a murder mystery to work together with people at our table on to try to solve where we had to go to the other tables and gather clues to help us solve it. It was both fun and challenging, but more importantly it got us working together to solve it.
Friday and Saturday night consisted of the main events of the week, the platform speeches and the crowning ceremony. My platform is “Discrimination and Stigma Associated with Disability” and I talked about some of the different references I have heard about people with disabilities and why it is wrong to assume things with us…or anyone else for that matter. This is one thing I am very passionate about is breaking down the misleading ideas and allowing people to see that we really are just like everyone else in every way and that “Yes We ALL Can!!”. Even though I was really nervous I did get the majority of my ideas and the main idea across, which was a really big accomplishment for me. Everyone was really supportive and understanding so I tried really hard not to be too hard on myself, even though it was difficult.
Finally on Saturday night was the crowning ceremony. To be really honest I was still feeling a bit down, but in the end with the support of my new amazing friends, as well as the old ones, I was able to pull myself together and adopt a positive attitude. By the time the crowning ceremony rolled around (no pun intended hehe), I decided to think of it this way: “If nothing else, I have made 27 wonderful friends in a week. Not many people can say this.” and I truly meant it-I was really grateful for the opportunity to meet everyone and share the experience. I am looking forward to staying in touch with them all and hopefully we will all meet again soon.
At the end 0f the night after dinner, I made my rounds to all the tables to say goodbye to everyone, as my family and I had to leave early in the morning before breakfast to make it to our return flight home. This was really bittersweet. I was happy it was all over and was ready to return to my normal life back home, but at the same time I was really sad to let go of all the awesome people I met throughout the week. It was time to return to The Bay State.
I will still be representing Massachusetts as the current titleholder for a few more months and as they say “Life Rolls On”. Of course I will continue to update my blog with all of my adventures as Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts 2010. Again thank you so much to everyone who was a part of making Ms.Wheelchair America such a huge success and congratulations to Alexandra McArthur, Ms.Wheelchair North Carolina 2010 and the newly crowned Ms.Wheelchair America 2011! You will do our country proud for sure!!!

ADA Day at Boston Common

This month I attended another great event, the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Americans with Disabilities (ADA) Act of 1990, which was held on Boston Common on July 26, 2010 from 12-3pm. This event was sponsored by many different disability advocacy groups including Disability Policy Consortium (DPC), the Spina Bifida Association of Massachusetts (SBAMass), Boston Center for Independent Living and of course the Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation. This was an important day in disability civil rights history because the passing of this important piece of legislation was the beginning of more civil rights for all people with disabilities, thus more opportunities for us in the community, with school and employment. It was the beginning of access to an otherwise inaccessible world.

The Hosts for this event include the Boston Center for Independent Living, the City of Boston, and Disability Policy Consortium, the Institute for Human Centered Design and the New England ADA Center, and the Statewide Independent Living Council. Live entertainment included comedian Jonathan Katz, the Matt Savage Trio, the Tommy Filiault Band, and speaker John Hockenberry. There was a short march that left Boston Common heading down Tremont Street to kick off the day that left from the corner of Tremont and Boylston at 11:15am that day. To get there I took the commuter rail to South Station and then took the Red Line down to Park Street, which was a bit confusing even though I have been there lots of times already, but I got there eventually.

There were many board members from the Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation present that day and we had a table to showcase the Foundation and what it is all about. Of course as Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts 2010, I was there ready to enjoy the day and the events. I even got to sign pictures at the table and take pictures, which was really exciting! I had gotten a chance to catch up with a former professor of mine from Bridgewater State University who works for the ADA New England. I had taken a class with her on Disability Issues and that was when I got the chance to do a video about life with a disability and how I negotiated accommodations and an independent life as a college student, as an example to other people with disabilities who might be wondering how it’s all done and looking for advice or support.

It was great to see so many people with disabilities and supporters of people with disabilities at this great event that day. The main idea or “slogan” of my platform is: “Yes We ALL Can!!” meaning that people with and without disabilities can participate in the same activities and be just as successful and happy. It is at events such as this where we really get to show everyone just how true this really is. It really was a great day with great people, including others from the Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation and a day to remember for sure.
So this ends another month for Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts 2010. I am excited because Nationals is only about a week or so away and my family will be there to cheer me on. I am really looking forward to meeting everyone, making some new friends and having a lot of fun! Also, looking forward to exploring a new state and my first official plane trip with my electric wheelchair. The countdown is down to seven days!! Michigan-here we come!

Walkin’ the Walk, Rollin’ the Roll, and Talkin’ the Talk!

So this month I continued my walk/roll spirit and signed up to participate in the NStar Walk for Children’s Hospital which took place at the DCR Hatch Shell in Boston. It was a little difficult to find a partner because this is the time when so many other walks are happening and many people had signed up for other walks, which was great as well—so I decided to do the walk and represent Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts myself and show my support to Children’s Hospital. It was nice though that my dad decided to join me in time for the actual walk.
There were two in-person distance options- 2 miles or 7 miles and a virtual option for anyone who could not be at the actual event. So I decided to do the 2-mile option, mainly because I wasn’t sure my chair would support a 7 mile walk. So our start time was 12pm from the Hatch Shell, as opposed to the 7-mile walkers who started at 11am. For the event, it was required to fundraise a minimum of $150.00 to participate, which I ended up making it. I decided to spread the word on Facebook on my page as well as the Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts page, and Ms.Wheelchair America 2011 page to get the word out quickly. And quickly the word spread, as I made $55 in less than 24 hours time since I posted the link to my page! The money started rollin’ in! It was quite a bit of money and I wanted to see how much I could raise before I asked my dad for any money. He was very supportive of the cause because they really have done a lot for me and my family over the years, and we are grateful for all of it!
On the day of the Walk, I decided to go to the Cambridge Galleria which was the closest location with an address that the Ride would drop off, so it made sense to meet there and take their shuttle bus, which was free. The weather report for that day was not the best for a walk, as it was supposed to thunderstorm, but it was a rain or shine deal with the NStar Walk…so I was there to support my Hospital and participate! As it was, the rain held off. We were asked to be there 30-45 minutes early to register, get our shirts and bibs and enjoy the pre-walk activities. Everyone there was really nice and it was great to see so many people out there supporting Children’s Hospital Boston! I even got to see a former doctor of mine who took care of me when I was inpatient a few years back. Overall it was a very enjoyable day and I’m glad I got to be a part of it and help them help the thousands of children who come to the hospital every year.
I came across a man who was taking pictures for the Boston Herald, so I may end up making a debut in the paper! Also, I found it cool that I was not the only person with a crown and sash, as there was a whole team full of ladies with crowns and sashes. Also another person with a crown wanted to take her picture with me which was really sweet. I also got some good pictures at different landmarks on the route. The entertainment was awesome as there was a band and a couple of doctors who dressed up as clowns and some characters who posed with the kids who were there. It was of course great to see so many other kids in wheelchairs there for it.
The journey home was a little on the adventurous side as we had decided to venture off to a nearby Au Bon Pain…and ventured away from the shuttle buses that brought us to the Hatch Shell. So we had no way back to Cambridge where the Ride was going to pick me up. Luckily we were near the Red Line MGH Station and so we were able to take the train home, and my dad ventured back for the car…oops! Oh well…all’s well that ends well? 
It was important for me to be able to do this walk. I’ve grown up going to that Hospital and they have done so much for me and still continue to do so, as well as for thousands of other children each and every day, year after year. This was my way of finally being able to give back to all of the amazing people at a wonderful healthcare facility, as well as meet other families who also look up to Children’s Hospital Boston and their staff. I know I would not be doing as well as I am today had it not been for the doctors, nurses and everyone I’ve met at Children’s Hospital Boston. I was very proud to wear my MWMA 2010 crown and sash and come out and support everyone who was involved with this amazing event.
So this ends another wonderful month of Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts 2010 events. Next month I am looking forward to another big event, the 20th Anniversary of the ADA Celebration which will be held on Boston Common on July 26th, 2010 from 12-3pm. Can’t wait! Hope to see everyone there! (55 days until Nationals! Who’s excited?! Who’s ready? )

Run in the Falmouth Road Race to Support Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation

You Can Help To Support the Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation by Running in the Falmouth Road Race

 Sunday, August 15, 2010
 Race begins at 10 a.m.
 Course is 7 miles in distance
 Begins in Woods Hole, Cape Cod
 Runs along the coast to Falmouth
 Runners receive free t-shirt

You can run in this lottery-entry only race
to raise money for Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts!
Runners Needed

Each runner must commit to raising $400 for our non-profit program.

Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts is a 501 c3 non-profit organization
The Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts Program gives women with physical disabilities
a forum to promote the achievements as well as the needs of mobility impaired persons.

Unlike traditional pageants, the Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts Program is in no way a beauty contest. It is instead a competition to select the most accomplished and articulate spokesperson for women with disabilities in Massachusetts.

Requests to run MUST BE RECEIVED BY JULY 2, 2010

For more information or to apply, contact Autumn Grant at 774-501-1185 or email: mswheelchairmass06@yahoo.com. Please stop by our website at www.mswheelchairmass.org for more information on our organization.

I Wanna Walk n Roll All Day!

This month I got to attend one of the biggest events of my reign- the Spina Bifida Association of Massachusetts’s 1st Annual Walk n Roll on May 23, 2010, which was held at Endicott Estates in Dedham which is a really beautiful property. The weather was somewhat gloomy in the morning but in the afternoon the sun came out and it was gorgeous! It served as a great fundraising and awareness event.
Although the kick-off party in March was a small gathering, there were definitely many more people at the actual event. Ellen Heffernan-Dugan was in charge of organizing it, among many others in the Association as well and they all did such a great job. There were over 100 walkers/rollers spread out over 15+ teams, which was really great to see, not to mention that we fundraised over $28,000 through this amazing event which will no doubt be put to good use for future programs and services for people living with Spina Bifida in Massachusetts.
There was a DJ and the kids got to play games like limbo and musical chairs which was fun for them. I didn’t end up making a team after all, but instead I just went to cheer everyone on and meet the families and others with Spina Bifida. I did get to address the crowd at the beginning along with the Association’s President Cara Packard and Ellen Heffernan-Dugan who is the Executive Director of the SBA Mass, telling my life story and getting everyone fired up to have a great walk which was incredible!
While thinking about what I was going to say, I got to reflect on all my accomplishments and challenges over the years that I don’t think about on a daily basis which was really cool because I realized I have accomplished more than I feel like I have most days. I also wrote a story about my life and Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts in their press release, and was told that I would be appearing in the Dedham News Transcript the next day, which was really exciting again being able to share my story. Also I got to get my picture taken with some of the teams and families and meet them. They were all impressed by my speech and my story and how far I have come.
I’m really happy to be so involved with the SBAMass, not only because I have Spina Bifida but because of the difference that I’m making for people with SB, and expanding my leadership skills while meeting some really great people in the process. I realize now that I’m not as alone as I think I am most days and that there are people out there who understand what life with a disability is really like.
Being Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts 2010 has really given me the opportunity to get involved with and help out so many different people; I’m really enjoying every minute of it and really looking forward to meeting everyone at Nationals! :) (74 days left!)

Santara

April Update

Hi Everyone, Santara here with another update. April was a pretty laid back month. I did participate in one event along with Autumn called LAUNCH which was held at Bristol Community College in Attleboro, MA. At this event, we had a table to showcase Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation with the pamphlets and business cards etc. There were also different workshops to attend all about promoting STEM Literacy and incorporating it into other fields like Early Childhood Education for example. I got to attend two different workshops to learn more about it. The first one was called “STEM Literacy & the Education Model”. It was run by a woman named Joan Ricci, who is the Director of The Literacy Center and also an Early Childhood educator. She talked about the effects of the STEM model between birth to age 5, which was really important to me because I too want to be an Early Childhood teacher. At first she asked us all general questions like: Who has read to a child before? Who has bought a book as a gift for a child/mother? And then she spoke about how those early moments in a child’s life are so crucial to children’s success and the likelihood that they will pursue careers in mathematics or engineering because of our efforts.
The other workshop that I attended was called “Like Herding Fish-Managing the Startup Process” and this one was all about effective business management and leadership. The two people running the workshop talked about all the different tools a person needs to start your own business, the importance of finding the right people to help you succeed in your business, making tough decisions-like when you should hire or fire a person and not worrying so much about other people’s feelings and what others think, but instead doing what is right for your company.
Well, that’s pretty much it for this month. Next month I am looking forward to two great events: a forum for the candidates for Governor at Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown on May 18th and Spina Bifida Association’s First Annual Walk n Roll on May 23rd at Endicott Estates in Dedham. There is still time to sign up for the Walk n Roll if you want to sign up as a team or individual walker. It is going to be a great event both for fundraising and raising awareness of Spina Bifida and other disability issues. If you are interested in building a team or being an individual walker, please go to walknrollsbamass.org to sign up. Also if anyone wants to build a team with me feel free to let me know. If you cannot make it out to Dedham that day for the event but would still like to participate, there is an option to sign up as a virtual walker as well.
Thanks!
Santara

Forum with the Candidates for Governor

Perkins School for the Blind and the Disability Policy Consortium, in Collaboration with many Disability Organizations invite YOU to Attend

Forum with the Candidates for Governor

May 18, 2010
12:30 – 3:30
Perkins School for the Blind
Dwight Hall, Howe Building
175 North Beacon Street, Watertown, MA 02472

Treasurer Tim Cahill
Governor Deval Patrick
Grace Ross
Jill Stein

Moderator: Bob Oakes of WBUR-FM’s “Morning Edition”

Join your colleagues and friends to hear the candidates for Governor discuss disability policy issues. Bring a friend!

For more information, please contact DPC at 617-542-3522 or info@dpcma.org. To request a reasonable accommodation, please contact DPC before May 12th.

President’s Volunteer Service Award

For Immediate Release
The Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation Joins With the Council on Service and Civic Participation to Deliver President’s Volunteer Service Award
Prestigious Award Honors Outstanding Commitment to Volunteer Service

Raynham, MA – The Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation today announced it has teamed with the White House to become a Certifying Organization for the PRESIDENT’S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD, a national program recognizing Americans who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to volunteer service. Established in 2003, the AWARD was created by President George W. Bush to give Presidential recognition to individuals, families and groups who meet requirements for volunteer service, measured by the number of service hours performed over 12-months.

The Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation is one of thousands of organizations that have joined forces to deliver the PRESIDENT’S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD and honor the volunteers who strengthen our Nation. As a Certifying Organization for the AWARD, The Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation is responsible for verifying service hours, nominating potential recipients and delivering the AWARD.

“The Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation is extremely proud to recognize our most outstanding volunteers with the PRESIDENT’S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD,” said Autumn Grant State Coordinator. “The Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation volunteers are “roll” models in our community, donating their time, energy and talent to bring us closer together as neighbors and a Nation. The AWARD is our way of thanking these volunteers and inspiring everyone in our community to make volunteering a central part of their lives.”

The AWARD is issued by the President’s Council on Service and Civic Participation, a group convened by President George W. Bush to help foster and encourage a culture of volunteer service and civic participation among Americans. Chaired by two-time Super Bowl Champion Darrell Green, with former U.S. Senators Bob Dole and John Glenn as honorary co-chairs, the Council is composed of leaders in government, media, entertainment, business, education, nonprofit and volunteer service organizations and community volunteering.

For more information about volunteering with The Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation, Contact Autumn Grant at mswheelchairmass06@yahoo.com or got to www.mswheelchairmass.org. For more information on the PRESIDENT’S VOLUNTEER SERVICE AWARD and to find out how to identify additional volunteer opportunities in this area, visit www.presidentialserviceawards.gov or call 1-866-545-5307.


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Launch

Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts 2010 Santara Sen will be participating in
LAUNCH – moving ideas to the next level
Friday, April 9, 2010 – 11:00AM-4:30PM
Registration: 11:00AM-12:00PM
Bristol Community College, Attleboro, MA

LAUNCH is a conference that brings together entrepreneurs, inventors, and innovative thinkers who want to find out how to develop and protect their ideas and who seek to develop 21st Century skills for people of all ages, in particular, science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) skills.

http://www.museumatthemill.org/Sessions__Sessions.html

March Madness!

March Madness!

Wow-it's been an incredibly busy month for me! A lot has happened that I want to share. First, the WBZ radio interview that I finally did at the end of last month aired and I got to listen to it which was cool. It was OK for my first radio interview; I know I'll get better as I do more. Second, I was profiled in the Quarterly Newsletter for the Spina Bifida Association of Massachusetts. I wrote a one-page story for them about the Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts/America programs and how they work, and of course explained how I came to be involved with the program. As an adult with Spina Bifida, I was happy to do this and to be a positive role model for my community.
Third, with the SBA Mass, I attended their kick-off party for their First Annual Walk n Roll which will be on May 23rd in Dedham MA. For more information or to sign up as a team or individual walker, go to www.sbamass.org. This event was on March 11th at Boston Beer Works. Originally the plan was for me to speak at this event in order to get everyone excited for the walk, but the turn-out wasn't what was originally expected so I just went to enjoy myself, which was fun too. Instead, I will be speaking at the actual event, which I think is much cooler!  I also hope to put together a team, whether it's with family and friends or co-workers from Horizons for Homeless Children where I volunteer. If you're interested feel free to let me know so I can sign us up; I'd be willing to be the team captain! Anyway, I got to meet Ellen Heffernan-Dugan who is the Director of the SBA Mass as well as other Board Members, and it was just a nice casual evening. I even played pool with some of the kids that came along with the adults which was comical to say the least! …I have photos of that, which I hope to post for everyone.
I also got connected with this woman named Krittiya Wongtavavimarn who is a graduate student at Emerson and also a news reporter in Boston. She is a journalism student doing a big project on women with disabilities and empowerment/inspiration and such, and she wanted to focus on Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts as her project, which will eventually become a website providing inspiration and empowerment for women with disabilities. She describes it as "not just school work" as it will be on the Boston News website. She's had previous experience with people with disabilities in Thailand where she's from, and she then learned how grateful people with disabilities are for what they do have, which sparked her interest in this area. I believe Laurel and Ashley also helped her out-thanks! She came out to Norwood where I live which was really helpful for me, as I'm not super comfortable using the subway and didn't know exactly how to get to Emerson. What she did was she interviewed me regarding my life and my disability, as well as the Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts program and how I came to be involved and some of the things I hope to accomplish while I have the title for 2010. Then we went out to the school playground next to my house, where she took lots of pictures as well. I thought this was nice and convenient as well as a huge open space to use while the kids were in school. I really enjoyed this and I can't wait to see the final product, which will consist of pictures, the interviews and of course her own text!
So this ends another month of my title…I can't believe how quickly it's going! This was a great month with lots of things going on…it will be hard to top it. Of course I'm still doing the usual fundraising for Nationals, which is going well. I'm hoping to put together a fundraiser soon to raise some big money, as my whole family still wants to attend the event to cheer me on. More details on that later though…Thanks everyone!

The Disability Policy Consortium

The Disability Policy Consortium is excited to be sponsoring two great events this week, in honor of the Census. Both events will have great food and be lots of fun. All are welcome to attend! Please share with your networks. We hope to see everyone there!

Community Census Awareness Day

Saturday, March 20, 2010, 11am-3pm
Prince Hall Grand Lodge - 24 Washington Street, Dorchester, MA
Filled with music, food and family fun!
Come and bring your 2010 census form.
Census partners will be available to help you fill out your form.
A kids corner will be provided with lots of fun games.
ASL Interpreters will be present
DON’T MISS THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY!!
Remember the United States Census 2010 is in OUR HANDS

B.Y.O.C. Party!

What: Bring Your Own Census Party!
When: Friday, March 19, 2010, 12:00pm-3:00pm
Where: DPC Office, 59 Temple Place, Suite 669, Boston
Snacks, many free giveaways, and much more!
Please bring your Census form (which you will soon receive), and we can help you fill it out!

For more information, call 617-542-3522 or email rpowell@dpcma.org.
For more information on the Disability Policy Consortium or the 2010 Census, visit www.dpcma.org

Hello from Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts 2010

Hello Everyone!

First off, I wanted to introduce myself as the newest Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts for 2010, Santara Sen. I apologize for posting so late after my crowning but was undergoing some pretty big health issues during the holiday season-Thanksgiving, Christmas...all the way up to New Year's Eve...then I was good for a while and again back in the hospital the last week of January. Anyway, just wanted to explain that. I appreciate everyone's patience and support during this time, especially Autumn's, our state coordinator.

Well, I've done a few things already. I was interviewed by WBZ radio regarding Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts, which will be airing soon-she's going to let me know when. I wrote up a profile for the Spina Bifida Association of Massachusetts's Quarterly Newsletter regarding Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts, and I'm going to participate in the kick-off event in March for their First Annual Walk n Roll, which is on May 23, 2010. (For more information on that, go to their website (www.sbamass.org) and you can sign up on their volunteer page.

For my February event, I went to the Massachusetts State House for the first time ever, which was really exciting! It was for an event called "OUR Day" for the Disability Policy Consortium (www.dpcma.org) , advocating the needs for deaf, hard-of-hearing and deaf/blind constituents. (FYI-please go to their website to join this group to help us change legislation for the millions of people with disabilities! You can also join their cause on Facebook or follow them on Twitter.) We started the day hearing from different senators and such from the State House about what they do, and thanking us for being there...and sending out the message that we need to be there often to remind our senators and representatives of our needs. After that we went off to lunch, and then the afternoon was all about meeting with our senators and legislators. So...off I went to find Senator Marian Walsh to speak with her about the needs of this population. She wasn't there actually, but we were told that if the person we needed to see wasn't there we could speak to whomever was there instead...so I spoke to one of the assistants. I spoke of many different subjects related to Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing/Deaf-blind awareness. I knew I wanted to advocate for many of the pressing issues such as the CART system (Communication Access Real Time), Independent Living, Emergency situations, and the overall need for more interpreters for American Sign Language. The woman I spoke to seemed pretty receptive and wanted to hear what I had to say. I have friends who are both deaf and blind and I know the challenges they face everyday due to lack of access so this was very important to me to be able to speak up for them, even though I do not fall into one of these categories myself. To me it doesn't matter because we all have needs that need to be addressed and changes that need to be made to legislation for the better.

So after Senator Walsh's office, my next stop was to Representative John H. Rogers, who again was unavailable to speak with me. (I knew at the beginning of the day that this was going to be the case because appointments were not scheduled with these two particular people for some reason--either I was the only one from my hometown of Norwood, MA or they just weren't available-not sure which...)...so again (after getting lost about eight times trying to find his office hehe), I found it! This time, however, I was simply asked if I had information for him to read, and I said yes and gave it to the woman at the desk. Something to definitely follow up on there!

Because my representative and senator were both unavailable, I had a good hour and a half or so at the end free. So I decided to tag along with one of the other groups who were not done with their meetings and participated in theirs. So off we went (once we found out how to get there--did I mention the State House is very confusing?) to Senator Montigny's office and a large group of us got to speak with the lawyer who works for him. There were some different issues brought up in this group such as After-Hours Emergency Interpreter Services at hospitals and such and the need for them. We also asked why it seems that they have a variety of other "spoken" language interpreters such as Spanish, but not American Sign Language in hospitals--it's not something they focus on but they should!

So, that ends my first official appearance as Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts 2010. Overall it was a very enjoyable day and it was interesting to be seeing American Sign Language again after not taking the courses for some time when I was in college. I'm looking forward to many other events in the future this year.

Thanks!
Santara