Story Time AKA "Willie The Wheelchair"
Today was one of the most lighthearted days I have had since being crowned. I attended story and craft time at Hingham Public Library in Hingham Mass. It was a great experience because I got to read to about ten children between the ages of two and six. Like I said in my platform, I wholeheartedly believe that it is so important to start children's awareness of physical disabilities at a formative age so that they are not fearful of people with physical disabilities. Thanks to Mala from National Seating and Mobility for lending me such age appropriate books for preschool age. Willie the Wheelchair was a smashing success with the little ones. They were so captivated by the fact that Willie the Wheelchair was the hero of the story. It sparked such curiosity in the children that I could tell that a simple hour with me and seeing that I was just like them made them more comfortable with the idea of physical disabilities. It was also great because I got to show off some of my adaptive toys so that the children could see that even in the toy world they have toys that look just like me. Even though we are different there is something that always makes us special. Beyond my wheelchair and my title I am special because I am Nicole and they do not make any more like me. If you ask the kids, however, the highlight of the day for them was decorating their own personalized wheelchair. There were so many blinged out wheelchairs with the amount of glitter that was used, I decided that I want my wheelchair to sparkle as much as theirs did. The kids tried to mimic the monogram that I have on my wheelchair that I thought was particularly cute. At the end of the session the kids got to see how my wheelchair moved, touch it, feel it, etc. As much as I want to say that I taught them something today in all reality they taught me the importance of teaching children about differences at an age where their mind is capable of absorbing such knowledge without bias. I also want to extend my gratitude to Anna, the head children's librarian, who made this event possible.
Until next time my friends, "Advocate, Educate, and Empower."
