Lions ...Tigers...And BSU Bears Oh My

You know it has been a long time since you have been back to your college when it has changed its name since you have been there.  I cannot believe it has been 8 years since I have been at BSU/BSC for us old folks.  I was asked by one of my favorite professors who happens to be retiring this year, Dr. Rebecca Leavitt, to share my Ms. Wheelchair story with the members of the Davis Alumni Center at Bridgewater State University.  Many of you know that Dr. Leavitt and I have always had a strong bond.  She is actually the professor who made me have a passion for social work, so when she suggests I do something I know it is for a positive reason.  It was so nice to go back to the campus that I literally found my independence on.  It was after I started taking courses in social work that I realized that I could do more for disability awareness then just talk.  I learned my legislative skills from classes like Dr. Leavitt's.  So coming back to BSU, which is still weird to say, by the way was a homecoming of sorts.  I also got to spend a little time with Autumn Grant who works at BSU who was my MWMA state coordinator, so things kind of came full circle.   I also got to see an individual, by chance, who taught me to have a thicker skin with my disability and it was this person who challenged me to learn to stand up for myself and my life as a student with a disability.  I did not realize the magnitude of this lesson until I got into my older years, but as tough as it was at the time, I am so glad I learned this lesson the hard way because it taught me to be a stronger advocate for my own self and in turn as Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts I have learned to use my voice and my thicker skin to do what is right for the millions of people with disabilities in this great nation of ours.

Til next time, "Advocate, Educate and Empower".

I Like "Dougie"

Sometimes it is the less grand appearances that melt your heart the most and remind you why you want to be Ms. Wheelchair America.  This came from an unlikely source for me.  My godmother, who happens to be my mother's best friend, requested that I go make a home visit in Rockland, Mass. to her brother, Jim, who is home bound because of medical issues and has Down Syndrome.  My first thought was I need to find a way to relate to a man in his fifties who I only know about through stories from my mom.  You see, my mom is one of Jim's favorite people.  The funny part of this is my mother just celebrated her 40th wedding anniversary.  She has not gone by her maiden name in 40 years, however, she will always be Diane Johnson to him.  So, being Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts, thinking on my feet, I said I will come up with anecdotes about my mom for a few hours.  Lord knows I have enough of them.  Upon arriving I was told that Jim was in a really good mood.  I knew it was going to be a good day from that point on.  However, I learned that even when dealing with people with cognitive disabilities it is important to find common ground.  In the beginning, Jim was not comfortable with me being in his room.  This was not the reception as Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts I am used to.  Little kids smile, parents shake my hand, etc.  I then looked at my mom with an unknowing glance.  She looked at me and said just be yourself.  I then glanced up at his TV and the show King of Queens was in his dvd player.  This show happens to be a guilty pleasure of mine so we starting bonding already.  I asked him what he liked about the show and he gave me an answer that to this day is still cute to us, "I Love Dougie".  This made my visit worth it to see how genuine he was to spend time with me.  Fast forward a little to my leaving and he began to call me Diane Johnson Princess which in his own way was showing me I was accepted as if Diane Johnson is cool, you are ok in my book.  To go from a person who did not appreciate me being in his room to being a princess means that even for a moment and over a cancelled sitcom I made his day but in truth he made mine even more.

Til next time "Advocate, Educate and Empower".

Willie Meets the Maracas

East Bridgewater Library in East Bridgewater, Mass. was the next stop on my journey.This time was slightly different because I had a slightly younger crowd than I am used to but like my platform says, it is better to teach disability awareness at younger ages in order to expose children to all of the differences that they will see in the world.  I do not know how much of Willie the Wheelchair the kids comprehended fully but I can tell you that the graphics and the fact that Willie had wheels was an even bigger hit than my crown which I am told makes me a special princess.  They say during your reign sometimes you step out of your comfort zone and do things that you never thought you would.  For me, this was singing The Bear Went Over the Mountain.  For those of you who know me personally can attest that I would never win a karaoke contest.  I think that it should be quite illegal for me to sing in public.  I can say as Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts, I took one for the team in the name of advocacy in order to ensure these children got a positive message.  You can see that this blog post is an abbreviated one.  This is mainly because I am trying to forget my less than stellar singing performance but this appearance taught me a great lesson i n  grace under pressure for nationals.

Til next time, "Advocate, Educate and Empower."

Tom & I Unite For Change!

                                                    

After reading the article that the Pembroke Mariner wrote about my crowning I got an email from Tom W. who like me has Cerebral Palsy and is the Director of the Pembroke Commission on Disabilities.  He was wondering if we could meet up to make some changes in accessibility around Pembroke.  I called him back right away and jumped at the chance to make disability accessibility in my own home town.  One of the things that Tom and I discussed were how many changes have been made in the past within the town.  We talked about everything from the new library accessibility to things that needed to change such as:  playground accessibility in Bryantville, which is part of Pembroke, to the need for more accessibility at the Herring Run, which of those of you that do not know is a historical point of interest within the town.  We have decided that that we must contact local legislators to see if we can get them to understand the desperate need for funding these major changes.  Tom also asked me to promote one of the programs that is near and dear to him, that is, people who call the Pembroke Commission on Disabilities can either donate small medical equipment such as :  wheelchairs, walkers, eyeglasses, bath chairs, etc.. With these donations Tom makes it possible for low income individuals to have these donations free of charge so that they may lead more independent lives.  As Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts, I have a plan and  will continue to plan to make major changes throughout the state, but it is something special when you can do it in your own backyard.

Til next time, "Advocate, Educate, and Empower."

Direct Staff Meeting in Session!

I was asked to speak at the weekly direct care staff meeting at the Kennedy Donovan Center in Kingston, Mass. on the 18th of April, 2013.  This touched near and dear to my heart because,  those of you not familiar with the early intervention programs, they serve special needs children between the ages of birth to 3 years.  I was actually a graduate of the program in 1985.  They were some of the first care staff to provide me with physical therapy, speech therapy, and other basic services.  I think that these programs are vital to helping families transition into the idea of special needs life.  One of the messages that I wanted to get across to them as Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts was that not all diagnosis are set in stone.  Many of you have read my Cerebral Palsy Story and will remember that the outlook doctors gave my parents for my independent life was very bleak.  Most of the milestones that a normal child would make I would never break.  This was farther from the truth.  Although I think it is very important that they should be realistic to parents.  I wanted to spread a message of hope that you can overcome doctor's odds and as a graduate of the program I wanted to show them that I was living proof of this.  This appearance was slightly different for me because as much as I can relate from a disability perspective I may never understand the parental perspective of having a special needs child.  For this reason, I sprung it on my mother, Diane, after my speech that I would really love for her to relive her experience with early intervention for the staff members so they could hear a success story from the parent's point of view.  Those of you who know my mom you realize this is a huge feat for her as I got my public speaking genes from my father and not from my mother.  My mother is an amazing woman who I want to model my life after, however, her painfully shy genes is one that I am glad that I did not get.  My mom took it like a champ and made OUR appearance extremely successful.  For that I realize that sometimes Ms. Wheelchair Mass. cannot "Advocate, and Educate" alone.

Until next time my friends, "Advocate, Educate, and Empower."