The Ties That Bind

It has been quite a busy time for me since the Nationals. It is amazing how 28 women from 28 different states with 28 different platforms that point to the same goal can spend six days together and form everlasting bonds. The national pageant week is very hard to describe in words. It was a rigorous schedule that started early in the morning and ended at night. We attended four workshops a day with topics such as, "you can lead but can you follow," "person first," "the importance of language and how it impacts us," "using social networking as an advocacy tool,"   and "the ADA and accessibility." I am not quoting the titles of the workshops verbatim, but I am quoting the subject matter. After the first two days of the six-day week, I told my state coordinator that I was not the same person that arrived on Sunday. Mainstream society has a way of subtly breaking down empowerment little by little at times. This week was a great recharge for me. Multiply that by 28, and we could have lit up the entire city of Providence!

There were other staff members of each state foundation and past titleholders as well to support and guide us throughout the week. The night before the speeches we had a pajama party entitled, "This One's for the Girls." Stacy Scheifflin, a very empowering speaker and the owner of Your Best Friend Incorporated, spoke to us about the importance of our visions and goals as women. We had a DJ and we danced and sang and laughed. There was a masseuse, manicurists, and hairstylists to help further ease the tension that was mounting during that week.

Speech night was amazing. Each contestant had 2 minutes to describe her platform in front of the judges and a room full of family and friends. A formal dinner was also served and it was great to get to know everyone's families.

Crowning night was indescribable. We all wore beautiful evening gowns and lined up trying not to shake too much. Five finalists were picked and special awards were given out. I was given the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Lifetime Achievement Award is chosen by the judges to the contestant they believe has made the largest contribution and significant impact for people with disabilities. As I look at it hanging on my wall I am very touched and grateful for this honor.

Mariah Kilbourne, Ms. Wheelchair Texas, was crowned Ms. Wheelchair America 2013.  She is the perfect woman for the job! It has only been a few months and she has already taken this country by storm to spread her platform, "Inclined for Inclusion."

Everyone who participated in that amazing week came away a winner! It is so important that we continue to publicize the Ms. Wheelchair Foundation on both the state and national level. What many people do not now is that we as a whole are the driving force of empowerment, mentoring, and advocacy that makes this country a place where everyone can participate and contribute.

On June 6th I attended the Massachusetts Hospital School Commencement. It was amazing. I was able to spend some time with Megan Mamaty who is Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts 2011, and Susan Houston who is on the board of the Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation. They are both alumni of the school and I was able to get a sense of the history of it and its progress over the years. Megan made a very empowering alumni speech. I was able to meet the students and some of the staff and alumni as well. The theater where the commencement was is an amazing example of total accessibility. Wheelchair users can sit in any row they prefer along with everybody else. Many entertainment venues could learn a lot from its design.

Last week I was interviewed by the editor of "Wareham Week." We talked about The Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation, what the Pageant consists of and what it was like for me. We also discussed my platform, "Creative Perseverance." We also discussed my eager anticipation to attend the Ms. Wheelchair America 2013 and Leadership Institute.

This past weekend I also attended a reunion from my years as a young adult attending an MDA sleep away camp. Even though this is not a Ms. Wheelchair Massachusetts appearance, I decided to share it here anyway because it has to do with life as a person with a disability. From 1974 to 1979 MDA was able to use a camp in Rhinebeck, New York for their sleep away camp. I grew up in New York but I did not wear my sash and crown out of respect for the reigning Ms. wheelchair New York, Pam Hall. But I wanted to share it here anyway because I think many of you might have attended something similar. People who volunteered as teenagers to assist us folks with disabilities were at the reunion as well. We had all become very good friends and some of us had not seen each other in 30 years. Attending the camp was an amazing time in my life and is definitely part of what shaped me. The biggest thing I wanted to share is that at camp the line between people with disabilities and people without disabilities simply vanished. I remember as a young adult wondering why the world was not more like this. We have come a lot farther in present day making that line fade little by little. The Ms. wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation plays a large role in this. Is important for people with disabilities to participate in life as much as they can and educate people by their presence, advocacy, and mentoring. This July I will be making an appearance at the New England MDA camp. It will be great to see all those young faces experiencing what I did many years ago.

Many thanks to Sarah MacIsaac who is doing a "Tastefully Simple" fundraiser for me at the present time. I still need to raise some more money for the Ms. Wheelchair America Pageant. You can go to the link www.tastefullysimple.com/web/smacisaac to order some delicious ingredients for some tastefully simple meals and desserts. Just be sure to put "Ms. Wheelchair" as the first name and "Massachusetts" as the last name.