During my final month as Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts 2010, I participated in two events in Boston. The first event I participated in is called the BLIN’G Camp (Better Living in Girls) on March 4th, 2011 from 6-9pm, which was an event put together by the Spina Bifida Association of Massachusetts (SBAMass) and the Myelodysplasia Clinic at Children’s Hospital Boston (the Spina Bifida Clinic). This was an overnight girls camp where ten girls (Ages 11-17 years old) along with one parent had the opportunity to participate in the BLIN’G Program, which consisted of an overnight stay at a hotel in Boston (the Omni Parker House on School Street near the State House), so they could learn about healthy living with Spina Bifida.
Among the guests for the program were a nutritionist, a reiki massage therapist, and a hair stylist and make-up artist who came to give the girls makeovers. The evening started with the nutritionist speaking about healthy eating and what we should/should not be eating to be healthy, which of course is always challenging to get all the nutrients we need in order to be healthy but it helps to have someone willing to advise us on it. Then, for our icebreaker activity to get to know people we got to play human BLIN’GO (BINGO), where the coordinators of the event put together BINGO cards based on a list of 10 things about ourselves that we all had previously submitted. Our task was to of course get BINGO, by figuring out who had which clues by going around and talking to each other. Prizes were awarded to the first three people who got BINGO, but everyone got some kind of token for their participation in the game, which was nice. Also, being Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts 2010 I had the opportunity to speak to the girls and the mothers for about 10-15 minutes or so about college, Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts/America, life with Spina Bifida/disability, achieving your goals etc. I really loved this event even though it was short because I really felt like I was able to make a difference and not only be an advocate for them but in this case I was also acting as a role/ “roll” model as well. I have been looking forward to this event for a while because I remember the challenges associated with that age range for myself, living with a disability but I really think that is a challenging transitional time for people in general. That is why I thought this was such a great idea. Everyone was truly appreciative of the time I had spent with the girls. Some of them even asked me for the website information which I gave out while explaining some of the things that are on there. I also mentioned to everyone the upcoming Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts Competition so I hope that some of them will be able to come and check it out! I just wish I could have spent the entire weekend enjoying the fun with them, but I had to take an MTEL exam in Somerville the next day. Maybe I will have more time to help out next year.
The other event I went to was the “Stepping Forward-Staying Informed Evening Lecture Series for individuals living with spinal cord injury, their caregivers & healthcare professionals”. This event took place at Boston Medical Center, BU School of Medicine and lasted from 4:30-8:00pm on March 14th 2011, and Judi Zazula was the coordinator of the event, whom I had met at a previous event back in October, during Spinal Cord Injury Awareness month. Patrick M. Tigue, Community Catalyst was the presenter and the topic of the lecture was “The Affordable Care Act and People with Disabilities: Policy and Politics”. Immediately preceding each lecture that they have is a support group meeting where people who have spinal cord injuries gather and get to know one another, which is great for networking and making friends. It’s always great to have people in your life who truly understand the challenges you must face on a daily basis and who are willing to talk to you about questions or concerns.
This was such an important topic to learn about because we all need accessible and affordable healthcare. Too many people today are struggling without proper health insurance or healthcare needs. As a person with a disability, I know how much this affects us because our needs are just so complex and it is scary to think what some of us would do without insurance and good medical treatment. There is just so much to consider including surgery, follow-up appointments, going to different specialists, hospitalizations, equipment and so much more. For that reason this was a really informative lecture which I enjoyed very much.
So ends my time as Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts 2010. This was truly a very enjoyable experience where I got to learn so much and help so many different people by participating in a variety of events each month. I will be looking to pass on the title at the 2011 Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts Advocacy Competition where the next titleholder will be crowned and given a chance to advocate on behalf of those in Massachusetts living with a disability. Although I will be passing on the title of Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts, this does not mean that my work as an advocate comes to an end now. There is still so much to do before people who have disabilities and people who do not have disabilities are seen as the same, and a group as a whole. By working together to support each other and spreading the word about the Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation and our mission, one day we will be able to come together as a whole and people with disabilities will not be singled out due to their differences. One day at a time we will prove that the Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts program is not about exterior beauty, “celebrities” or royalty (crown/sash) but about helping people with disabilities live better lives and advocacy. As a final thought I wanted to remind everyone that with resources, support and encouragement that “Yes We ALL Can!” live our lives just as successfully as our peers who do not have disabilities. It’s all in the attitude, so let’s all stay positive!
Thank you for letting me be a part of such a wonderful program. I truly enjoyed every minute of it and know that this will open up the doors to new and exciting opportunities in the future. I want to wish the contestants in the upcoming pageant the best of luck and hope that I can continue to help out this wonderful organization in any way I can. YAY MWMA 2010!
