Ms Wheelchair Massachusetts 2011!!!!

So, it's been about two months now since the Ms Wheelchair Massachusetts 2011 Pageant. It has been a crazy two months but I now get to tell you about one of the most important days of my life this far!!!

Pageant prep started first thing in the morning with Mom and Pam (my PCA). Mom got there first and we started right away with hair and make-up. I knew mom would do my hair perfectly and I am still learning about make-up so she was a big help!I have to say, getting all done up with mom is my favorite part of the day even still!

Pam arrives and outfit selection is finalized. Now we are on our way to the Pageant with just a quick pit-stop at DnD's for coffee.

The event then kicked off with check-in and set up. This wasn't hard for me seeing as I know alot of the behind the scenes stuff from being involved previous years in one way or another.

I quickly found my table and set up my display. I felt kind of bad setting it up and leaving it to mingle but that feeling didn't last long. Conversation I was having with the crowd quickly turned from "tell my more about you" to "whose that girl over there showing off your board" I was relieved and so proud!!

I had invited my mentee from PYD's Mentor Match Program. I figured she would love it but I would have never guessed she would have so ready to promote me!!!I was loving it to say the least!Mingling also gave me a chance to meet some of the wonderful vendors we had that I didn't already know. We had many great vendors this year!

Things were not all fun and games though!There were private interviews for each contestant with a panel of three judges. Personally this scared me the most. Don't ask me why, smaller crowds just always did. Too intimate I guess! I was in luck though, we also had an interview session infront of everyone in attendance that day. Both sessions were nerve-wrecking because you never know what the judges will come up with so you can only be so prepared!

Then lastly (this was before being crowned of course!) and the most important part! The platform speeches! Even without a win I have been waiting for these two minutes for my entire 30 years of life!In these two minutes I get to tell my audience who I am (as a person NOT a wheelchair), about the things I have done and most importantly of course what I hope to do as Ms Wheelchair Massachusetts 2011.Giving that speech was a dream come true!

Now the moment has come!They are about to call the runner-up! It had been just me and one other contestant for the whole pageant so I know this will be quick. My mind was racing with a million things all at once!There could have been ten different girls up there with meand I wouldn't have been half as nervous as I was competing along side this one girl! We had met a few years ago when I first became involved with Ms W/C Mass. She is smart, passionate and has done so much that would qualify her for this and she had run before!As involved as i have been in the past this was my first time running.

So you can imagine my shock when they call her as the runner-up! After that things seemed to be in slow motion. They called my name then and there was a sudden rush of commotion all around me. The sash is pinned on me, the crown is placed on my head and flowers are laid in my arms. Hugs and kisses are coming from everywhere. I see the flashes of a camera I never knew was there all day come from somewhere behind the crowd

Lastly I gave my thank you speech. This is not something I wanted to overly prepare for fear it would jinx me.On the spot I feel is more heart felt anyways.

I rode home with Pam who had gone through the entire day and all the prep with me. We drove into my neighborhood and I noticed everyone looking at me. After 30 years as a disabled person I am used to people looking at me but this was different. People normally looked away when I caught them staring. Some even pointed!I just hope they went home and googled it!

In closing I would just like to thank everyone that was and is a support to me. Everyone that listened to my speech a million times. Everyone that were part of a memory that built my board. Everyone that was there in person or spirit. I thank all of you so much!!!

Well that is all I have for now. I hope you stay tuned!I have alot to fill you in on about the past two months and just when you think we are all caught up, I will have new things to share!

All Good Things Eventually Must Come to an End

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!

5K for the MDA!!
This month I participated in the MDA Muscle Walk 2011 to help the Muscular Dystrophy Association raise funds and awareness about Muscular Dystrophy as well as other disabilities. In order to participate, I fundraised $100 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. This event was held at the Natick Collection in Natick, MA. Upon arrival we met the event coordinators, got our t-shirts and were asked to sign waivers in order to participate in the Walk. Then we got to mingle and see everything, have snacks and also got the opportunity to enter the raffle which had many different prizes including gift cards to UNO’s, Margarita’s and the Natick Mall.
The Walk itself, which was a 5K (a longer distance than I had previously imagined, especially since I was in my manual wheelchair…) was held indoors (thank goodness! :) ). Before it was time to start the Walk there was a yoga instructor who came to demonstrate a brief exercise in breathing and stretching in order to prepare us for our trek around the mall. The emcee was really nice and the music was really fun and included songs like YMCA, Shout and the Chicken Dance. He took a few minutes to talk to me about my being Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts and the upcoming pageant which he mentioned during the day and asked if I would answer questions for people about the event, which of course I was happy to do!
The leader of our Walk was a local firefighter who was dressed up in a Scottish outfit and playing bagpipes. There were people of all ages at the walk including children, teens, young adults and older adults. So once we got the signal, off we went three times around the first floor of this big mall. After the Walk, we had the opportunity to get team photos taken, and then the top fundraisers were given awards. Finally, the raffle numbers were announced and the winners were given their prizes. Unfortunately, somehow I misplaced my tickets sometime in between getting them and the numbers being announced, so I didn’t win any of the prizes I signed up for which were mostly the restaurant offers. At the end of the morning, I took the opportunity to relax and chat with friends and other people who were also at the event. There were many photos taken of the participants during the Walk and I was given one of them to keep too.
So ends another month as Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts 2010. Overall, this was another good event where I got to make a difference and help others through my efforts. With each walk I have participated in, there has also been the responsibility of fundraising at least $100 and each time I try to learn something that I didn’t know the last time about fundraising tips, what works and what does not work. One thing has been the same about all of these events though—fundraising takes a lot of patience and energy! I am happy to have been able to participate though and meet new people along the way. Finally, I was thankful for the opportunity to tell more people about the Ms.Wheelchair Massachusetts Foundation and the upcoming pageant.

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!