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Sometimes you just need to be a zombie
You have no idea how fun it is to dress up like She-Ra (’80s cartoon character, sister of He-Man). I’m usually known as “She-Ra in a wheelchair” (instead of just She-Ra) whenever I do it. It kinda pisses me off, but what do you do, the large glaring power chair cannot be ignored. I have never let it stop me though. Some of the happiest moments I’ve had since becoming paralyzed have happened while I’ve been dressed up. Also, check out the awesome Zombie Pool Party photo montage featuring three zombified women w/ disabilities. Read this entry
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We are the Landlocked Mermaids
I have been obsessed with mermaids ever since playing with Sea Wees as a little girl, and then my broken neck happened, and my love of mermaids became even more profound. The reason why is simple enough too: Mermaids can’t walk either. Representin’! Read this entry
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Why I Run My Site
I received a beautiful letter validating the very reason why I’ve been running this site, Beauty Ability, since 2003. It came from the mother of a 17 year old girl who recently found my site. Having “up there” confidence and thinking you’re beautiful is never easy when you’re a teenager, let alone when you’re in a wheelchair. Hi Tiffiny, I found you through my daughter Leanne. Leanne has Spina Bifida and uses a chair. We live in the country and she is the only person here that uses a chair. She has gone through all of her life with no true peers and now that she is 17 and watching the world go…
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Locomotor a waste of time?
Maybe I’ve been paralyzed too long, but there are a bunch of new therapy programs out there that I question. Let me preemptively say that locomotor training has a lot of great benefits (it’s good for weight-bearing, making your muscles move, organ-hanging party time). It’s a pretty intense therapy where they strap you into a harness (that’s attached to a bar above your head) and hang you above a treadmill. Read this entry
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My behind the wheel therapy
When I’m behind the wheel of my vehicle, no one can tell I use a wheelchair (no disabled plate, only a placard). And I gotta say that feeling is pretty hard to beat But the anonymity of being just another driver on the road is one of several reasons driving my has become the best form of therapy I‘ve ever run across. When you’re disabled and depressed, doctors tell you to take pills, or to meditate, but no one ever mentions the therapeutic benefits of getting behind the wheel and being fully in control of a car (and for the life of me I can’t figure out why!). They’ll mention…
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Ever hesitant to complain about access?
A Georgia mom posts a photo of some of the worst inclusion recently witnessed in public schools, but shies away from venting fully. What prevents you from complaining about access? Read this post
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2/9/12: What would you tell your teenage self?
If you could go back in time, what would you tell yourself to make the path ahead a bit easier?
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1/23/12: “Push Girls” coming to TV
A new reality show “Push Girls,” featuring four female wheelchair-users, has been green-lighted by the Sundance Channel. The show will change misconceptions of disability and so much more.
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12/31/11: Erasing stereotypes, with your job
From rolling tattoo artists to medical doctors who use wheelchairs, the power of being in a profession the world doesn’t expect is huge.
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12/21/11: To walk again, perchance to dream
What does it feel to be on your own two feet after waiting for 5, 10, 15 years? Do you feel like your old self or do you feel like a brand new person? Technology is creating miracles.
