Jessica Gardner poses with her service dog, Ford at the 2019 Ms Wheelchair Pennsylvania competition. Picture credit to Alex Jones Three years ago, I received the best birthday gift I've ever been given, my Canine Companions for Independence service dog, Ford. I can honestly say in my life he has opened doors, both physically and … Continue reading Service Dogs, Opening Doors to Independence!
Caption: Josie Badger poses with her husband, Mike, their dog, and their wedding party Not long ago, I remember the excitement that spread across America when the Supreme Court decided that “love ruled,” giving the right of marriage to gay couples. News articles, Facebook posts, and email subjects all celebrated the news of “marriage equality.” … Continue reading Marriage Equality for All, Unless You’re Like Me
Part 2 of "Ms. Grishman or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Disability" published July 2019. Years after being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, I had finally begun to accept my disability and my limitations, when I met my friend and greatest mentor, Richard Meritzer, who introduced me to the amazing world that … Continue reading Advocacy
Hi. My name is Alisa Grishman. I’m 37 years old, I’m disabled, and I love it. Giving you a moment here to digest that… My disability is as beautiful to me as my storm cloud-grey eyes and my tattoos, and just as how I get annoyed at my hair for being frizzy or notice the … Continue reading Ms. Grishman or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love My Disability
by Everett Deibler Almost all of us have had a parent or guardian utter the words, “Just wait until you get older; you will understand.” As a teenager with Cerebral Palsy in a single parent household, I thought I would never understand why my mother made me do things that, as she would say, “will … Continue reading Finding Your Own Way: Dignity of Risk
by Dr. Josie Badger As an individual with a significant physical disability—requiring the use of a ventilator, power wheelchair, and 24-hour care—it was difficult to identify a career where I could maintain my physical health while being employed full time. In relatively recent history, individuals with more significant physical disabilities are surviving and thriving. Although … Continue reading Significantly Able to Work: Employment for the Significantly Disabled
by Heather Tomko Growing up with a disability meant a different kind of parent-child relationship than a lot of my friends. My parents were my parents, but until I left for college, they were also my sole caregivers. In some ways, it was great – there’s always someone around when you need help, and I … Continue reading Managing Independence
by Jessica Benham There are few stories told in TV shows and movies about people like me in romantic relationships, and those stories that are told rarely paint being with someone like me as desirable. Me Before You is perhaps the most extreme depiction of this type, painting disability as a fate worse than death … Continue reading Love Because, Never Despite, Disability
by Cori Frazer When I was initially asked to write about intersectionality in the context of disability, I was excited. Intersectional disability justice is incredibly important to me. But the more I thought about it, I wondered where I could add to the fantastic work of the queer black and brown disabled organizers who developed … Continue reading Disability and Intersectionality: Not the “Default Disabled Person”
by Kyann Flint When I was little, I did not know of anyone who was like me to which I could aspire. I do not want that to be the case for others; I desire to be that role model for girls growing up today. I have grown up with multiple disabilities. Disability is a … Continue reading Contrasting Crowns: Redefining Beauty and Disability
RAISE Center 