I can’t believe that I leave this weekend for the Ms. Wheelchair USA pageant – this week has really flown! I am so grateful for all of your support through this process, and I’m so excited to share more with you once I’m back home.

This wasn’t planned, but all of the links I have to share with you this week are almost all  disability/accessibility related in one way or another. I think of it as my subconscious helping me to prepare for the pageant.

• The comic with cerebral palsy
  I hadn’t heard of the comic Maysoon Zayid before I came across this article, but I’m looking forward to listening to more of her sets. This interview with her was amazing to read. She talks about how she ended up in comedy because Hollywood “rejected” her – as a woman with a disability, there were no roles for her. She also talks about how it was a struggle to convince people it was okay to laugh at disability.
• NPR takes on the straw bans
  I’ve been dipping my toe in engaging on social media about the straw bans, and trying to explain why people with disabilities NEED plastic straws. It’s been frustrating, to say the least. I’m really glad to see the issue getting national attention on NPR, and I think the article does a really great job at laying out the arguments that people with disabilities are making, and captures our frustration at not being heard.
• Aerie’s inclusive ad campaign
  American Eagle is actually headquartered here in Pittsburgh, so I love seeing good things about them in the news. I’ve heard about their Aerie Real campaign before – they promise no airbrushing, to show real people modeling their clothes. This time, they also featured people with disabilities or chronic illnesses as well! The interview notes that many people pointed out this was the first time they’d seen someone who looked like them represented, and I completely agree.
• ASOS jumpsuit designed by a woman who uses a wheelchair
  I’m not a jumpsuit-wearer – they remind me too much of the Juicy Couture jumpsuits that were popular when I was in middle school/high school – but I am still so happy about this. After having to leave a music festival early when it started to rain, a woman who uses a wheelchair reached out to ASOS about designing something specifically with wheelchair users in mind. The final result may not be my style, but is definitely music festival friendly, and makes me hopeful about more collaboration in the future.
• The Power of Positivity
  I have talked about how important I think good friendships are before, and this article just confirms my thoughts on their importance! It talks about how the people who we surround ourselves with shape us and our attitudes – so if you surround yourself with positive people, you will in turn become more positive yourself. Having people around you who care about you and support you is so important!