It stinks to be left out. Left out of a conversation, left out of a joke, left out of a high school dance. Everybody, at one time or another, feels left out. When Johnny was very young, around the age of four, one of our biggest fears was that his disability was going to prohibit him from being able to participate in the games the neighborhood kids were playing. Our fear was that he would be left out.
I remember him looking out the window watching and hearing the kids laughing while they were playing and it about killed me. Why couldn’t this little boy be a part of their fun? Just because his arms and legs didn’t work like theirs, that was not a reason for him to not participate. He knew how to laugh and play just like they did.
That was the last time he sat on the sidelines watching!
In today’s world with the advancement of technology, life has been made easier for those people with disabilities. From switching on a light to being able to have a computer speak for you, disabled people are now able to do things they have never been able to do before. I remember listening to triathlon icon Dick Hoyt speak about his son, Rick, who has cerebral palsy and could not speak. He was saying that when Rick was born, everyone thought he was mentally incapacitated because he could not speak. It was only when Rick turned eleven, back in 1973, that he was fitted to a computer that allowed him to communicate. It opened up a new world for Rick and for those who loved and cared for him.
While the advancement of technology has been a beautiful gift for the disabled community, there is still a big challenge for those who are mobility-challenged. Being able to get around in their own home is one challenge, but being able to get out of their home to enjoy dinner with friends, some fresh air in the park, or the latest art museum exhibit, presents itself with a different challenge. The mobility-challenged community needs to think about not only how to get there, but whether or not they will be able to have access to get in, will there be a ramp to wheel up on, and will they be able to have access to a bathroom once there? All of these things need to be researched before they even get out the door!
We do not want anyone to feel left out. That’s why we are excited about JohnnysPass. We are excited that at the click of a button, the mobility-challenged will have all the accessible information they need right at their fingertips. We want to be able to open up the world so that everyone has an opportunity to enjoy it.
Because, let’s face it, nobody wants to be left out.
Taking On Life One Step at a Time,
Johnny’s Mom