When I was younger, my Mom always used to read me stories. We had a makeshift “tent” made out of afghans, sheets, barstools flipped upside down, pillows, and the always present flashlight. It was our fort for taking me away on adventures aboard pirate ships, into ancient ruins, and climbing up magic treehouses.
I loved the escape it gave me. It allowed me the ability to use my imagination to determine what that place would be like, who would be with me, and how I got there. I was a full participant in every adventure my mom read to me about. There were no barriers in my imagination. It was always a sad time when my mom had to stop reading because she had to make dinner, or my baby sister, Grace, had woken up from her nap.
As I got older, my adventures took a different shape. I no longer wanted to be the captain of a pirate ship, but instead an astronaut, a baseball player, or a firefighter. I still imagined no barriers around me, even though my body fought with me every day to do what it wanted to do rather than what my brain wanted it to do. I truly believed that I could be anything I wanted IF I worked hard enough at it and gave it my all.
If I could imagine it, why couldn’t I do it?
I guess this mentality is partially responsible for the starting of JohnnysPass. To say that the accessibility of a venue is something that is a barrier for someone with a disability or motor-challenge is something that should never happen to anyone ever in society. When I first thought of JohnnysPass, there was nothing ever like it out there and I knew this had to change. I wanted to show the world that it belonged to everyone, not just those who had two able-bodied legs. JohnnysPass was a solution to that problem.
One of my favorite books was by Dr. Seuss. It was titled, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go”. I hope JohnnysPass is your pass to set you off on your own adventures and I hope it gives you peace of mind knowing that there will be no barriers to the places that you can go!
Taking On Life One Step at a Time,
Johnny