08/24/2023
I had my last appearance as Ms. Wheelchair NH USA at Women Impact Tech in Boston, MA, a one-day technical conference packed with workshops, talks, and networking opportunities! The crown drew some attention, so I got to talk about my title, the Ms. Wheelchair USA organization, and my platform, accessibility of healthcare and medical devices!
I met many amazing people, but I’ll highlight two of them: Lisie Lilianfeld, product manager and accessibility expert at Google, and Matt Malvese, market manager at Wellington Management. Lisie and I talked about the importance of product accessibility, especially nonvisual accessibility, while Matt and I talked about the importance of DEBI and accessibility in the workplace. Meeting Matt felt very personal, as someone he loves has the same disability I do. I also bumped into a former colleague, mentor, and disability advocate, Meredith Koch. Meredith has been really important in my journey to accept my disability and embrace my choice to use a wheelchair that was right for me and she has supported me on my own advocacy journey.
