About Me

Although diagnosed with two types of arthritis at age 39 (rheumatoid and degenerative joint disease), I live independently. I use a manual wheelchair for going distances (a walker makes me three times slower), but I still drive and have a car equipped with a rooftop wheelchair carrier (a chair topper. I work two jobs. One as a reporter/editor for the county seat newspaper. I work in the office two days a week and do field work. During the rest of the week, I work at a sheltered workshop (my mobility problems qualified me for the position). I also am a cast member of the DisAbility Project, a group of able bodied and disabled performers based out of St. Louis. We are advocates for disability issues and perform for school groups, businesses, organizations, etc.