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Jessica Ping-Wild behind the wheel of a car at 23 years old
Disability Advocacy Personal Story

Learning How To Drive As An Amputee

I grew up in a small, farming community, so driver’s education is a part of the high school curriculum. The big question on the table was whether or not I would be participating in the behind-the-wheel portion of the class and learning how to drive with the rest of my peers.

Having zero neurological or mental deficits and being proficient at Mario Kart, I didn’t fully understand why the school even bothered asking. OF COURSE I WOULD BE DRIVING! HOW SILLY!

But, I quickly understood it was much more involved than I originally thought.

Disability Advocacy

5 Ways You Can Help Improve Disability Representation in the Workplace

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was only founded in 1990, specifically says the following:

“No qualified individual with a disability shall, on the basis of disability, be subjected to discrimination in employment under any service, program, or activity conducted by a public entity”

Yet, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2019, “across all educational attainment groups, unemployment rates for persons with a disability were higher than those for persons without a disability.”

Additionally, only 19.3% of the disabled population was employed in 2019 compared with 66.3% of non-disabled people. – BLS

What does this mean for disability representation in the workplace?

It means that, regardless of whether or not companies are being actively discriminatory towards disabled job seekers, there is still a huge divide that needs to be addressed.

Travel

Why Where You Stay On Vacation Is So Important

My unprotected eyes are burning in the mid-afternoon sun. My black leggings provide the perfect disguise for the ever growing amount of swass that is pooling in my wheelchair. My mouth feels so dry, I feel like if I don’t drink water soon, I may begin to resemble the dried-up, Spongebob meme that is always making its rounds on Tumblr.

Disability Advocacy Travel

Overcoming Washington DC

At the ripe age of 10 years old, I had the privilege of traveling to Washington D.C. with my family on summer vacation. Being the bratty pre-teen that I was, for most of the trip, all I cared about was how hot it was outside. There was a specific MELTdown at the National Archives building that I’d prefer to never think about again.
Even with sweat-induced rage pulsing through my veins at almost every hour of the day, I still managed to create one intense, positive memory.