International Women’s Day 2022

This year, I’m pleased to announce that the theme for our 2022 Annual Women’s Tea is Humility, Heart, and Health.

We chose this theme because, quite simply, you can’t talk about health issues without talking about how they can be humbling and how they impact our feelings and our hearts.

When looking back through history, we’re reminded of women like Harriet Tubman. Because she was enslaved, she wasn’t provided medical treatment when she suffered a traumatic brain injury and it impacted her for the rest of her life. Today, there are still health disparities, especially for women of color. We as a community need to continue to bring this issue to the forefront, but we also need to come together and discuss the progress that has been made so we all can take a more proactive approach to our health management.

One example of the progress that has been made regards breast care. Historically, many women with disabilities have avoided getting regular mammograms because the machines are not wheelchair-accessible. I’m proud to say that, at age 44, I will be getting my first mammogram at a wheelchair-accessible facility. As we make sure more doctors and other health care providers listen to what our needs and concerns really are, we’ll feel more comfortable developing a rapport with them so we feel heard and respected. Getting more women with disabilities to speak together and speak up will result in better health care delivery and a stronger sense of our own health management.

This year is the tenth anniversary of the Annual Women’s Tea. This event is so important because it’s an opportunity for fellow women with disabilities to come together as peers to bond in the understanding of shared experiences. It’s a time to link up with friends, share health care resources and health management tips, recommendations, and just experiences in general. Sometimes it’s just good to share, because you never know who can help! It’s even more important to come together as women because we don’t do it enough.

At our Annual Women’s Tea, everyone has a story and everyone’s opinion counts. Sometimes, when we go through health issues we can feel alone. This is a time when we can get together and say, “sister, you are not alone!”