Our Story
Sometimes you have to let go of the picture of what you thought life would be like and
learn to find joy in the story you are actually living. (Rachael Marie Martin)
The story of It’s About Mobility starts with my story.
My name is Audrey. In the beginning of 2014 I was walking on my own. I was working. I was carrying my laundry up from the basement and my groceries from the car into the house.
And then I wasn’t.
By the end of 2014 I was no longer walking on my own. I was using a walker . . . and sometimes even a wheelchair. Until that point --- even though obviously I had seen, and even assisted, people using walkers and wheelchairs --- I had no real understanding of what limited mobility really was and what it would mean to me. Nor did I have any real insight into the world of disabilities.
And then I did.
Talk about baptism by fire! Wow.
In the beginning even I didn’t realize that limited mobility was a legitimate disability. At that time most of my energy was spent trying to understand and come to grips --- mentally, emotionally, physically, fiscally, and spiritually --- with my new reality.
The deeper I got into it the more I realized that I could not possibly be the only one.
I am not the only one.
There are tons of people with limited mobility and we are largely being overlooked by both the
able-bodied and the disability communities.
Our disability is not invisible, but yet we are falling through the cracks.
When I realized that I had two reactions. The first was surprise and the second was anger.
I have always rooted for and fought for the underdog. And now I was the underdog.
I knew that something had to be done, but what? It was all still so new to me.
I was frustrated, angry and confused. I wanted people to understand me and my situation. I knew that they couldn’t understand fully, but I wanted them to at least try. I wanted them to think about concepts like accommodation and inclusion. I wanted them to understand that I, and people like me had the
right to participate as fully as possible in all aspects of life.
I knew that understanding had to start with awareness and that came from education. And I hoped that would be followed up by advocacy and support. So, with some encouragement from friends I set about creating a non-profit organization and vowing to do whatever else I needed to do to try to
enhance the quality of life of people like me who were living with limited mobility.
It's About Mobility is a 501(c)(3) organization that was incorporated by the State of Ohio in 2019
as a Domestic Nonprofit Corporation.
Even now, eight years later, I still consider myself to be relatively new to this. I am constantly learning. I recognize that the audience may be small but that doesn’t mean that it should be ignored.
We shouldn’t be ignored.
I am passionate about being better, doing better, and thriving in spite of
the challenges of living with limited mobility.