City of Davis Proclamation

City of Davis Mayor Sue Greenwald reading my proclamation at the City Council meeting. To read the proclamation online, please visit: http://www.city.davis.ca.us/meetings/councilpackets/20080624/01_PROC-Ms_Wheelchair_CA.pdf

June 1st - 9th, Rural Education and Action Development

After distributing wheelchairs in Ongole, I extended my time in India with a non-governmental organiztion called READ. They recently built a Disability Center to provide services and aid to people with disabilities in Andimadam, India. Some of the sponsor children in READ were HIV positive and orphans. Again, I saw many cases of young people with disabilities with polio and leprosies. During my visit, I got a chance to play with the children, to distribute school supplies, and to encourag them. You can find out more about the organization by visiting http://www.sahaya.org/read/read.html.

May 21st-June 1st, Wheels for the World India

I went with Joni and Friends Wheels for the World to Ongole, India to distribute 200 wheelchairs to people with disabilities. Many recipients came to the distribution site either being carried by their parents or crawling to the site. Having a disability in India is seen as a curse so people with disabilities must accept their sin and not ask for any rights in society. Women with disabilities are treated worse than men with disabilities. For example, on the last day of distribution, local organizers were afraid that the wheelchairs were running out. There was still a long line of recipients waiting. The women who were already in front of the line were then forced by the local organizers to go to the back of the line. Women with disabilities were viewed as third-class citizens. Moreover, these women did not speak up or advocated for themselves. After learning about this, our team spoke to the local organizers and educated them that women with disabilities should not be discriminated. The local organizers then put the women with disabilites back in front of the line. As an Asian woman with disability, I understand some of the challenges women with disabilities face daily. It is common for us to have low self-esteem because society has told us that we are valuable human beings. But this is not true, we have the skills and knowledge to accomplish many things in life. We need to believe in our abilities. Therefore, I want encourage all women with disabilites to speak up for yourselves and one another. If not, the consequence of injustice and discrimination will continue to permeate in our society.

Once the recipients received their wheelchairs, I was able to train them on how to use the wheelchairs safely. For many of them, it was their first day of independence. To learn more about Joni and Friends WFTW, please visit: http://www.joniandfriends.org/

May 15th, Sacramento River Cats Game

After speaking at the Capitol, my husband and I went to watch the River Cats play against the Salt Lake Bees with the kids and teens from Access Leisure. Although the Bees won, it was fun cheering for our home team with fun conversations, ice cream, and hot dogs!

May 15th, Capitol Action Day

California State Senator Michael Machado

Assemblymember Lois Wolk

Camisha Grandberry, 1st Runner Up MWC 2008, Mrs. Jesse Unruh, and Ruthee Goldkorn, Executive Director of MWC.



Speaking at the Capitol

May 9-11th, Whole Earth Festival

The Whole Earth Festival, celebrated each year in Davis CA, is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the earth that we live on. In keeping with the festival's "green" theme, I was able to share how Joni and Friends recycles unused wheelchairs and takes them to the developing world where they are much needed. We met many new friends and encountered a good deal of support. Thanks again to everyone for stopping by!

April 24-25th, Disability Rights in Asia Conference

Top left: Judy Huemann, Director of the Department on Disability Services.

Top right: John Lancaster, Executive Director, National Council on Independent Living.


Bottom second left: Hon. Richard Thornburgh, Of Counsel, K & L Gates, former Attorney General of the United States.

Bottom second right: Akiko Ito, Chief of the UN Programme on Disability for the Division of Social Policy and Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Saowalak Thongkuay, Regional Development Officer for Disabled Persons International in Thailand.

Bottom third left: Venus Llagan, former Chairperson of Disabled Persons International in the Philippines.

Two weeks ago, I attended a conference on disability human rights law in Asia at the University of Washington School of Law in Seattle. I learned how the legal framework of the new UN Convention on Disability Rights is applicable in the United States. To learn more about this new Convention, please visit http://www.un.org/disabilities/.

April 27th, Access Leisure VIP Game

I had a great time awarding medals to VIP athletes at Cal State Sacramento Hornet Stadium.

May 10th, California for Disability Rights Chapter #14

CDR chapter #14 meeting to organize the Sunshine Rally at the Capitol steps.

April 23rd, Sacramento State University

This week is Disability Awareness Week at Sac State University. The theme this year is "Recreation without Barriers." I was fortunate to meet with considerable interest in disability rights and advocacy amongst the crowd.






I was able to share in an interview with a school newspaper about the advocacy work Ms. Wheelchair California does in the state.















Paralympic silver-medal hand-cycle champion Alejandro Albor.