During my early years, I didn’t know that I had a form of muscular dystrophy called Rigid Spine Syndrome. I attributed my weak muscles and thin build to having a fast metabolism. In July 1996, my disease had progressed to where I started using a wheelchair and breathing on a ventilator. Needing 24/7 care, I started living with my parents. Thus began, what I call, my second life. Knowing that being outdoors and connecting with nature would benefit my health, I started visiting parks and trails in the San Francisco Bay Area. At that time, there wasn’t much information on what parks or trails were wheelchair accessible. So, in 2010 I created the Adventures from a Wheelchair blog. Here I posted reviews and videos of all the places I had visited in hopes that others would find these posts helpful. In 2015, I became an ADA volunteer for Santa Clara County Parks. I worked with them to provide improved access to their parks and accessible trails. I also posted accessibility information and reviews of their parks on their website. In early 2020, I partnered with the Santa Clara Valley Open Space Authority. Besides offering my advice on accessible trails and such, I produced a couple of Powerpoint presentations for them. One was about my favorite trails and parks in the Bay Area, and the other was about the health benefits of nature and how it has helped me. As a disability advocate, I look forward to continuing my work with SCC Parks, Santa Clara Valley OSA, and other recreation agencies.
