AUTUMN KINKADE: It’s important to include us, people with challenges or disabilities, whether it be acting,
whether in modelling. There needs to be a change because you don’t know what we can do.
AUTUMN KINKADE: I have this awesome condition called cerebral palsy, its, it effects like, parts of your brain
and your legs. Welcome to my room peoples. I love peoples.
DAWN BUCKNER: Someone with cerebral palsy, it takes five times the energy to do the same thing that you and I
could do and so when people don’t understand the disability you know, they think that the person is being
lazy or they just don’t want to try to do it, not understanding that the heat takes it out of them,
the cold takes it out of them you know, walking through the store takes it out of them.
AUTUMN KINKADE: The biggest challenge for me dealing with cerebral palsy would probably be having
people finish your sentences whenever you’re having trouble like, whenever you’re stuttering and then it drives
me bouzouki’s like, it’s like, that’s just like one of my pet peeves that like, I can’t stand.
AUTUMN KINKADE: Here I am, makeup on and ready to rock.
AUTUMN KINKADE: I remember feeling differently in school just because I had to like, be in special education,
having an aid at school, it really, that really made me feel different because like, you know, like, who wants to have
an aid follow you around all day, especially when you get into like, high school. It really stinks you know, it's kind of
like, having your mom there, falling around every single step you take, yeah anyway, yeah.
AUTUMN KINKADE: I first started modelling in the March of 2017.
DAWN BUCKNER: And since then she’s also been doing motivational speaking, speaking at churches,
speaking at schools, so it’s just kind of widened her, widened her personality.
AUTUMN KINKADE: Whenever I’m on the runway and I’m walking out, I’m doing what other girls are doing and so
for someone that has a walker and they’re out on the runway, it just gives you a whole new perspective like,
just free.
AUTUMN KINKADE: Today we are doing photoshoots for magazines.
AUTUMN KINKADE: Modelling has made cerebral palsy, it’s made it more adventurous and really just, really fun.
AUTUMN KINKADE: I’m trying to do it like sassy.
AUTUMN KINKADE: I love to like, show others that you know, just because you have something doesn't mean
you can let that stop you.
AUTUMN KINKADE: Like yellow is one of my favourite colours because it’s as bright as the sun.
DAWN BUCKNER: I continue to let her do this because she said she feels so free when she’s on the runway.
Are my hands cold?
AUTUMN KINKADE: Yes!
DAWN BUCKNER: The doctors didn't expect her to live. She was a pound and 12 ounces and she had a twin
brother that didn’t survive, and they said, yeah that she probably wouldn't even live so never thought that for
sure
DAWN BUCKNER: Ok, stand up for one more time.
DAWN BUCKNER: And then she was homebound for nine months due to risk of infection and RSV.
DAWN BUCKNER: You know during school you know, she couldn't do basketball, she couldn't do you know, track
and so, she was kind of just left at the side of things, and so this is something she could do on her own that I
wanted to be up there you know, holding her hand along the way.
DAWN BUCKNER: Sometimes you know, they may just want to you know, use the same room for every shoot
and you know, I try to let them know you know, with my help we can get her you know, up the stairs, down the
stairs, outside to the beach you know, to wherever. I think the best part is afterwards when, when people
come up you know, to her and they’re you know, they’re grateful that she is there, they’re happy that she’s there,
they’re inspired that she’s there.
DAWN BUCKNER: I like that she does it just because it lets other people that may have a disability see that you
don’t have to be the perfect size ten, you don’t have to be six feet tall, you don’t have to be a size zero and the
fashion world is starting to get more, more inclusive. It’s been a real slow process but they’re getting more
inclusive with including people that, that aren’t the typical model that you’re used to.
DAWN BUCKNER: She has had people say, ‘Well she can’t do modelling, she’s not tall enough’, you know she’s
done lifestyle shoots in New Mexico you know, in an extra for a movie, photo shoots across the US and
they’re like, “She can’t be a model”, now sure she is one. Three billboards in Times Square and one in Hollywood,
she’s not afraid, pretty much do anything.
AUTUMN KINKADE: My motto in life, and that I live by is making a difference one ability at a time even, even doing
the dishes, so like, happy when I do the dishes because I want to like, show others that you know, just because you
may have cerebral palsy, or you may have, whatever the case may be, that you can still do the dishes, you can still
put on your makeup and look decent you know and say like, ‘She was able to do this so I can do anything too’.