My name is Amelia O'Hare.
I am in a powered wheelchair,
and I am sitting with my service dog Mazey.
I have blonde hair, and I am 25.
So SMA is Spinal Muscular Atrophy.
It is a progressive disease,
and I was diagnosed when I was about a year old.
I got my first power chair when I was five.
But up until then I could walk.
I was raised to just be treated very normally,
you know, I went to school every day.
I had friends. I went to the movies.
I was on the swim team most of my life.
So it didn't seem very different to me.
My passions are traveling.
My first trip out of the country was to
France and England and Spain.
When I went to college, I studied abroad in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
It was quite the experience.
I got my service dog, Mazey
about a year ago from the University of Illinois
where I went to college.
She was trained to take my jacket on and off.
She can pick up things like a pen or a pencil,
or a phone.
She can open doors.
Close things.
But I really think that the biggest thing my
service dog does for me is she
breaks down a social barrier
that a lot of people with disabilities face.
Often times people stare at my chair when I'm walking around a city or a space.
A lot of weird looks.
And with a service dog around,
it takes that kind of pressure and attention off of me,
and on to the adorable dog.
I work at the Lakeshore Foundation as an Information specialist, and Urban Planner.
So a typical day for me would be to get up,
drink my coffee of course,
and having one of my parents..
My dad or my mom has to drive me to work every day.
Once I get there,
I usually, you know, start working on several different projects
whether it's walkability in Birmingham or the transportation issue, or whatever.
I do require restroom breaks every day.
So that also means I need a personal assistant
or a parent to come down to help me get those breaks.
And at the end of my day a parent or Personal assistant
also has to come out to pick me up, and bring me back home.
Mobility and independence
really is something no one should have to think too much about.
You should be able to go outside, hop on a bus,
a tram, whatever and go down to that coffee shop, and catch up with a friend.
So as a person who is very active, social.
I often run into barriers
to get out the front door
so in my own community in Birmingham
we don't have public transportation or complete streets
meaning there is really no way to walk around or
go downtown without having a car.
And I personally don't drive so that makes me
completely dependent on a friend to help me move about my city.
So as an urban planner, this is one of my biggest goals.
Is to change the physical landscape to make it more
inviting, inclusive, and welcoming.
I would say to other people with disabilities,
that there really isn't anything limiting you
except to your own imagination.
Which I know sounds kind of cheesy, but is true, honestly.
If there is something you want to do there is a way to make it happen.
I've flown all over the world.
I've gone to college independently.
I have a great job. I have great friends.
There is no reason that you should be treated differently.