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An Edmonton woman who uses a wheelchair says she is overjoyed to be heading to Los Angeles again for a women’s disability empowerment event after two years of pandemic restrictions.
Sasha MacDonald, born with cerebral palsy, has been attending the event since its first gathering in 2017. The event is put on by Chelsie Hill, founder of the Rollettes dance team that features women in wheelchairs.
MacDonald, 23, said it’s an experience full of meeting others with disabilities, taking dance classes from choreographers, listening to panels, a pyjama party and more.
“It’s about being able to really have that community, even if it’s just for five days, and to be able to have lasting friendships that come out of that,” she said.
“That’s why I kept going back because I finally found community and like-minded people. That’s why I continue to go back every year.”
MacDonald was born in Edmonton, raised in Fort McMurray and is currently in the process of making the capital city her home once again. Growing up, it wasn’t always easy to find that community feeling, she said.
“As a disabled person living in both Fort McMurray and Edmonton, it can be isolating because it’s far from all of the activities and things,” said MacDonald.
“It’s very important to find community as disabled people because if we’re in isolated communities, like where I grew up, you can feel very lonely and no one deserves to feel lonely.”
MacDonald said she has met women from across the world due to the event and has even become friends with other Canadians.
“For me, I have met girls from when I started going in 2017 and still have those connections in some way, shape or form. We always keep in contact with one another,” she said.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, MacDonald attended the event virtually the last two years and is excited to land in Los Angeles and attend in person from July 21-24.
“I am so thrilled to see my friends and to just catch up with everyone and feel the nostalgia that I feel when I go to that event,” said MacDonald.
“Pure happiness and joy of not only being able to connect with people that I haven’t connected with in a long time, but also to see all the new people get to find that joy and that connection, too.”
Hill said in 2017, she hosted 30 girls from three countries. That expanded to 115 women and children from 12 countries in 2018 and now in 2022, about 250 women and children from around the world will gather for the event.
“Each year I’m reminded why it’s important and it’s because of the attendees,” said Hill.
“I remember in 2018, after I taught 100 women in wheelchairs for the first time, this girl Sasha came up to me crying, thanking me for putting the event on and starting it because she finally found friends after being disabled her entire life. It’s moments like that that keep me going.”
Source: EdmontonJournal
