By Chloe Wayt, PRC-Saltillo Blogger
I was getting into Minneapolis, Minnesota for my first week at work as an ambassador for the Saltillo Company. When I was born I got the umbilical cord wrapped around my neck. Flash forward about three years later, I was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. Skip about another decade, I am asked to be an ambassador for the Saltillo Company, an augmentative and alternative communication device company.
“But I don't want to move to Minnesota!” “I can barely use my Nova Chat!”“I don't want to be trapped in a cage because I am different!”“How am I supposed to speak in front of millions of people if my own parents won't even listen to me?!”
These were all the excuses I gave my parents.
“We're not moving to Minnesota.” “You can use your Nova Chat very well, you just don't like to use it.” “Other kids are trapped in cages because their parents don't know how to help them, and you could get them out of their cage by showing them a way to communicate.”
“Chloe go to your room for being sassy!”
This is how my parents responded to my lame excuses.
About a month later, I had just gotten over the stomach flu that almost hindered my trip, I got better in time and was on my way to Denver to fly out to Minnesota. Mom was driving our golden handicapped accessible van. (Frankly something that they really need in Minneapolis). We stopped somewhere in Vail to admire the beautiful colors of the fall leaves.
Then we got back on the road to go to Denver International Airport. We use the Denver International Airport instead of the Grand Junction Airport because two years prior they broke my wheelchair on the way to Disneyland. I got lectured about staying close to Mom because the airport is so big. “You're staying close to me because this airport is huge and caustic.” She explained. In a few hours of security we were on our way to Minneapolis, Minnesota! The plane ride to Minneapolis was about four our six hours. That gave me a couple of hours to relax on my iPad before I started working. When we got to Minneapolis we took a ride on a Supershuttle accessible van (Something that would be denied to us in the future.) to a resort called Mystic Lake.
Mystic Lake had a little food court, huge casino, a sky bridge to a convention center that the conference was held, a theater, accessible rooms that was big for my chair, a pool, a golf course, a walk in shower in the accessible rooms, a flat screen television, a beautiful mini castle, little lakes in the golf course, go carts to rent to go around the golf course, and shuttles. It was so cool!
The conference was held in the convention center that the sky bridge was connected to. The conference was called Closing the Gap 2018. Closing the Gap 2018 was a conference of accessible technology for people with disabilities. I was working at the Saltillo Company’s booth. There were lots more booths for accessible technology. There was a PRC booth. PRC is Salito's sister company. There was an Apple, Google, Microsoft, and lots of other technology companies booths. I will meet some other augmentative and alternative communication device users at the PRC booth.
I met a college girl named Lindya that used an augmentative and alternative communication device. I also met an adult named Krista that also used an augmentative and alternative communication device. Lindya and Krista were ambassadors for PRC. Krista was in her twenties and had a little boy. Lindya was studying to become a speech pathologist at The University of Wisconsin.
In the exhibit hall of Closing the Gap 2018, there were lots of information about helpful technologies for people with disabilities. I already told you a little about the Saltillo Company's booth but I will tell you more. The booth was ran by me, a lady named Michele, who was my boss, and another lady named Gene who helped us run the booth. The booth had a small flat screen television that was playing a promotional video for the Saltillo Company. Visitors could play a game called Plinko. You could play Plinko by dropping a purple token through a board of pegs and seeing where the purple token landed. You could win a phone case, a pen, a USB port, and a low-tech board which was a picture with buttons from the Touchchat program. We had to be careful with giving out the USB ports because they were expensive. We had models of different devices that Saltillo made. One of them was a model of my NOVA Chat. One of the devices had cool universal controls on it. Universal controls are the ability to control utilities with your computer.
Another booth I liked was a booth off sensory switches. The booth had switches that read books to you. And the switches were cute little sensory toys. One switch was a random color card picker to play Candyland. I would go to the booth and play with all the switches when the exhibit hall wasn't busy. One time I accidentally ran into the booth. The guy running the booth didn't seemed to care when I apologized to him, luckily.
I tried to go to the Mall of America that Wednesday morning. Notice I said tried. Okay, here's how the scenario went. So, me and Mom show up to the bus stop twenty minutes early. Twenty minutes later the van showed up. The bus driver lets everybody except us. “Um, you need to let the ramp down in order for her to get on.” Mom reminded him. “You need to make a forty eight hour reservation in advance for the ramp,” He told us. What! I thought. We're leaving in forty eight hours! “It says nothing about a forty eight hour reservation on your website.” Mom told him. “I'm sorry but I can't let you on,” He told us as he drove away.
Mom and I were frustrated that we didn't get to go to the Mall of America. So, we talked to the casino manager at the front desk. “He told us that we need to make a forty eight hour reservation. But it says nothing about a forty eight hour reservation on the website and we're leaving in forty eight hours.” Mom explained to the casino manager, Tim at the front desk. “I think he was just being lazy.” Tim concluded. “I want to go to the mall.” I chimed in. “Don't worry, Sweetie. I'll make sure that you get to go to the mall,” Tim reassured me. “Thank you so much.” I told him. “You're welcome, Sweetie.” He replied.
So instead of going to the Mall of America that night, we ate out with Michelle and another girl from the conference that used an augmentative and alternative communication too, Sydney and her mom. I think Sydney had Cerebral Palsy like me because she used a wheelchair and an augmentative and alternative communication device. But, I know other conditions force people to use wheelchairs along with augmentative and alternative communication devices beside Cerebral Palsy. But, Cerebral Palsy is the most common. Sydney was a young adult or in her late teens. She had blonde hair, bais skin, and big curious blue eyes.
“I want to go the Mall of America.” Sydney told us. “I just tried to go to the mall and the driver wouldn't let the ramp down to let me on.” I warned her. “Racist Jerk.” I mumbled angrily. Michelle snickered.
Later that evening me and Mom facetimed Dad. “I'm proud of you, sweetheart. I think that was one moment where you could had gotten really upset and throw a fit but you didn't.”
Part Two will be posted next week.
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Communicators In Action - aac, conference, closing the gap, mall of america, accessibility, communication