My Platform
From the day that I was born, God had my platform
picked out for me. He gave me something special that I could use to impact
those around me in an incredible way. He gave me a disability. I was born with
Congenital Talipes Equinovarus, commonly called the Clubfoot. I had two
surgeries, an 8cm screw, braces, and tons of therapy to correct it. I struggled
for years with my disability and learning to accept myself was extremely
difficult. In sixth grade, I distinctly remember feeling bullied, unaccepted,
and unworthy because of who I was. When I was 12, I decided that enough was
enough. I was tired of being treated unfairly because of my disability and I
recognized that this is not a problem that solely affects me. It affects 1
billion people. 15% of the world’s population has some sort of disability.
These facts were astonishing, and I realized that I could make a difference.
From here, I created my platform. “Disability
Awareness: Redefining Disability, Transforming Minds” is an education and
awareness platform that focuses on educating those who are unaffected by
disability. I educate by speaking to groups and classrooms and creating online
videos about disability awareness. I have had the opportunity to speak to
thousands of people in my community, state, and nation about disability
awareness with hopes to redefine the word disability and transform the minds of
those unaffected by it.
Every other week I make disability awareness
videos entitled “This Ability, Not Disability” where I pick a certain
disability or type of disability and state the facts about it and how to
communicate respectfully to somebody who has it. Lately, I have been making my
videos more ‘interview’ style. I have had the opportunity to sit 1-on-1 with
people who have such extreme and uplifting stories of adversity. From this, I
have been given the tools to properly educate people on different types of
disabilities.
One of my most recent interviews was with a
complete stranger. I’m involved in competitive speech and at one of my meets I
was sitting in a round and listening. A girl named Elise got up and started to
give her speech and I was immediately inspired. Elise has Crohn’s Disease and
wrote a speech all about what it was and what it was like to have Crohn’s. I
admired her bravery and vulnerability to speak about her own diagnosis so, I
approached her after her speech to learn more about her and her story. Lucky
for me, when I told her I did disability awareness videos, she was totally
willing to share her story even more with my audience. It made a great video
and even better, she makes a great friend.
I have been lucky enough to speak to many groups
in the Jamestown area and have goals of spreading my message across the state.
Although social media creates a huge impact on a wide group of people, sharing
my personal story in person never gets old. I love to show people that you can
do whatever you want to do, no matter your abilities. Being that representative
for people who literally do not have a voice is such an honor. As Miss Teen North
Dakota International I want to share a message of inclusion by educating and
advocating for people with disabilities. People like me.
Redefining Disability, Transforming Minds,
Miss Teen North Dakota International 2019
MacKenzie Grace Johnson
