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By Mayra Puma
Chicago ADAPT
Mayra Puma
My name is Mayra Puma. I’m from Ecuador, born and rise in Chicago. My parents are from Ecuador, I have been to Ecuador a lot of times. Ecuador isn’t accessible at all. Two years ago I joined Chicago adapt and went to my first national action in Boston after that action. I went back to Ecuador and tried to talk with the centers for people with disabilities but they closed the doors on us, I came back home I thought of counting going to national actions but money was tight and my parents wasn’t supporting me on rising money. So I wasn’t sure about going on this action so I made a gofunme page to rise money and it worked I made it to my second national action in Denver Colorado. I traveled with my new Grace and my personal assistant.
On Sunday morning at 8 in the morning I went to airport with my parents they dropped me off. Our flight was at 11:55 in the morning Chicago time to go Denver. We checked in and went to our airline, we landed in Denver at at 1:30 in the afternoon, looked for taxi. We had to take two taxis at the airport to get to the hotel because we couldn’t go together in one taxi they were little, only space for one power wheelchair so we had to paid $70.00 for each. We got to the hotel and got settled in our rooms.
On Monday was a late start we got up at 8, we had breakfast and went to the meeting. After the meeting we went to department of human services than we went to a rally saying up with attend care down with nurses homes that last it 4 hours I camp back to the hotel because I was freezing my feet . When everyone returned to the hotel there was a meeting to talk about what happened and that it was dinner time and bedtime.
On Tuesday we Colorado housing division housing to ask them for accessible affordable housing people with disabilities. We:were yelling accessible affordable integration housingwe met with the director of housing asking them to give us more state state funding to help get people with disabilities out of nursing homes.
On Wednesday, we went to Colorado do public aid. We blocked the entrance to the office to HUD and the state of Colorado.
On Thursday with a easy day we were waiting to talk to congress women to ask for affordable healthcare for people with disabilities so we could have affordable health care for all. After the action we back to hotel got really for party.
When I heard that we having a weeding I got really excited about attending the wedding got dressed up for the wedding. At the wedding we danced, talked with hang out, some people were drinking wine having a good time. I danced a few songs with friends a few songs I danced alone. Having the opportunity to go to national actions makes grow to be good color leader. I’m walking my way to be a color leader then a day leader . Becoming a leader will be big accomplishment for my parents family and for the disability community. Fighting for our rights and getting what we need to get people out of introductions and nursing homes.
I thought Denver was more accessible than Boston when it to food. There are many veracity of kids of food to eat, I attended meetings at the end of the day. I love experiencing new things in life. Going to actions opens doors in my life. There was a day where I was driving with my eyes closed .My personal assistant had to let me use her phone to hear music so I won’t go to sleep while driving my wheelchair that helped me to stay up while driving my chair.