BALTIMORE — "Your disability does not define who you are as a woman."
That's the motto of Janice Jackson, the creator of Women Embracing Abilities Now, or W.E.A.N., a support group for women with disabilities.
It's a motto she's lived every day, ever since she was hit by a car at the age of 24, leaving her in a wheelchair.
"One minute, a woman, successful living my life and the next minute, a woman with a disability," she said. "I didn’t have any other women I could talk to. I didn’t have any mentors or someone I could go to to help me navigate this new life."
It inspired her to create that group of mentors, a sisterhood, where they could lean on each other, learn how to advocate for themselves and, Jackson said, deal with the negativity and stereotypes that can come with having a disability.
"That’s why its so important for women with disabilities to see other women who are successful, who have gone on with their lives, who’ve achieved their goals, who’ve done everything they would have done if they didn’t have a disability," Jackson said.
Danielle Gregg joined the group as a mentor. She's been in and out of a wheelchair since she was a child.
"My greatest love of [mentoring] is actually being able to go into the places and meet people where they are," she said. "Having someone who understands what you’re going through makes the greatest difference in the world."
Keyonna Hayes said W.E.A.N. gave her a new purpose after an injury left her in a wheelchair. She went from a mentee to a mentor and recently got married, with her W.E.A.N. sisters by her side.
"I felt like I found my home, my tribe," she said. "We’ve all survived something but I’m more interested in how are you thriving in life."
Jackson said W.E.A.N. held many in-person events pre-COVID, from tea parties to wreath making to a popular event called Queen for a Day. Today, they do mostly virtual discussions and group events but Jackson said they're committed to being available to all the women they serve and welcoming new members.
"Its so important for them to know we’re here. We are in the community, we’re ready for them, we’re waiting for them, And it changes lives. It definitely changes lives."
To learn more about how to become a member of W.E.A.N. or become a volunteer, click here.
