19 6 / 2014
Adapted Wheels for Emily | Emily Ladau's Fundraiser on CrowdRise
I was born with a rare genetic physical disability called Larsen syndrome, and I’ve dedicated my life to advocating for the rights of the disabled.
Currently, I work from home, but my goal is to conquer independence so that I can continue to pursue my passion for advocacy. I recently got my driver’s license, but I don’t have an adapted vehicle that I can drive. Since my mother and I have the same disability, our medical expenses are often much higher than average.
Initially, I entered a contest hosted by the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association to win an adapted van and offset the expense. With nearly 13,000 votes, I made the semi-finals, but I was not chosen as a winner. However, I still dream of pursuing independence, and a vehicle is the best way for this to be a reality. Several people who voted suggested turning to crowd funding, because raising money would be a huge financial relief for my family and would provide me the opportunity to achieve my dream of living independently with a disability.
Driving will allow me to move forward in my career. I began advocacy work at the age of 10, when I appeared on several episodes of Sesame Street to educate children about living with a disability. In 2013, I graduated summa cum laude with a B.A. in English from Adelphi University, and since graduating, I’ve been both employed and volunteering with multiple organizations. My work is focused on fostering opportunities and developing resources for the disability community, as well as encouraging people with all types of disabilities to develop their inner voice for advocacy.
Any donation, no matter how big or small, will mean the world to me and to my family, and will ultimately help bring amazing, positive change to my life. Thank you.
14 4 / 2014
A Secret Weapon for Transfer Troubles
“My family has a vehicle adapted so I can get inside, but sometimes I just want to take a drive with my friends. Since it took me longer to get my driver’s license than most of my peers and I’m still working on getting a vehicle with the equipment I need to drive, my current options for transportation when going out are either to be driven by my father or to be picked up by a friend. While I’m thankful that my friends are always up for letting me hitch a ride, transferring to the passenger seat used to be a two person acrobatic performance.” [read more]
18 3 / 2014
Vote for Emily Ladau - West Babylon, NY in the 2014 National Mobility Awareness Month Local Hero contest!
Hello everyone! One of my best friends is in a contest to win an adaptable van. You can vote everyday and if you answer a trivia question, you get two votes! It’s really easy and you can just go right through Facebook to vote and then it’s just a click!
Why devote precious seconds of your day to this, you ask? Well if it’s not just for Emily (even though she’s awesome), I will post photos of my adorable miniature huskies (and sometimes their cousin who is still only a puppy!) every day during the voting and everyone who votes (like or reblog if you’ve voted that day! Or you can message me too!) will get an extra puppy photo in their inbox!
Don’t I have awesome friends? How can you pass this up?!
17 3 / 2014
Vote for Emily Ladau - West Babylon, NY in the 2014 National Mobility Awareness Month Local Hero contest!
After quite the adventure, I’ve finally reached my goal of getting my driver’s license! But, I have no wheelchair accessible vehicle to drive. The total cost of one could be around $70,000! So, I’ve entered a “Local Heroes” contest to win one sponsored by the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association.
Having an adapted vehicle will help me achieve things so many people without disabilities take for granted (like a simple drive to the grocery store).
I’d like to ask for your help in voting each day until May 9th, and in sharing this with colleagues, friends, family, and anyone else who you think might be willing to lend a hand. It would mean the world to me.
Voting can be done once per day, either by signing up via e-mail or social media. If you sign up via e-mail, the password may go to your spam folder, so be sure to check there. I recommend voting via Facebook. Also, if you answer the trivia question correctly by clicking “Get Extra Vote” before voting, your vote will count twice. I need to make it to the top 10%, and if I do, I have a chance to be selected as one of the winners based on merit!
Thank you SO much, everyone! :)