TAMPA, Fla. — People with disabilities are the biggest and most numerous minority group on the market, so this July, in honor of Disability Pride Month, Visit Tampa Bay put collectively a staff of influencers from throughout the disabled community to boost consciousness for all they’ll do.
Chelsea Bear and Emily Rowley have been born with their disabilities. Bear lives with cerebral palsy, and Rowley has two underdeveloped arms. It’s the one life they’ve ever identified and they’re proud of it.
“So I always had people staring at me, and I always kind of greeted them with a smile,” stated Bear.
“Even at a young age, I never thought I was different than anyone else,” stated Rowley.
Over the course of the month, they’ve been touring throughout the Tampa Bay space. Every cease this dynamic duo makes is an opportunity to teach and amaze. Most not too long ago, they visited the J.C. Newman Cigar Company.
“We really wanted to highlight locations like this that are accessible and are easy to navigate for individuals who might have a disability,” stated Santiago Corrada, President of Visit Tampa Bay.
This is the primary yr Visit Tampa Bay has joined the Disability Pride Month marketing campaign. They say it embodies all the pieces they stand for.
“Diversity, Equity and inclusion include all people, and so this is a population we really wanted to highlight,” stated Corrada. “I used to say do the right thing, but it’s do the only thing, and that’s to be accommodating and accessible to all people.”
Rowley was not shy about giving cigar rolling a strive. What she lacks within the higher physique, she makes up for in her toes.
“It’s really important to me because a lot of people assume just because you have a disability means they can’t do something, but in reality, they can do it; it just might take a little bit of accommodating or assistance in order to do it,” stated Rowley.
One of the most important objectives of these discipline journeys is to be an instance for all companies and sights.
“If we can make a 112-year-old historic cigar factory accessible and welcoming to everyone, so can every other business,” stated Drew Newman.
Chelsea stated simply give her community an opportunity to take part, and they’ll take care of the remainder.
“I say it every day, people with disabilities are regular people we just need to adapt a little bit,” stated Bear.
For extra information on the Disability Pride Month marketing campaign, go to visittampabay.com.
For extra information on cigar rolling courses open to the general public, go to jcnewman.com.