Empowering Lives Through Dance: ReinventAbility is Breaking Barriers

Empowering Lives Through Dance: ReinventAbility is Breaking Barriers

“When life takes so much away, you reinvent yourself,” said Ladonna Freidheim, founder of ReinventAbility.

Imagine a young ballerina, just beginning her career, hair pulled back into a neat and tidy bun, immersed in the vibrant arts community of Chicago. Ladonna Freidheim’s world revolved around dance, a passion that permeated every aspect of her being, until a degenerative disability ripped ballet away.

She found herself recovering at the UIUC Rehabilitation Center with wheelchair athletes. They taught her wheelchair basketball, and she taught them to dance in their chairs. As they rolled around campus, strangers could often be overheard muttering, “If that ever happened to me, I’d kill myself.” While at UIUC Rehab, a former football player who became quadriplegic in a car accident, did just that. This tragic loss fueled Freidheim’s determination to make a difference.

Opportunities to participate fully in the world around us are too often denied to people with disabilities. Despite the Americans with Disabilities Act having been enacted over 30 years ago, the exclusion of people with disabilities persists on a massive scale.

ReinventAbility is a transformative initiative that empowers people with disabilities while dispelling the negative perceptions that limit opportunities.

“I feel proud. I never felt that.” — Denzel, ReinventAbility student

Ten years ago, ReinventAbility marked its beginning with a Disability Dance Party and the launch of weekly classes catering to teens with significant physical disabilities. Through skill training, creative problem-solving, and confidence-building activities, participants discover possibilities.

“You taught me that it’s okay. My disability limits me sometimes, but it’s okay. No matter what, I will be okay.” — Anna, ReinventAbility intern

Over the years, ReinventAbility has grown exponentially, touching the lives of thousands of people with various forms of disability from all walks of life, including veterans, public school students, young children, and their families.

“My life is better because of this program.” — Jim, a wounded veteran and ReinventAbility participant

ReinventAbility stands at the forefront, challenging preconceptions and advocating for universal access and inclusivity. With every barrier that we dismantle, we progress towards a world where people disabled by those barriers can have equal opportunities to go to work and enjoy life.

“Living with a disability can be like a storm cloud constantly shifting the pressure of the air around you, shooting random jolts of searing pain, and occasionally enveloping your soul. So we learn to dance in the rain, grateful for the sunshine that still breaks through and brings with it joy. That storm cloud gains strength every time people fail to be accessible and inclusive. Be the sunshine.” —Ladonna Freidheim

PLEASE CONSIDER:

• Enabling CAPTIONS for all meetings and in videos;

• Completely CLEARING SIDEWALKS and curb cuts of snow and debris;

• Selecting only ACCESSIBLE venues;

• DONATING to ReinventAbility reinventability.com

And remember, along with the difficulties and the pain, in a life lived with disability there can be purpose and there can be joy. Thank You!