Hazel’s Best Day:
A Story of Community, Accessibility, and Pride in Being Yourself
Written by Adiba Nelson
Illustrated by DeAnn Wiley
Feiwel and Friends New York
Today is the day. Not just any day, but the day. The best day of the year:
PARADE DAY!!!
It’s the day that my city is a little bit shinier, everyone’s a little bit happier, and I get to wear my sparkliest, coolest gear to celebrate and attend the Disability Pride Parade! We celebrate our pride all month long, but today is the day when the entire neighborhood comes out to celebrate.
Macmillan
Mama wrapped my locs with different colors of yarn— green, red, yellow, white, and blue.
I also have on my lucky zebra-print socks. They’re super snug and help the bones in my legs stay in place (sometimes, if I move around too much, they can get a bit wiggly).
And, of course, we cannot forget my disco-ball leg braces! They help me stand up tall, but even better, they match my disco-ball crutches.
Macmillan
Mama and Pop-Pop even surprised me and decorated my pink power wheelchair with gold sequin wheel covers, a purple glittery knob, and colored streamers on the back— it looks A-MA-ZING!
“Do you like it Hazie-Mazie?” Pop-Pop asks me, touching his nose to mine.
“I love it! It’s perfect! EVERYONE is going to see me coming from a mile away today!”
They help me get into my chair, and then we’re all out the door.
Outside, we see our neighborhood friends and everyone smiles at me. Some give me high fives, others give me a fist bump, and they all ask us where we’re headed.
I shout, smiling from ear to ear. “TO THE DISABILITY PRIDE PARADE!”
Our neighbors Mr. and Mrs. Price are waiting at the corner so they can cross the street. The dip in the curb allows Mr. Price to roll his wheelchair right onto the sidewalk, and Mrs. Price doesn’t have to step up so far. This keeps them safe from having a fall.
“Hi, Mr. and Mrs. Price! It’s nice to see you today!”
“Oh hello, Hazel!” says Mrs. Price. “You’re pretty as a firework on the Fourth of July!”
A few blocks down we pass Malik, Mama’s favorite flower shop owner, and his guide dog, Jack. Malik is blind, and Jack is the sweetest golden retriever, but he’s working right now, so I can’t pet him.
“Hi, Malik! It’s me, Hazel. How are you today?”
But before he can answer, I hear a loud voice coming from across the street.
“10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. It is now safe to cross.”
“What was that?” I ask.
“That’s the new crossing signal the city just installed,” Malik says. “Counting out loud is helpful for blind people like me, and also helps Jack know when it’s safe to lead me across the street. And showing the numbers is helpful for people who are Deaf or hard of hearing.”
I bet it’s also useful for people crossing the street with headphones on, too!
My city sure does work hard to make sure everyone can get around safely.
The bus stops in front of us and makes a loud noise, like it’s letting air out of its tires. Then the whole thing lowers to the ground and a ramp slides out.
I pretend it’s a red carpet, and I’m a famous movie star!
I lead the way to my spot, reserved for wheelchair users, with Mama and Pop-Pop following right behind me.
“You look so pretty today, Señorita Hazel,” Mrs. Rosado says as we pass.
“Muchas gracias, Señora Rosado!” I reply.
As I turn in my wheelchair to back into my spot, I see a lady pushing a baby stroller up the bus ramp, and then a man pulling a cart full of groceries. The bus ramp is great for everybody!
The bus comes to a halt at our stop—right in front of my favorite playground. As we head down the ramp, I see my friends Kayla, André, and Faith. “Hazel! Hazel, come play with us!” they shout.
I roll my wheelchair onto the rubber floor of the playground. The smooth ground makes it possible for me to get around and have fun with my friends.
It used to be covered with sand and wood chips, and my wheelchair was always getting stuck.
Kayla and André are at the music station playing the drum tubes. I join them in front of the xylophone wall and it’s just the right height—I can reach all the keys! Faith runs her fingers through the metal wind chimes and the three of us make the sweetest music.
We also play tag! We chase each other around, up, and over the play structure. The ramps make it really easy for me to get on and off, and the flat bridge makes it safe for all of us to play together.
“Come
on, Hazel!” Mama calls to me. “We don’t want to be late!”
“Bye,
friends!” I call out as we leave the park.
As we head down the street, I begin to hear loud music, and people laughing and shouting. There are big colorful signs saying “THIS WAY TO THE DISABILITY PRIDE PARADE!” and they are in different languages. There’s even a person on the corner holding a megaphone, giving directions so no one gets lost. “Straight ahead to the Disability Pride Parade!” they say.
I look at Mama and she can tell I’m so excited!
We turn the corner and there are people everywhere . “WE MADE IT!” I yell above the music. I can barely hold in my joy! Everyone is laughing and dancing, holding signs in the air as we wait for the parade to get started. My favorite sign says “PROUD TO BE ME, I HAVE AN IEP!” because I have an IEP, too!
That’s a plan I made with my teachers to figure out what goals I want to work extrahard on throughout the year and how they can help me achieve them. Sometimes it’s getting better at math, and other times it’s learning how to move around better with my walker. I’m so happy to have people helping me do and be my very best.
Mama, Pop-Pop, and I walk the parade route. There are so many of us! Some people are using wheelchairs and walkers to get through the parade, like me. Some have hearing aids, and others are wearing big headphones over their ears so that it’s not so loud for them. Some people have service dogs that help them with everything from opening the doors of the shops along the parade route to staying calm in the crowd, and I see a few kids using tablets to help them talk to their friends and family.
There are also a lot of performers. We watch a group of dancers perform in their wheelchairs, and a singer uses sign language while she sings. It’s fantabulous to see so many people with different disabilities loving and celebrating with each other!
It’s the most perfect parade, on the most perfect afternoon.
The parade route is long, and when we get home, I’m ready to go straight to bed.
But not before Mama and Pop-Pop come into my room to tuck me in.
“Did you have a good day, Hazel?” Pop-Pop asks.
“I h ad the BEST day!”
“Want to do it again next year?”
“I want to do it again tomorrow!”
Mama and Pop-Pop laugh. They think I’m joking, but I really mean it.
“Happy Disability Pride, Hazie-Mazie.”
“Happy Disability Pride! ”
