My ADA Story: Living Life to the Fullest

By Lisa Mozingo, Miss Wheelchair North Carolina

Lisa Mozingo, sitting in her wheelchair with her arms stretched out, smiles with a few people and an antique red pick-up truck is visible in the background

Growing up and hearing about “ADA law” or “handicap rights” was a normal occurrence since I am 29 years old. Seeing business establishments and vacation spots make a way for people who were disabled was never a foreign sight.  

When I became paralyzed in a car accident at 18 years old, I wasn’t completely horrified. I had this strange sense of ease; I knew everything would be okay. I had family, faith, friends, and freedom to live my life in a chair without too many worries of how to navigate my home country, because that battle had already been fought and won for me.

Living without having to ask too many questions about accessibility means I can live my life to the fullest. I can easily shop, work, go to school, vacation, drive, park, use the bathroom, and find somewhere to live. I can live my life to the fullest because of the ADA. For that, I am grateful. However, the battle is not over. There are still times that I have to remind others about my rights as a disabled person. There are times that I have to 100% educate a stranger about the ADA because sadly, they’ve never heard of it. As Ms. Wheelchair NC, that’s a task I gladly take on. I know that my life would not be as amazing as it is today if the Americans with Disabilities Act hadn’t been passed 30 years ago. 

Celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the ADA

Read all the stories here or share your own ADA story.