February 2003
Katie’s Korner Access-Sacks
Are you looking for a
back pack with style that’s affordable?
Well I have designed one! It’s
the Access-Sack made by my company Access-4-All, Inc.
As a quadriplegic and
in need of backpacks to organize my eating brace, straws, my wallet, keys,
etc. I wanted something more than just a plain old black backpack that
looked like everyone else’s. My mother and my God mother designed my
earliest backpacks. They were
hand made cotton backpacks. But
after a while, they didn’t ware very well. That’s when I designed the Access-Sack, found a
manufacturer and can now offer people who use wheelchairs a convenient,
fun and affordable way to carry their personal items.
The Access-Sack is
ideal for wheelers who have someone to assist them.
It would also be great for parents to use on their children’s
strollers. The Access-Sack
has adjustable straps, a deep privacy pocket with four smaller outside
pockets and a matching cover secured by Velcro. Each Access-Sack is made
of spun polyester on the inside with a water-proof, urethane layer outside
that wipes clean and is long lasting.
The Access-Sack
measures 20” long and 15” wide. Each
bag is designed to hold up to twenty pounds and is not recommended for
multiple heavy text books. Yes,
it does come in black but also in blue, green, tan, grey and maroon!
The Access-Sack is only $39.95, plus tax (for Missouri residents) and $7.00 shipping and handling. Please call me with any questions at 314-821-7011 to order one. You may also order on line. Just Click Here!
I hope you all are
doing well. Especially those who are on Medicaid, using Division of
Aging, using the Personal Care Assistance Program or are employed by an
independent living center. Please
keep your legislator aware of your needs and the dependency you have on
these programs because if the state has their way, I think many of these
programs would be slashed. It’s
going on right now. Contact
your Center for Independent Living to see what you can do to help.
I testified many times before various legislative committees
stressing the importance of a support system for people with disabilities.
I used these programs
for eight years and I would not be as strong a person as I am if it were
not for these support systems. I
would love to see some of our political leaders spend a month paralyzed
and dependent. They would
freak, fold and demand that their every whim be satisfied.
Can you just see them waiting for an attendant who decides one day
to not show up for work?
If the bureaucracy
wants to get rid of assistance to those in need, fine.
Instead, give us jobs with health insurance and an income we can
live off of. I don’t think
this is rocket science. It’s
showing empathy, compassion and understanding.
Is that so much to ask for? I
guess it is. Because how many
election speeches are filled with the need for health care reform, the
need for prescription drug coverage and other promises that never come
true.
I’m not a cynic. I
am truly an optimist. But
sometimes when I look at life, it seems so unkind.
So I’m doing my part. I’m
offering an affordable backpack and I do disability education in the
community and to businesses. That’s
how I cope.
How do you cope?
How do you deal with what you’ve been given?
Do you have a spinal cord injury?
Are you a parent or sibling of one who does? Do you support people with disabilities in your place of
work? If you answered yes, do
you make time to deal with the stress that these conditions can bring on?
I hope so.
Don’t forget to make
time for you. Just you. Do
something good for yourself. Just
you. Because if you are not
good to yourself, how can you be good to others?
Ps. Buy an Access-Sack!
Katie Rodriguez Banister works with audiences to embrace diversity through motivational speaking and disability education. You can reach her at 314-821-7011 or at www.access-4-all.com
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