More regency ball photos from last night. My sleeves refused to stay up all night, so after getting tired of fixing them, by the last photo I succumbed to the off-the-shoulder look. 😆
I hope that somewhere Edward Drummond Libbey knows that his legacy includes the incredible friends we made along the way while working at his museum. ❤️ Love you, @meg.macabre ! I’m so glad I asked you and Joe to come with me to a regency ball all those years ago! 🥰
Thank you so much to the @lucascountyboardofdd for honoring me with a Community Partnership Award at their annual meeting!! As I said in my speech, as a person living with a developmental disability, it felt as though I was being recognized by my peers, and I am so grateful. I strive to work toward a world that is accessible and inclusive for everyone, especially people with disabilities, and I am so grateful to have my efforts recognized.
Special thanks go out to my fabulous @toledomuseum colleagues, without whose support this work would not be as impactful and effective. I also am forever grateful to the University of Toledo Disability Studies Program and the @abilitycenter for helping me grow in my confidence as a person with a disability and equipping me with the knowledge and skills to be an advocate in the disability community.
Also, shout out to @disabilityempowhernetwork for providing me with an enhanced ability to make up speeches on the fly for accepting awards! 🏆 I cannot recommend their EmpowHer Expressions Program enough!
Lastly, thank you to my village for their constant support, especially my parents who were able to attend the award ceremony with me and cheer me on. 🥰 Love you guys.
The @ohiomuseums annual conference felt like a whirlwind (as did the museum visits yesterday! Which included @ohiohistory , @columbusmuseum , @cosiscience , and @nationalvmm — all pictured here!) — I arrived in Columbus yesterday afternoon, and am already back in Toledo! — but I enjoyed every moment and I love attending, speaking, and serving on the accessibility committee for a conference that truly prioritizes accessibility and, in doing so, sets the example for museum accessibility throughout Ohio and nationwide!
I am so proud!!
As a mentor with @disabilityempowhernetwork ‘s EmpowHer Camp, I have had the absolute privilege of watching two incredible young people — Abby and Pay — take their emergency preparedness projects and turn them into real, lasting change.
Abby successfully implemented evacuation chairs in her public school system, making evacuations safer for wheelchair users and those with limited mobility.
Pay recently accomplished the same feat at @magrochester , Memorial Art Gallery in Rochester, New York, ensuring that one of her community’s cherished public spaces is accessible to everyone in an emergency.
In addition, Abby has declared a second major in Social Work alongside her Business Administration major at Eastern Connecticut University and Pay is receiving her Associate’s Degree in Fine Art from Finger Lakes Community College this spring!
I honestly continue to be beyond proud of these two. They didn’t just complete a project; they have changed systems, advocated for their communities, and made the world more accessible.
Watch out, world. Abby and Pay are just getting started!! 💜
Today is Petunia’s 11th birthday. 🩷
Eleven seems to be an age of transition for us Shelley women. My family moved from Dearborn Heights to Temperance when I was 11 — altering the course for the rest of my life. Similarly, my mom moved from Missouri to Dearborn Heights at age 11.
So by comparison, Petunia’s transition is much less intense, but I am still feeling a lot of feels about it: Petunia is getting ready to retire.
Petunia has seen me through 3 different jobs over the past 9 years, and we’ve both grown older and (mostly) wiser together. She’s been giving me signs for a while that she’s ready to quit working, though, and I think I’ve been a bit selfish in trying to delay the inevitable as long as possible.
So what does retirement mean? It means Petunia gets to stay with me (thank goodness!) but instead of going to work with me every day, she gets to stay at home, take naps, and live her best retiree life. ☺️
I may have already scared some colleagues at the museum who haven’t seen her around as much and were worried something happened. But don’t worry if you see me without Petunia over the next few months! We’re just practicing with her being at home! Right now I am taking her to work 3 days a week, and letting her stay home for 2 days. Come May, it will switch to at work 2 days a week, home for 3 days. So come June or July will come full retirement.
I am on the waiting list for a successor dog for Petunia, which will hopefully happen later this year or next year. I can’t wait to share the adventures of my new dog and partnership (as well as the sass that will be given once Petunia realizes she’s no longer an only child 😂).
Until then, good girl, Petunia. Happy birthday, and thank you for consistently being the best colleague I could ask for! 🌸💕
Over the past weekend, I was fortunate enough to FINALLY attend @disabilityempowhernetwork ‘s Leadership Retreat in Rochester, New York. I also had the incredible opportunity to co-lead the opening session with the fabulous @rgonzoarts , whose journey with Disability EmpowHer Network (DEN) started when they submitted art to Disabled Women Make History (and Art) in 2023.
This moment was really full-circle for me, and not only did I leave this retreat with a sense of how to lead with power and rest with purpose, but most importantly, I left with a sense of community, solidarity, and mutual love and understanding with fellow disabled women and nonbinary folks that underlined how grateful I am to serve DEN as a board member, participant, and supporter. 💜
Also, remembering that “no.” is a complete sentence, and that I will bring whimsy, empathy, passion, and emotion into the work I do, because those are some of my greatest assets. ✨
When in Rochester, visit the @magrochester ! My mentee, Pay (pictured!), worked with them to get multiple evacuation chairs for their year-long emergency preparedness project as part of @disabilityempowhernetwork ‘s EmpowHer Camp. I’m so proud of Pay, and so happy I got to finish my weekend in Rochester (more to come on that in a separate post!) by nerding out about art with them in an incredible museum!! 💜
