2-Year-Old Boy In Wheelchair Left Awestruck After Seeing Ad In Target Featuring Another Boy 'Like Him'
Demi Garza-Pena and her son, two-year-old Oliver Garza-Pena, thought they were on a typical shopping trip at Target.
But when they passed through the boys' clothing section and saw a special ad, designed specifically for children like Oliver, they knew it was a special kind of day.
Garza-Pena was passing through the boys' clothing when she realized Oliver had stopped behind her to look at something.
She turned around and saw him looking up at an advertisement of another little boy, not much older than him, also using a wheelchair. Oliver looked utterly awestruck and would not break his gaze from the advertisement.
Garza-Pena took a moment to take a picture while Oliver was still looking up at the advertisement. The moment was not staged or practiced; it was a natural and beautiful reaction to the power equal representation can have.
Garza-Pena reflected:
"I could see the look on his face, he knew that boy was like him."
After they had returned home, Garza-Pena shared the photograph, along with a special thank-you note to Target, to the Facebook page she runs for her son, called "Ollie's World."
The post quickly gained traction, many in love with Oliver's genuine expression, and others reacting to Garza-Pena's resounding hashtag choice, "Representation Matters."
Ollie's World / Facebook
Ollie's World / Facebook
Ollie's World / Facebook
Ollie's World / Facebook
Ollie's World / Facebook
The post was shared so far and wide, it actually reached the mother of the boy in the Target advertisement, Ashley Robinson. Her son in the ad is ten-year-old Colton Robinson in Massachusetts.
Ollie's World / Facebook
Robinson shared her reaction to seeing Oliver's photo for the first time:
"I was overcome by emotion and started crying. The expression on Oliver's face looking up to Colton was extremely touching."
The two moms have since connected on social media and have stayed in touch. Though their sons have different disabilities, Oliver with Caudal Regression Syndrome and Colton with Spina Bifida, the women have discovered their days look very similar, and they share many of the same challenges.
Both women agree equal representation needs to continue to be pursued across media advertisements, and that this moment between Oliver and Colton is the perfect example as to why.
Garza-Pena said:
"We want companies to jump on board for more inclusive advertising. These photos need to be everywhere all the time. People with disabilities need more representation in the community."
Robinson agreed, citing Oliver's reaction:
"Children of all abilities and sizes need to be represented. I mean, who doesn't want to look at an ad and see someone that you have something in common with? It's important for everyone to feel included. It's just a beautiful thing."
Though we're a long way away from seeing equal representation everywhere, in all media forms, it's important to see moments in the media like Colton's.
And perhaps it's even more important to see, for children like Oliver, how Colton's inclusion is really making a difference.
Segway Just Announced A New Stroller For Able-Bodied Adults That Is Straight Out Of 'Wall-E'
Segway has finally announced their latest invention nearly two decades after its original creation, and there is something oddly familiar about it.
The newest addition to the Segway-Ninebot line was finally announced and it is called the S-Pod.
The S-Pod fulfills an old promise of even less physical exertion than its predecessors — it has a seat.
Like the models that came before it, the S-Pod self-balances on two wheels. However, Segway has added a third wheel for the vehicle to rest on while it is stopped.
Further changes include a navigation panel and control knob in lieu of the previous leaning backwards and forwards to control the machine. It also claims speeds of up to 25 miles per hour with a range of nearly 44 miles (contingent on terrain, the rider, and other factors).
Despite it accommodating seated passengers, the S-Pod does not seem to be suitable for riders requiring a wheelchair.
For some, a seated Segway sounds exactly like what they have been dreaming of.
這是我夢想中的坐騎了,哈哈 https://t.co/cBpUytH404— 兔眼看天下 (@兔眼看天下) 1578099356.0
"This is my dream mount, haha"
I need one!!! https://t.co/0bLvQYltd6— ? (@?) 1578089149.0
"Idk I'm on my way to becoming crippled from an autoimmune disease so this legit looks awesome to me for my not so bright future lol" - OGraineshadow (Reddit)
However, others feel like the S-Pod looks eerily familiar.
from funny
Don't recognize the picture? Check out this clip from Pixar's 2008 film, WALL-E.
Fitless Humans (WALL·E)www.youtube.com
Many people agree.
Wall-Eeeeeeee! https://t.co/1ujIb3BdO0— Patrick Bishop (@Patrick Bishop) 1578095924.0
"Wall-E is very underrated for how much of a masterpiece that it really is." - DTVoid (Reddit)
Mostly people are not thrilled with society's trajectory.
It's a power wheelchair for abled people. Utterly useless for people who NEED wheelchair. #DisabilityDongle Segway… https://t.co/aL0RNWRRuP— CanGal 🥄 (@CanGal 🥄) 1578094041.0
Please cancel the rest of civilization now. https://t.co/lwJ8R427ta via @gizmodo— Charlie Santo (@Charlie Santo) 1578090648.0
😂😂😂😂 https://t.co/NAoqITEiUQ— Shuma-Gorath (@Shuma-Gorath) 1578075146.0
Ughh, humans 🙄 https://t.co/pxcN1ccoUk via @wired— Diego Alamir (@Diego Alamir) 1578105321.0
"When I first saw it I assumed they were making a new wheelchair, but according to one article I read it's not going to be marketed to those who need wheelchairs." - Paper_Cut_On_My_Eye (Reddit)
"I like how when the balance mechanism malfunctions it has the option of either slamming the back of your head into the ground, or going for the full face plant." - MachReverb (Reddit)
At this time, the S-Pod is still just in its conceptual stage but it Segway-Ninebot has promised that it will make an appearance at CES 2020 which takes place next week in Las Vegas.
People Share The Things That Look Super Easy But Are Actually Surprisingly Difficult
People who are really good at things can make those things look deceptively easy to do just because of how talented they are, or how commonplace the activity is for them. Anyone else who attempts the activity is likely to find it considerably more difficult to perform.
Reddit user pterv2112 asked:
"What looks easy peasy lemon squeezy but is actually difficult difficult lemon difficult?"
20.
Marriage. I think many people believe that they will be romantically in love with the person they are marrying. In many ways you do but most with long successful marriages will tell you it takes work to make a marriage last a lifetime. That level of commitment is hard to maintain.
The rewards are enormous and you'll never be closer to another human if you're doing it right My wife and I just celebrated our 40th and we've known each other for more than 45 years. Planning on being together till end.
19.
Beekeeping. You see videos of these old dudes in their veils and beekeeping suits and it makes it seem so relaxing and easy. Turns out that bees aren't so good at finding enough food on their own and they can get sick really easy and in the winter they can mold. Have you ever seen moldy bees? Sometimes they're not even dead...
It's still worth it though.
18.
Maintaining friendships from high school/college after you graduate. People get so busy with work and starting their own families that friendships get put on the back burner. You stop talking to someone for a few months, then it suddenly hits you that you're no longer friends with the person.
17.
Actually doing things. In theory it's simple. Just do the thing. In reality I procrastinate until I hate myself
16.
Work. I'm a lawyer and had a client call saying she needs a help with a merger, but "don't worry, it's super easy peasy lemon squeezy."
That project took 6 months and I almost had a breakdown. She didn't understand why the bill was so high since it wAs SO eAsY...
15.
Making lemonade. Sure squeezing one lemon is easy peasy, but do you know how much juice that makes? Not a lot.
14.
Easy as pie. Pie is the most difficult thing I've EVER done/made.
Hell yeah. Keeping the dough cold while avoiding overworking it, and somehow perfectly distributing the butter throughout the mixture so that there aren't massive butter chunks... ugh, it's difficult.
13.
Flying remote controlled helicopters. It looks so effortless when watching seasoned flyers but in reality it's like balancing a marble on an upturned bowl.
12.
Street names.
Everyone thinks it's great fun and likes to offer suggestions but every tree, lake, and other natural feature has at least a dozen variations which you can't repeat for emergency service reasons.
That and you get cities which want a street name change anytime the road changes direction regardless of a logical break point like an intersection.
11.
Those captcha things on google. I can honestly never read them and the website always thinks i'm a robot.
10.
Whistling with your fingers.
I did it once like 6 years ago and haven't been able to replicate it since.
Pisses. Me. Off.
9.
GiphyDancing. I wouldn't say it looks "easy", but when I see people do it, they're so good at it and it flows so well it looks easy. But damn, I just CANNOT get my body to do anything more than a bop and maybe some stupid arm moves.
I'm 25 and dance like a 50 year old at a reunion.
Dancers are so delicate and make it look so easy, it's honestly amazing. It's just hilarious when I try to do literally anything and fail horribly.
8.
Drawing something from memory. Like a bird or something.
In mind - yep that's a bird
On paper - that's... a bird?
7.
Digging. Anytime its shown in movies or TV it looks easy af but the second you have to grab a shovel and break dirt.... bleh.
"Here just let me dig up this 6-foot-deep grave with a shovel."
<20 minutes later>
"Welp, all done."
6.
A basic physical exam at the doctor.
Looks like a simple 'look at the throat' 'listen to the chest' 'yup they have a heart all right.' When in actuality Doctors spend thousands of hours practicing it so that when you come in with a murmur or 'Funny-looking-kid-syndrome' they can recognize it immediately.
And yes, there are entire class sections on how to respectfully ask your patient to turn their head and cough as you push on their balls (they're looking for hernias).
4.
playing the triangle. A lot of my non-musician friends joke about how easy it is to play it. Then they actually hold the damn thing and look stupid.
I can still remember my band director...
"You guys laugh about the triangle players, but you have no idea how hard it is to stay focused while counting 132 bars and not miss your cue."
3.
Writing a 250-word open-ended reflection where you're expected to be creative.
All I want as a grad student is some dang STRUCTURE and also a RUBRIC :(
2.
Folding fitted sheets.
I've watched instructional videos that make it look so easy but I always just end up with a crumpled up mess, and that's how it gets put away.
The most common type of ghost is the one in a white sheet with waving arms. These are the spirits of people who died while trying to fold a fitted sheet.
1.
I use a wheelchair and people usually don't believe me when I say that getting around can be difficult, because many of them think that pushing a wheelchair is easy. (They literally tell me this.)
The thing is when you use a wheelchair all day and it is basically your only means of transportation, it looks more natural.
This becomes a problem when I point out accessibility problems. They often don't believe me because they see how I can navigate and assume that it's easy – just because *I* make it look easy.
Not everything is as easy as it seems -- or as easy we believe it to be.
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Selfless High School Student Saves Up Money For 2 Years To Buy His Friend An Electric Wheelchair
Brandon Qualls received a big and welcomed surprise when his friend, Tanner Wilson, presented him with an electric wheelchair. Until now, Qualls has been using a push model chair.
The two are students at Caddo Hills High School in Norman Arkansas.
Teen buys wheelchair for friend with his own moneywww.youtube.com
For years, Qualls has used a manual wheelchair to get around. However, it's very difficult to use so regularly.
He told THV11,
"My arms would get really tired. I would have to stop and take rests."
Little did he know, his friend Wilson was saving money from his part-time job at a mechanic shop to buy him a motorized chair. It took him two years to save the money.
He presented it to Qualls at school on February 27th.
This is the action of a great friend!
@1025thebull @DollarBillBull @MadisonRadio That is a best friend right there! We need more stories like this inste… https://t.co/uiBBAl8Dy2— 🇨🇦 MARA 🇨🇦 (@🇨🇦 MARA 🇨🇦) 1551880332
Best in Class. https://t.co/K4SVsIySQx— Lori Houlihan (@Lori Houlihan) 1551966612
This is what being a best bud is all about 🙌 https://t.co/EBO1jPhYQs #goodnews #positivenews #humansbeingbros https://t.co/EBO1jPhYQs— DiscoverImprove (@DiscoverImprove) 1551949228
When asked about it, Wilson said,
"I wanted to do him a favor. I just felt like I needed to do it and I wanted to do it… Brandon, he's just always been there for me."
Wilson's mother, Colleen Carmack, spoke on her son's generosity, saying,
"That's him. He's always been about everybody else and not himself. We let him know, you get nowhere being mean."
She feels the experience and goal have definitely helped her son after some "bad experiences."
"Him being able to help somebody else has really brought him out -- being able to know that he made a difference.
"And I can see a difference in him -- like wanting to get out and do more. We're talking about college. He's had that goal, but he's talking about it more now."
It's definitely much better to be a nice person.
There is such kindness in the world of you just look for it: Teen saves up for two years to buy best friend electri… https://t.co/qHtnKBmn8m— Erin Hall (@Erin Hall) 1551985387
Wilson surprised his friend with the chair at school. And for the moment, it's there it will stay. Qualls' family doesn't have a vehicle that can transport the electric chair.
Until his family can get a wheelchair accessible vehicle, Qualls is getting used to using the chair at school.
"It's awesome. I may hit a few doors, but it's worth it."
Wilson is also asked by other students if it was worth saving for two years to provide his best friend with the expensive chair.
"Everybody keeps asking me, 'Was it worth it? Was it worth it?' Yeah. 100%."
People Are Loving Barbie's New Inclusive Line Of Dolls With Disabilities
For decades inclusivity was a bit of a blind spot for toy maker Mattel and their iconic Barbie doll.
But in the last decade Barbie has evolved more than she did in the 50 years before.
And she's about to undertake another major change that is coming to a store near you.
Since her debut in 1959 Barbie has been one of the best selling toys of all time, but for almost as many years consumers and advocates have had concerns about the iconic doll.
From her anatomically improbable measurements to her noticeably monotone complexion and homogenous features, many worried about the unrealistic standards and lack of diversity Barbie represented to young girls.
2019 though may be the year when there is finally a Barbie for everyone.
As part of Barbie's 60th anniversary celebration Mattel announced its most diverse line of dolls yet, including disabled Barbies, and people are loving her new look.
Barbie will debut a doll with a prosthetic leg, and another that comes with a wheelchair, in June… https://t.co/nTmXYI5jbc— CNN (@CNN) 1550214064
The upcoming Barbie Fashionistas line will feature a diverse new group of dolls with different hair types, body types facial sculpts and disabilities, including a Barbie in a wheelchair and one with a removable prosthetic leg.
13-year-old disabled rights advocate Jordan Reeves worked with Mattel on the new dolls.
13-year-old disability activist Jordan Reeves helped Barbie launch a new line of dolls with prosthetics https://t.co/fPXR32Vpvc— NowThis (@NowThis) 1550285700
Barbie's newest dolls use wheelchairs and have prosthetic limbs https://t.co/tzTRS5E9iW— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Bloomberg Quicktake) 1550070994
It won't be the first doll with a wheelchair that Mattel created.
@tictoc This isn't the first Barbie with a wheelchair, our awesome Mum, who is an Occupational Therapist and helps… https://t.co/7fUzdWqmE9— Niki 💎🧬 🦠 (@Niki 💎🧬 🦠) 1550087335
@sheilawalker73 @Kidsdoc1Rick @NatLauter dude: use the intertubes. it’s easy. I swear. https://t.co/2p3G3m0CCl— Ruca (@Ruca) 1550355094
But this time they are hoping to get it right with input from people like Reeves.
In 1997, Mattel released Becky, Barbie’s friend, who’s hot-pink wheelchair could not fit into the elevator of Barbie’s $100 Dream House. 😬— Michael Michaels🐉 (@Michael Michaels🐉) 1550316749
In 1997 Mattel released Barbie's friend "Share-a-Smile Becky" followed by school photographer Becky and Paralympic Becky with a special racing design wheelchair.
Hey, @TheLastLeg, @Barbie did have a friend who was a Paralympic athlete, meet Becky. But #isitOK that @Mattel disc… https://t.co/RVPq6ROR2r— Annette Stride (@Annette Stride) 1521066206
Although Becky was a hit, girls soon discovered that her bulky wheelchair was too large to interact with accessories like the Barbie Dream House. Mattel said they would look into the issue but no changes were ever made and Becky was eventually discontinued in 2017.
This time however Mattel is aiming for a more representative doll.
According to Teen Vogue, Kim Culmone, Mattel's vice president of Barbie Design worked with disabled people and UCLA to design a more accurate representation.
When Barbie's design team worked with 13-year-old disability activist Reeves, who has a prosthetic arm, she suggested making Barbie's prosthetic leg removable to make her more realistic.
Fans of all ages are loving Barbie's new looks. For many the inclusive new line up means finally finding the Barbie they have always wanted.
Y’all, I just read that the new wheelchair @Barbie is going to come with a ramp to make the Barbie dream house whee… https://t.co/78tKLdYLcw— Jessica Jewett (@Jessica Jewett) 1549996366
YES @Barbie! Barbie gets more inclusive with wheelchair & prosthetic limb! New line will be available June 2019,… https://t.co/Nh12DLM42i— Angel Giuffria 🦾 (@Angel Giuffria 🦾) 1549924117
@aannggeellll @Barbie @jordanjustright @bornjustright This is such wonderful news. I work as an advocate, fund rais… https://t.co/TACBQiwjEt— DONNA CARRIERE (@DONNA CARRIERE) 1550262654
@aannggeellll @Barbie @jordanjustright @bornjustright When I heard about this I cried. How amazing that young peopl… https://t.co/NIDFomfRbh— Brenna Huckaby (@Brenna Huckaby) 1550009036
@aannggeellll @Soapy_Wit_Tank @Barbie @jordanjustright @bornjustright Never thought about it but I am pleased it is… https://t.co/xaF3HurwYS— Don Wood (@Don Wood) 1549927243
And fans are already on the look out for more ways that Mattel can add to its new inclusive line.
@CNN @Mattel - love the new handicap Barbie dolls. Do you have blind dolls? In California where will dolls be sold in June 2019?— Pat Amador (@Pat Amador) 1550257183
@CNN @Barbie if they don’t already should have a bald doll for children going through Chemo.— OmaResists! 🌊 🌊 (@OmaResists! 🌊 🌊) 1550214806
Eager fans will have to wait a bit longer to get their hands on the new collection of inclusive Barbie's though.
The Fashionistas will be available in Fall 2019.