The life of Joni Eareckson Tada by Aaron Tanner
I will be blunt for a moment; having a disability makes me cynical sometimes. It is easy to let having special needs stop one from living life. Recently I discovered someone well-known who does not let her disability stop her from achieving great things.
Joni Eareckson Tada, a Quadriplegic, is an international disability rights advocate who runs a disability ministry called Joni and Friends. As part of the National Council of Disabilities under Presidents Reagan and Bush Sr., Tada helped draft the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, which prohibits discrimination against those with disabilities in businesses and the workplace.
There are many parts to her organization Joni and Friends. For starters, her weekday radio show is heard on many stations nationwide as well as through a podcast. Joni and Friends also include family retreats held all over the world for families affected by disability to take a break from their everyday routine with a fun camp-like experience. Wait, there's more! Joni and Friends also run Wheels for the World, which distributes refurbished wheelchairs to those living in impoverished countries.
One of her other talents is designing splendid artwork by holding a pencil or paintbrush with her mouth and has written over fifty books about living with a disability. Along with being a quadriplegic, Tada is also a breast cancer survivor.
Ever since she was born, Joni Eareckson Tada was a go-getter. She was an athlete in high school and took care of horses on her family ranch.
On July 30, 1967, Tada and her friends were swimming by the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. Unfortunately, she mistook the water's depth beside her and dove into a shallow part of the bay, breaking her spinal cord. The result of the accident was lifelong paralysis from the shoulders down.
At first, Tada was angry at the world, especially going through months and years of grueling occupational therapy. Then she allowed God to help her past her pity party and use her to inspire others living with various disabilities to overcome obstacles and live life to their full potential.
Surprisingly, Tada is glad that God did not heal her of her quadriplegia in this life so that she could help others struggling with other forms of disabilities, such as me and others with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
When I am having a bad day due to sensory overload getting the best of me, I enjoy listening to her program. I enjoy the encouraging message that God can use people who have a disability for great things. Currently, Tada is encouraging other people with special needs as they deal with the Coronavirus. Her words are a nice respite from the often cynical and jaded messages that people who have special needs might hear.
In north Alabama, Joni and Friends can be heard Monday through Friday at 9:02 A.M. and 9:30 P.M. on 91.7 FM or by downloading the Joni and Friends podcast. For more information on Joni Eareckson Tada and her organization, click here.
Is there someone you know living with a disability that inspires you? If so, comment in the section below.