Page 68 - FDCC Flyer Summer 2021

FDCC Pillars
Julie McGinnity and FDCC member Ned Currie
Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, and despite the early hour, I looked forward to meeting leaders in the community and sharing my talent with everyone. At the time, I studied vocal performance as a master’s Student, so I believed singing the National Anthem would be easy and seamless.
I waited through the opening remarks off stage with Sarah,
the woman from the planning committee who had oriented me to the stage area during the rehearsal. The night before at the casual run- through held by the committee,
I had instructed Sarah politely: “Please don’t grab me or my white cane. I would like to follow you up to where the microphone is, and then I will be fine. I’ll meet you off stage when I’m done.” She seemed agreeable then, but a moment later, I realized she did not listen to my
requests for bodily autonomy. As I moved across the stage to take my place to sing, Sarah took my upper
I chose to pursue a law degree so I could advocate for children and others who cannot speak for themselves.
right arm and steered me towards the microphone. Reflexively, I pulled out of her grasp, and my pulse quickened a bit as it always does when someone grabs ahold
of me without warning. As I neared the microphone, Sarah took my long white cane, as though I was a video game character she wanted to control with a joystick. When I felt the pressure on my cane, I stopped immediately and turned to her.
Before I could convey my extreme discomfort, she indicated that I was at the microphone, and I gave up with a sigh. I had to focus and get through the performance.
As I made my way through the National Anthem, I attempted
to block the trip on stage from
my memory. I needed to stay
calm. Forgetting the words to the National Anthem stands as one of the greatest fears of professional singers everywhere. But as I sang, Sarah hovered at my right shoulder, lingering like a parent waiting to cross the street with an unruly child in toe. Finally, I finished, rushing off stage before Sarah could catch me. Although I tried to enjoy the breakfast after I sang, I felt small and ashamed. The committee
did not feature another disability- related item on the program,
so I knew my performance was the example. I wondered if the flaws in that example would ever become apparent to the members of the audience and if they and the members of the planning committee would admit that they still have a lot to learn until they could really claim they celebrate disability as diversity.
Over the next seven years, I have attempted to raise my voice and educate when disability was left out or disrespected in diversity and inclusion efforts. Two years later, I was asked to sing at the same diversity breakfast, and I clearly explained to a different set of committee members what had happened last time and how I would like to be treated respectfully as a blind person. They were receptive, and I had
a positive experience singing in
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