Today we’d like to introduce you to Aspen Baxter

Hi Aspen, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?

In September 2021, I was in the hospital after asking for mental health help for the first time in my life. I was being controlled by doctors and nurses who just wanted to medicate me over and over. I was forced a medication that I was allergic to. My body went tingly and I lost complete movement and sensation from the neck down.

In November 2021 I somehow ended up really sick with Covid-19 but being sick with this made me unable to keep any of my medications down. After not being able to keep my medications down for a few days, I started to regain sensation and a small amount of movement from my neck to my waist.

On September 28th, 2021 I was diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder but since my release, I have had many other diagnosis. Within such a traumatic medical journey, I’ve tried to switch the perspective and take my trauma to encourage others that they can still do beautiful things in this world despite mental or physical disabilities. I don’t let my disability slow me down and I want others to not let their disability slow them down either. I started Accessibility with Aspen Sage as a way to document my life as a newly disabled women and share my experiences both about accessibility and inaccessibility.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?

It has not been a smooth road at all!

It really isn’t easy going from working multiple jobs, running a business, going to school, and traveling when I can to losing what feels like everything. I lost all of my jobs, my ability to drive, my relationship, friends, my dog at the time, and most of all my independence.

I basically live for medical appointments now because I am unable to work a physical job due to my health and symptoms like my paralysis, seizures, and memory loss. I can have upwards of 8 appointments a week with a minimum of 3. It gets exhausting.

It’s also been hard because I lost so many people I thought were friends in my life. People want to be supportive in the beginning when they think you are going to get better and then go back to what your life was, but with chronic illnesses, you just don’t get better and people get sick of you being sick.

It’s definitely been hard learning to navigate and live in a world that wasn’t created for the disabled community. I run into barriers constantly and it’s just so sad for everyone who uses mobility aids or has any kind of mobility restriction. Accessibility benefits everyone and I wish more people understood this.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

I am a full-time content creator and blogger. I spend anytime I have trying to educate myself and better myself for the benefit of other people.

I travel and partner with companies who want to shine a light on accessibility. I create content during each trip I go on and take notes about what was great accessibility wise and what needs some work. I spend my time making posts and blogs on my personal experiences as well as reaching out to companies to thank them for their accommodations and/or ask them to consider making changes to better suit everyone as a whole.

It’s my goal to encourage people to see as many places as they can and to never feel tied down to one place. This doesn’t always mean going on trips that are thousands of dollars, this can simply mean visiting a new park in the area that accommodates those with disabilities.

I’m honestly really proud of the fact I took my disability and turned it into a bit of power. I could have let me disability stop me and just stay in bed for the rest of my life. But instead, I’m getting out there and trying to make a difference for everyone. This has never just been about me traveling. I’ve always wanted what I do to be a possibility for others and truly benefit anyone who wants to see new places.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?

Family, my service dog, travel, advocacy, creating change, making a difference… All of these things make me happy. These are the things that keep me going on the days when I don’t feel like I can keep going anymore.

I always try to encourage people to find at least one thing or person in their lives that makes them happy because we all deserve to have that.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/AspenSageBaxter?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZbkwVtSTfM1CQGGZZKNP7PXZ-Q3Y9QG3DrSDTYl1Z-1oPpiV96PQuPA4w_aem_AQkGGBZsHl47ZZz48G-ebdTu4YYogEAZZaFdWpZo3a73blsPc8yQqTdBQK5Qmv8n1v8UqQdODlX219veL44y4Saw
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/accessibility_with_aspen_sage?igsh=MTJyaDQ3djdtYzhndA==
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100088896653501&mibextid=ZbWKwL