Tyree Brown, wearing a shirt of her own design
The ability to physically enter a building probably hasn’t ever come into question for most non-disabled people; for artist Tyree Brown, however, this consideration and many more like it may limit the spaces where she lives, works, and travels.
At 20 years old, Tyree survived a car accident that left her with an incomplete spinal cord injury; in her case, the injury renders most of her body paralyzed, with limited use of her arms and hands. But, adjusting to this dramatic change in accessibility has come with more than the physical fight. Tyree, along with millions of other Americans with various conditions affecting their mobility, found herself reliant upon healthcare that faces a long road ahead in instilling a system of long-term care that significantly improves independence and accessibility for all.
On the 31st anniversary of the enactment of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Tyree joined President Biden and Vice President Harris at the White House for a conversation about resources for people living with disabilities, and how some of these resources have impacted her life. One such program, known most popularly as “Money Follows the Person”, has eased the transition from nursing home residency to independent living for Tyree, along with over 100,000 other Americans living with disabilities.
Now, at 26 years old, Tyree speaks about her life, its challenges to date, and how she has helped others like herself gain independence and access to their specific needs. In this HealthCetera podcast, Diana Mason, PhD, RN, host of this program, interviews both Tyree and Ani Turner. Ani is a Senior Economist with the Center for Eldercare Improvement at Altarum, a nonprofit research and consulting organization that creates and implements solutions to advance health among at-risk and disenfranchised populations.
This interview first aired on HealthCetera in the Catskills on WIOX Radio on July 14th, 2021.
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