Letter to the editor appears in Star Advertiser
Throughout April, our Certified Lead Advocates (CLA) took advantage of the heightened awareness of the limb loss and limb difference community to bring to light important issues. Letters to the editor often serve as an important advocacy strategy for reaching a broader audience and informing the writer’s local community about an issue and why they should care about it. In her state of Hawaii, CLA Heather Shorey successfully had three letters published in Maui News, the Hawaii Free Press, and the Star Advertiser to recognize April as Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month.
In her letters, Heather talks about the accident which caused her leg to be amputated below the knee in 2019. Since becoming an amputee herself, it has illuminated inequities in the healthcare system and many sectors of life, prompting Heather to become an advocate for herself and others with disabilities. She even highlights the importance of access to prosthetics, noting that all residents of Hawaii should have the ability to enjoy the beaches and mountains – even those who need activity-specific prostheses.
Heather was also instrumental in helping to get Hawaii’s first approved proclamation recognizing April as Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month. The proclamation was signed on April 12 by Governor Josh Green and represents a historic moment for those with limb loss or limb difference who call Hawaii home.