Is there a reason you don’t have guests on your podcast and you think that will change in the future?
The reason I do not have guests on my podcast is because typically I speak about what I learn in church and share the weeks sermon notes with my audience. The main reason I begin encouragement notes was to show people how Jesus wants us to live. If at any time there was a friend of mine who wanted to talk about the subject of disability or share something that is faith-based then I would consider having a guest on my podcast. But usually it is just me and my sermon notes.
How do you think Rollette’s Expirence will be different than it has in years past?
I’m expecting Rollette’s Experience to be very different this year for me than it has in years past. I attended my first year virtually in 2021 when the world was still in the throes of the pandemic. If you know my story you know that God used 2020 and 2021 to drastically change my perspective about using a wheelchair. I was ecstatically happy when I attended my first RE and I knew I needed to stay involved. In 2022 I attended my first in person event and we were all blessed to meet the amazing leader of the disability rights movement, Judy Heumann. When I met Judy on the first day, it was the experience of a lifetime! I was left speechless and for those of you who know me personally no that I’m never left speechless. She asked me what I do, and I said I’m a podcaster; one of the members of her team said oh, cool, Judy is too; we will look you up. And I was floored! I was like oh my gosh the leader of the disability rights movement is going to look me up! I had the opportunity to attend Judy’s keynote speech and interview and while at that event I was able to tell Judy about my experience when I was a little girl. I was 8 years old when the Ada was made law, and I told Judy that because of the rules in place before the Ada was signed into law, I could only play with two friends that were not in my class. What the Ada did for the disability community was that it opened up a plethora of opportunities to work, travel, and attend events like theater and concerts. It was amazing to get to see Judy in action and she made time to talk to every single woman and girl in the room there was nobody that she missed out on connecting with.
I also expect to move differently this year because I’m working actively on strengthening my arms so I can push myself more effectively. Last year I felt really slow.
Do you have any travel goals you want to achieve?
Going to New York has always been a dream of mine, always meaning since I was 12 years old. I attended Jesus Christ Superstar on its 25th-anniversary tour, and the original actor who played Jesus in the movie, Ted Neely, was in the show. From then on, I knew that I wanted to have the theater be a part of my life in some way, if that means being in a show or simply being an audience member; going to New York is a dream of mine, and I think that my dream can become a reality soon, I need to save the money for it. There is a company that describes itself as Expedia for wheelchair users; it is called Wheel the World. Clients can make their travel reservations through their company and they help you find the best accessibility for you anywhere in the world.
Encouragement Notes Podcast 