Let people know about the heroes around you.

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of NMEDA for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

Odds are you know somebody who is both disabled and a local hero and hasn’t really been recognized for it yet.

I say that because there are more than 18,000,000 people in America who have some sort of mobility issues, so 1 in 16 people have a mobility issue.

Back just a decade or two ago, and longer, people who needed a wheelchair or crutches or other assistance to get around would’ve been homebound much of the time, shunted off to the side of society.  But not today: Now, people with mobility issues live fuller, more active, more mobile lives than ever before, and NMEDA is going to celebrate that with National Mobility Awareness Month in May.

National Mobility Awareness Month is going to use NMEDA’s Facebook page, blog, and local and national media to help find, and celebrate, Local Heroes:  People who are dealing with and overcoming their mobility challenges.   Anyone you know in your community who is dealing with a mobility challenge (including the person him or herself and/or their caregivers and families) are eligible to be recognized as a local hero.  People can find them and nominate them and vote for their stories on www.mobilityawarenessmonth.com , and the nominees will get a chance to win one of the custom Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles (WAV) being given away by NMEDA. The favorite stories will be chosen and the winners get their prizes on a popular national television show.  The month will be headlined by National Spokesperson Mike Savicki,  a 44-year old, C6, 7 quadriplegic, who is a veteran, athlete, advocate and entrepreneur; find out more about him at his website: www.mikesavicki.com .

People with mobility issues constitute the 2^nd largest minority in the United States – and mobility issues seem to disproportionately affect veterans, as nearly 6,000,000 vets struggle with mobility issues.  May is a perfect time to pay some attention to the struggles, and triumphs, of people you see every day, and give someone some recognition.