Joshuanette Francis, diagnosed with osteoarthritis at a young age, uses her experience to leap from personal sorrow to championing the rights and accessibility of the disabled community.
**From Arthritis to Advocacy: One Woman's Journey to Empower Disabled Lives**
**From Arthritis to Advocacy: One Woman's Journey to Empower Disabled Lives**
A young mother's quest transforms her adversity into a movement for disability rights in Antigua and beyond.
Diagnosed with osteoarthritis at only 24, Joshuanette Francis has turned her significant life challenges into a mission to advocate for the rights of individuals with disabilities. Her YouTube channel reflects her journey, highlighting not only her vibrant spirit but also the unseen struggles she faces due to her condition. Despite the prognosis that she might lose her ability to walk by 40, she embraced life and tackled every hiking trail on her home island of Antigua, along with its 365 beautiful beaches.
Now, six years later, Joshuanette spends her energy leading a non-profit initiative called Good Humans 268, which she established in 2023. This organization aims to improve the lives of those with physical disabilities through various means, including a push for a dedicated equal rights tribunal and a successful recycling program that employs people with disabilities.
The recycling effort has already seen over eight locals hired to sort through waste, helping divert around one million bottles and cans from landfills. This effort fosters both environmental responsibility and economic empowerment. One of the employees, Kelisha Pigott, credits Joshuanette for her newfound confidence and success, stating, "It's because of her that I took the chance to apply for university and got in."
Good Humans has also addressed immediate needs, such as the creation of accessible bathrooms in schools, where previously a 10-year-old girl could not use the restroom unassisted. Joshuanette insists on the necessity of improving public amenities to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to societal resources.
Yet the path to a fair society is fraught with challenges. Many barriers hinder mobility in Antigua; poorly maintained streets pose dangers to those with impairments, and there's a persistent lack of assistive devices available. Bernard Warner, the head of the local disability association, laments, "There's a lot of discrimination; people are treated with indifference." He echoes the call for enforcement of legislation passed in 2017 aimed at protecting people with disabilities, stressing that necessary support structures, including the establishment of an equal rights tribunal, have yet to be realized.
Education and employment opportunities remain significant hurdles as well. Kelly Hedges, principal of the Victory Centre for children with special needs, highlights the difficulty young adults face in transitioning to employment, noting a consistent reluctance from employers to hire individuals with disabilities.
Although Joshuanette battles her own depression, she recognizes the pressing need for a cultural shift regarding the perception of disabilities. She continues to fight for fair treatment and compensation for those unjustly affected, embracing her role as a leader in advocating for change and raising awareness of mental health and disability issues. "Fighting is exhausting," she admits, "But change will only happen when more people talk about disability and demand change."
