Laura Medcalf’s Legacy

“I try to do as much as I can independently. That’s my motto. I want to do as much as I can while I can.”

Laura Medcalf lived by her word. Diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy at the age of four, she spent her whole life pushing past limits, exceeding expectations and inspiring other people with disabilities.

For the past 10-plus years, Laura served as the Social Media Specialist for the INDATA Project team here at Easterseals Crossroads. Unfortunately, she passed away earlier this month. As Director of Assistive Technology Josh Anderson said in a podcast tribute to her: “Laura was such an amazing part of this team. She’s going to be greatly missed by our program and by us all as individuals.”

During her tenure with INDATA, Laura wrote the majority of our blog content and hosted our weekly podcast Accessibility Minute.

“She was just an absolute joy to be around, a very talented writer, and one of the most amazing podcast voices you will ever, ever hear,” Anderson said.

In honor of Laura, let’s take a look back at her life and work.

Early Ambitions

Even as a little girl, Laura strove for independence. When she was around six or seven years old, her limited muscle movement didn’t stop her from climbing up the stairs at home.

By fifth grade, she was a full-time wheelchair user, but that didn’t suppress her sense of adolescent adventure.

“Growing up, I was very active in Girl Scouts, show choir and even cheerleading — so I never struggled with making friends or going out there and doing things,” she said. “The wheelchair was a part of me but didn’t define me. People saw I was in a wheelchair but knew I wasn’t that different from them.”

Laura also engaged with her peers through the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) Summer Camp.

“Being in a wheelchair most of my life, I have always been around people with disabilities, whether physical or cognitive,” Laura said. “[At MDA Summer Camp], we did canoeing, dancing, arts and crafts, singing and theater. Having attended MDA Summer Camp for many years, the people I met there had a major influence on my life.”

After her freshman year of college at Ball State, Laura had the opportunity to go on a mission trip to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, with MDA Camp Counselor Ali Campbell. While they were there, Laura was able to introduce individuals with disabilities to a lot of helpful resources. Her team also put on carnivals for schools, worked with children at orphanages and even set up a camp for individuals with cerebral palsy. These acts planted the seeds for the kind of work she would later do here at Easterseals Crossroads.

Laura’s Lasting Impact

At Ball State, Laura carved out a career path toward teaching. However, she ultimately found her niche in writing, which empowered her to be vulnerable and honest.

“Words represent someone’s soul on paper, and when people expose their souls like that, something magical happens,” she said.

That was certainly true of Laura’s own writing for INDATA. For example, take this passage from her blog about Amy Purdy, the first double amputee contestant to ever appear on Dancing with the Stars:

“Amy Purdy is the dancer, the star; she’s the performer, not her legs. A prosthetist at Freedom Innovations stated: ‘You walk the leg, the leg doesn’t walk you.’ Technology such as prosthetics can help individuals walk, run, dance and more — but no amount of technology can make someone a performer.”

Just as Laura’s own life showed, her writing demonstrated how people can transcend their disabilities through technology, perseverance and community — which is what the INDATA Project is all about.

“There are so many people working so hard to make things possible,” Laura said. “It’s an amazing and humbling experience to work with such passionate individuals who are helping others.”

We would say the same about Laura. Thank you to her everything she did, professionally and personally. Our hearts go out to her loved ones.