A bright yellow bulldozer rolls across a cement road. But this bulldozer isn’t moving any earth. It is moving a little boy named Mason.
Mason uses a wheelchair, and on this day, it’s disguised as a bulldozer.
How is this possible? It’s part of the magic of a nonprofit called Magic Wheelchair, which transforms children with disabilities into iconic characters by building epic costumes that include their wheelchairs.
“There's so many things that are difficult when you have a disability or when you're a wheelchair user. We want cosplaying to be easy and fun,” said Christine Getman, the executive director of Magic Wheelchair.
Getman is a wheelchair user herself. “It’s super rewarding to be disabled and lead an organization that serves people with disabilities,” she said.
Her staff will make some magic in San Diego this year for two children attending San Diego Comic-Con. Not wanting to spoil the surprise, Getman didn't share pictures of the costumes that will debut at the conventions, but did offer a sneak peek at the themes: Spiderman, and Dungeons and Dragons, made to order for the young cosplayers.
"I know it sounds really wild but the kids really do run the organization so what they're asking for kind of dictates who we work with and how we bring their vision to life,” Getman said.
Past projects have included Cinderella’s enchanted pumpkin coach, a Jurassic Park-themed Jeep with multifunctional velociraptors, a NASA-themed outer space rocket ship, Super Mario Kart’s red race car and more.
Currently there is a waitlist of 1,100 children eager to get a chance to receive a Magic Wheelchair. Getman said that fact "keeps me up at night, but it's so exciting that we have that much interest.”
Not only is Magic Wheelchair supplying costumes for two Comic-Con attendees, the company is also making its debut this year as an official SDCC exhibitor. They’ll be in Booth 4013.
“This year for Comic-con we’re so excited to be exhibiting properly — it feels like we graduated a little bit,” Getman said.
And the graduation comes in the middle of Disability Pride Month, too. Getman said that makes Magic Wheelchair's attendance at Comic-Con even more significant.
Getman said groups like Magic Wheelchair allow inclusivity for wheelchair users at events like Comic-Con, and that her team encourages self-expression, empowerment and simple fun. She also said terms like “wheelchair bound” can be disempowering and ultimately untrue to the disabled community, saying little tweaks in language can really shift the narrative of how society views the disabled community.
“You know, wheelchairs allow us to leave the house and go to Comic-con and travel," she said, “and so I hope that we can continue shifting that narrative into the empowering truth that it is.”
Because, in the end, not every hero wears a cape. But if you combine creativity, good intentions and a little magic you might just end up creating the greatest superhero ever.
If you would like to volunteer, donate building materials or nominate a child, you can do so online.
