Meet Whitney Doyle
As someone who was born without a fully formed right arm and right leg, what shaped my perspective of disability was less about my opinions of myself and more about other people’s. I grew up being the second oldest of five children. My mom has told me that she didn’t see any reason to treat me differently than my siblings so that is exactly what she did. That decision shaped my confidence and approach to life. A lack of limbs didn’t make me different from anyone else, as I was still a person and entitled to all the things other people were entitled to.
I participated in whatever activity I wanted to do growing up: ballet, basketball, soccer, karate, band, and Girl Scouts. The only times I ever felt different as a child with a disability was when other people told me I was different or when they treated me differently. In truth, I viewed most of being treated differently as an advantage. Not having to take P.E. in middle and high school meant an extra class of my choosing. Leaving classes early to have more time to get from class to class meant I had more time to visit with my friends. Having occupational or physical therapy during the school day meant I got to explore parts of the school that no other kids saw. Traveling to Shriners’ Hospital for Children in Tampa, FL every few months for prosthetic care meant eating out, watching movies in the car, and swimming for hours in a hotel pool. Basically vacation!
A lack of limbs didn’t make me different from anyone else, as I was still a person and entitled to all the things other people were entitled to.
The experiences that made me feel different were usually from people who didn’t know me or had just met me. I have had countless strangers ask me why I don’t have an arm or leg. I’ve caught countless more staring at me. People have offered to pray for me, have blessed me, or even offered me money. I’ve been asked to get off rides at theme parks because I don’t have the correct amount of limbs to safely ride. I’ve been told I couldn’t safely volunteer to hold babies at a hospital as the parents may be concerned I was putting their baby in danger. It’s these experiences that have taught me that people needing to know or make sense of my body is to make them feel comfortable, not me. I am comfortable and accepting of my body, as it has led me to many great experiences.
In high school, having a disability gave me access to the Florida Youth Leadership Forum. This forum taught me leadership skills and I learned about disability history, culture, and community. Having to wear a prosthetic leg everyday shaped my first career path as a Certified Prosthetist. As a prosthetic user, learning about patient care and prosthetic componentry was so much more than a career, it was a personal passion of mine. I had grown up using mechanical knee joints, wearing a ischial containment transfemoral socket with either a belt or skin fit suction. It wasn’t until getting my orthotics and prosthetics degree that I learned about microprocessor knees and hands, liners, and three quarter sockets. Getting a degree isn’t the easiest way to learn about new products. So what I recommend to anyone going through prosthetic care is to shop around and ask questions. Meet with prosthetists until you find one that makes you the most comfortable and that will explain all the different products on the market and will help you make the decision on what’s right for you.
My world changed and expanded when I learned about POWER KNEE. When I heard that there was a motorized prosthetic knee that could function more like my left leg than anything else available, I knew I had to have it. Being born without my limbs made longevity very important to me. I wanted to be walking for as long as I can be and I wanted to do it without pain. POWER KNEE gave me that.
What I learned as a Certified Prosthetist actually led me out of the industry and into the broader work of nonprofit disability advocacy. In 2020, I finished my masters degree in nonprofit management and in the same year became the Executive Director of the Florida Alliance for Assistive Services and Technology (FAAST), a statewide nonprofit that helps people who have disabilities try out different assistive technology devices free of charge before they buy it.
I am very fortunate to have used the experiences that my disability has given me as opportunities. I know that it’s the view, path, or privilege that everyone has. If you have the pleasure of not having all your limbs, people will treat you differently. It’s up to you whether or not you view that as positive opportunities and advantages.