Rolling with Myana Inniss: Paralysis not stopping me!

Myana Inniss didn't think she would ever feel the pride of graduating.

Wheelchair-bound after an accident in April 2018 left paralysed from the waist down – just a few weeks shy of finishing her undergraduate studies in theatre arts at UWI – Inniss was ready to give up on her dream of being a performer and one day, perhaps a drama teacher.

Following the accident, she decided to press pause on her studies. It would take months for her to accept her new circumstances and to resume her studies which she only did last year.

So, when Inniss, 26, was able to don UWI’s graduation gown and take photos on December 3 – International Day of Persons with Disabilities, the moment was overwhelming.

“I dreamt of that moment (to wear the gown) for my mother (Glenda) because from since preschool until university, my mother was the one to help me with my education,” Inniss, weeping with emotion, told WMN during a recent interview at her Valencia home.

Doing studies in theatre arts and perhaps becoming a teacher for the subject was something Inniss dreamt of.

Her love for theatre arts developed in form one while attending Bishop Anstey High School East in Trincity.

“In secondary school I really opened my up to it (theatre arts).

“When I started theatre arts in form one, I realised that I loved this because I was not camera shy, stage shy and I had a big mouth so I could have projected loudly.”

“We had a theatre arts play to do and my teacher said she would choose the best to perform for the boys on the Trinity (College East) side and I was selected. That made me feel that I could do this (theatre arts).

While at Bishops, Inniss participated in the 2011 Gaza Mono-Logues, an annual global theatrical event to commemorate a 2008 attack on the Gaza Strip.

When she left school, it was a no-brainer that she would pursue theatre arts at university. To do so, Inniss bypassed sixth form studies and did a practitioner's certificate in drama/theatre in education in 2014 at the UWI Open Campus. In 2015, after completing her certificates, she started her undergrad degree in theatre arts at the UWI, St Augustine.

Learning to adapt

Going back to school took some adjustment.

“In the beginning, being in the accident made me feel as though I was going to be kept back. But I said that I have to prove to myself and the people who were doubting that I can make it.”

Inniss doesn’t want her experience at UWI to be defined by her accident but what she learnt and its future impact on those she would eventually encounter. During her undergraduate studies, she realised theatre arts wasn’t all about acting. She also got a greater feel for the production side.

“What I try to explain to people are, when you theatre arts, you are not just taught how to act but you’re also taught how to teach people how to act as well.”

But while Inniss was able to soldier on and complete her studies, she admits being in a wheelchair has come with challenges.

“Life changed in a second. I thought to myself how was I going to live now given that I wouldn’t have been able to walk.

“I thought what I would be able to do for myself, if I would have to depend on someone to change and bathe me, if I could have children, if someone would love me. Simple things like that.”

She always reminds herself that she isn’t defined by her life’s circumstances. Being dependent on people is the biggest challenge she faces.

“It’s not hard to be paralysed or to be on a wheelchair, that doesn’t make me cry, it’s just depending on people.

“I was accustomed to, for example, if I have to get something in Diego Martin, I would have travelled to Diego Martin but now, if I have to go right to the (Valencia) junction, I have to get a driver. You have to move with people time.”

But Inniss says she receives ample support from her family and friends which has made adjusting to life in a wheelchair much easier.

Still, she says perceptions of people with disabilities in TT need to change.

Making it on her own

When she first got into the accident, Inniss said some people thought she would be dependent on state welfare and not lead a “normal” life.

To play her part in changing perceptions, she has started a YouTube channel called Rollin with Mymy – Paralysis not stopping me.

Inniss vlogs her daily life on the channel in a bid to show that people in wheelchairs are capable of doing many day-to-day tasks.

“I want people to see. Earlier this year, I went to Tobago. A lot of people asked how I went on a plane and how I was able to go Tobago. I had to remind them there are things in place for people in wheelchairs.”

But Inniss said wheelchair accessibility is still an issue.

She recalled a time when she almost got stuck in a bathroom stall, in a mall, because the stall’s doorway was almost not wide enough for her to easily navigate her wheelchair.

“I believe a person with a wheelchair cannot go out on their own (in TT). I don’t believe so because you’ll need somebody to help you with something like lifting your chair up on a pavement.

“A lot of businesses also have ramps, but they have ramps for ramps sake. So, the ramps steep and if I’m going down, I might end up on the ground.”

Inniss has also created a Facebook support group called Spinal Cord Injury: Life in TT. The group’s members comprise caregivers and people with spinal cord injuries.

Before covid19, Inniss said she had plans of having in-person events where people with similar conditions could have socialised but those plans have been placed on hold. She said in 2021 she hopes the plans can come to fruition.

The future is limitless

While much is uncertain about the months ahead, Inniss is certain she doesn’t have any plans to do her master’s studies just yet.

“I feel like since I finished secondary school, I never really got that academic break. I feel like I may not venture onto the masters right now because I really like I need to relax and get a job.”

Apart from her UWI studies, Inniss had courses in cosmetology (2012) and bartending (2015) at the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). But her long term goal is to be a theatre arts teacher and inspire TT’s next generation of performers.

“I have old books with brown pages which I am trying to save because I know that one day, I will be a theatre arts teacher and I don’t want to forget the knowledge because there are some things that might slip the mind.

“So, I want to have the proof in the books so that I can also show the students what I learnt.”

While 2021 Carnival may have been cancelled, due to covid19, Inniss is already looking forward to the next round of celebrations. Before her accident, Inniss performed with a theatre arts group called Morris and Company for traditional Carnival shows.

“Every year, knowing myself, I performed in the nostalgia (Carnival) competitions like traditional ole mas competitions in Port of Spain on Carnival Sunday. The character I played the most was the dame Lorraine.”

For this year’s Carnival, Inniss planned to perform as a baby doll character, in her wheelchair, but due to difficulties with costuming she was unable to do so. She is looking forward to bringing the idea to life when next she gets the opportunity.

To relax, Inniss does cosmetology and has learnt to do hair and nails. She admits that on days when she has nothing else to do, she gives her neighbours free makeovers. She may consider doing a course in nails, in the future.

Inniss’ message to people facing adversity is to do what makes them happy and put emphasis on self-love.

Gaza Mono-Logues

The Gaza Mono-Logues is a global project initiated by Iman Aoun, artistic director of Ashtar Theatre, Palestine's first theatre training organisation for youth. The impulse for the project emerged from the attack on the Gaza Strip, December 2008 to January 2009, which led to the death of 431 children and wounded another 1,872.

In 2009 Ashtar Theatre, with the help of Unicef, began conducting drama therapy and creative writing workshops with youth directly affected by the attacks. By focusing on these youths' individual experiences, their dreams, fears, and hopes, Ashtar Theatre compiled a body of work that led to the birth of The Gaza Mono-Logues.

Ashtar Theatre organised recitals of the The Gaza Mono-Logues in cities worldwide, in multiple languages.

(www.theatreforliving.com)