About Me

Jim Higgins (1973-2009) created this site on April 2009.  Sadly, he passed away a month later, but even in that short time he created lots of dialogue meant to ensure that his home, Oxford, Mississippi is a welcoming place for all.  You can see some of what he had to say by visiting the first blog entries.  I am his wife, Tayla, and I now maintain the website.  You may contact me with any questions or comments about this site.

Here is what Jim had to say about himself.

My name is Jim Higgins.  I am not an architect, designer or builder.  My education is in English & Creative Writing and through some circuitous path I’ve found myself working with computers for a living.

A number of years ago my legs began to fail me.  As an infant, I’d suffered neuroblastoma, a large cancerous tumor had quickly developed on my spine.  The eventual failure of my legs years later was a latent consequence of large and prolonged doses of radiation delivered to my spine.  Faced with impending paralysis in my late twenties, I toddled around on a cane for a while, doing the best I could.  But as the connections between my mind and my muscles deteriorated, using the cane went from precarious, to impractical and finally became impossible.  I now use a lightweight titanium wheelchair.

I started this blog because I realized that most able-bodied people have no idea what disabled people require.  I believe this because I never gave it much thought myself, until I had to.  I hope to work with business owners, builders, architects and anybody else in Oxford and the surround areas.  My goal is to make all new and renovated businesses inviting to people of all abilities.

If you want my advice (totally free and unprofessional) about what a person in a wheelchair needs from your location, please contact me by email or call me at (662) 801-7956.  I work full-time and may not always be able to answer calls on my personal phone, so just leave a message and I’ll call you back at my next break.

I am also very interested in getting in touch with other disabled people, both from Oxford and the university, as well as disabled people who often find themselves here for sporting, business or family events.  There is an urge to spurn the company of other disabled folks in order to better fit in with your able-bodied friends.  I feel it too.  But the cause of making everyplace welcoming and accessible is more important.  I’d like to organize occasional outtings, chances for local people and business owners to see that there are active disabled people in town.   I’d like people to see and know that it’s worth their time and effort to consider everybody in their plans and designs.