Old Navy - One Year Later

Hey Everyone!

This is going to be a quick update about something that I have been posting about for almost two years now.  It's been a little over a year since my last update!

About a week ago, I went to Old Navy at Livingston Mall. The same Old Navy that started it all. I am happy to say that there is an improvement in the fitting rooms. If you need a refresher on what I've previously written, the following are the posts I have written:

Old Navy
Old Navy Update
Old Navy Update #2
Old Navy: Trending on Twitter for the Wrong Reasons
Dear Gap Inc. (Old Navy Update #3)

So, again I said that there is an improvement from the previous times I have been there and wrote about it.

What improvements?

Well for one, both accessible fitting rooms were unlocked and empty (meaning - they weren't filled with racks of clothes). One of the rooms was, however, blocked by a rack of clothes but the associate working in the fitting rooms moved the rack out of the way.

There is still more that could be done - like changing around the floor plan in the accessible fitting rooms. Still have a problem being able to look at myself in the mirror (only can see the side of me).

Remember this picture?

Old Navy's accessible fitting room

The fitting room floor plan is still the same and that is one of the main things that I believe still needs to be looked into. We need to be able to see ourselves while we're trying on clothes and to fit in the fitting room because again, what if someone has a power chair???? They may not be able to get their power chair even close to the mirror.

So there were some positives and still a couple negatives but overall, I feel like it's going in the right direction. Thank you to everyone who has followed along in the last couple years. I hope you continue to do so as I'm sure this won't be the last update.

Until Next Time

CGoerlich <3

Thank You to My Public School Teachers

Hey Everyone!

As you all may know, today Betsy DeVos was confirmed as Secretary of Education. There has been many who have been AGAINST the idea of her being the Secretary of Education, me being one of them. Why? Well there are many reasons why.

But the main one is the fact that she doesn't know that the Individual with Disabilities Education Act is a federal law. This post isn't about going on and on at how this decision is not the best decision to be made so please watch the video of Senator Cory Booker's speech on his DeVos Opposition who goes in great detail about students with disabilities.

So what is this post really about? Well you can look at the title. I am writing this to thank all my teachers that I've had while I was in public school from Kindergarten to Senior Year, as well as my college professors.

I have spoken highly of the Township of Union's Board of Education many times. From the very start of my education, I have been included and treated with the same respect as my classmates.

When I raised my hand, I was picked on. When I wanted to take part in gym classes, I did. When my teachers needed to accommodate the classroom in anyway where I can take part, they did. When I had questions about what we were learning, they helped.

For so many years, I knew I was lucky to have grown up in this town but when I got older - I realized just how lucky I was as I heard many students with disabilities don't have the same opportunities in their school district as I did.



To My Teachers,

Thank you. Thank you for always including me in discussions. Thank you for moving desks around to make sure that I can get around the classrooms. Thank you for always picking on me when I raised my hand. Thank you for allowing me to speak in front of the class for speech assignments.

Thank you for letting me lead the class in the hallways (back in elementary school, we walked on the line to go to the next class). Thank you for listening to me when I needed help. Thank you for respecting me as you would any other student.

Thank you for teaching me English, Math, Science, History, Business, Music, different languages, Journalism, and so many more subjects.

Thank you to my gym teachers who always pushed me in gym class. Thank you to my case managers who were always there for me if I needed any new accommodations or needed something changed. Thank you to my guidance counselors for helping me make decisions about my classes and next step in my education.

Thank you to all my classroom assistants who were there for me when I needed help with moving chairs, taking my backpack off the back of the chair, going through the hallways, and so much more. Thank you to all the nurses who helped me when I was sick, needed to take my medications at lunch time, and so much more.

Thank you to my transition coordinator who pushed me to open myself to speak in front of over 200 people. Thank you to all the security guards for making me laugh and for protecting our schools. Thank you for all substitute teachers who filled in for my one-on-ones & our teachers.

Thank you to all the principals who were there if I needed you and to make sure that all students were getting the same respect from our teachers. Thank you to my bus drivers & aides for getting me from home to school and school to home safe & sound.

This is only some of my thank you's to all of you. You all have done so much for me over the years and I wouldn't be the same if I didn't have you all as my support system in school.

No matter what happens in the public education with this new change, just know that you have touched many lives and you will continue to touch more lives.

                                                               Caitlin


I would love for every student with a disability to have the same experience as I did. Now all we have to do is wait and see what happens with the new Secretary of Education.

Until Next Time

CGoerlich <3

Happy New Year!

Hey Everyone!

Happy New Year! It's time for a new year ---> 2017. Hope you all had a great year in 2016 even with the unfortunate amount of deaths that came through the year.

I know I haven't written anything on here for a few months but I wanted to wish you all a Happy New Year and hope you all have a GREAT 2017. I also wanted to let you know that I will try and update more on the blog this year (new goal - write more on here than I did in 2016 = more than 38 posts).

So have no worries, I haven't given up on Wiki-Wheelz and won't stop writing on here. I have a good feeling 2017 is going to be a great year and I will give you more information on exactly why (and what I have planned for the year) I believe that when the time comes.

I am working on something and you will all know about it soon enough. But for now I hope you all had a great Holiday (Christmas, Hanukka, Kwanza, and other holidays) and have a Happy New Year!

Until Next Time

CGoerlich <3

See You Again Hits TWO Billion Views

Hey Everyone!

Just a quick update on a couple of my previous posts. Back in January, I did an update on the song "See You Again" by Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth going by the numbers to see how long it would take for it to reach two billion views: See You Again song Update.

My numbers were off slightly as there were days where the video didn't get three million views a day BUT on September 3rd of 2016, See You Again has reached two billion views. According to the wikipedia  page, it was the fastest to reach the milestone (516 days).

Now there are two videos with two billion views (Gangnam Style being the first one) and there are a few behind that look to be close to the number as well.

So like I said this is just a quick update on "See You Again" and if you read my update post ^^^ then you will know why I wrote about this song and why it was important for me to talk about it reaching the two billion mark. Next up: Getting more than Gangnam Style! It is possible.

That's it for now but I feel another post building up inside of me so stay tuned for that one.

Until Next Time

CGoerlich <3

Don't Forget to Support the Rio 2016 Paralympics!

Credit: Paralympic Games, Rio 2016,
and creators of logo

Hey Everyone!

A couple weeks ago, the Olympics took over our televisions as we watched athletes from across the world compete in different sporting events like track & field, table tennis, gymnastics, archery, swimming, rugby, tennis, rowing, etc.

In the end, United States had the most medals of any other nation (thanks to swimming and track & field which were two of the most winning sports for our country). The Rio Olympics were one of the biggest Olympics as there were many records broken, medals won, and even drama [Ryan Lochte anyone? green water? and more].

The games came to a close with countries coming together (closing ceremonies) and the world celebrating their elite athletes as they return home to their respective countries. So what's next for these sports? Is that it for another four years??

Not at all.

In six days, another round of Olympic sports (games) will start again! This time - it's the Paralympics (Olympics for elite athletes with physical disabilities). Did you know that? No? Well...it's coming and be prepared to watch!

Because for the first time, in Paralympics history, the 2016 Rio Paralympics will be airing LIVE - specifically 70 hours. Remember when I first posted about it when it was first announced? Check out my previous post (from a couple years ago): Finally. The Paralympics to be Aired Live in U.S.

The 2014 Winter Paralympics were the first time NBC (and NBCSN) aired LIVE events from the Olympics and this year's Summer Games will get about 20 more hours than the previous Paralympics and it would mark about 65 more hours than the 2012 games where NBC only aired one hour highlights each of the five days.

With so much talk about diversity, equality, and more - it is IMPORTANT that you tune in and watch the games because this is a great deal for people with disabilities and the elite athletes who are competing. We need many viewers to watch the games because it will show our kids (with or without disabilities) that anyone has the capabilities of being an athlete.

The Paralympics help break down barriers between the disabled and abled. It is a step that helps bring equality towards all people (remember "disability" has their own group but not brought up in conversations). The following Facebook post is one of the ways Paralympics help bring awareness towards disability and help remove obstacles for people with disabilities (Tatyana McFadden is a great advocate for disability rights and adaptive sports.



Please take part in the Paralympic Movement (watching the Paralympics, sharing about the Paralympics, and more). Talk about the events you're watching and tell NBC that you want more for the future games. Paralympics deserve to get the same amount of air-time as the Olympics do!

Ready to watch some awesome athletes? Then check out NBC's schedule of the events, as well check out other places you can watch the games: IPC selects Dailymotion to live stream 680 hours of the Paralympics Games.

Then come back here and let me know what you're favorite sporting event is!!

Go Team USA. Bring home the gold!

Until Next Time

CGoerlich <3