Much like all other weekend, Keisha Green decided to unwind after a protracted work week together with her friends in Atlanta. At the top of a night crammed with laughs and great company, Green hopped in her automobile and headed home. Unfortunately, tonight would take a turn she would’ve never anticipated.

“We were involved in a really serious accident,” Green said, recounting the fateful night in 2013. “A guard rail got here through the automobile and severed each my legs immediately,” she explained, which led to a double amputation right below the knee.

Unsurprisingly, this modified the course of her life endlessly.

On the time, the busy mother of two had built a booming hair extension store and laid plans to expand right into a second brick-and-mortar location when her life was rocked. Together with her newly limited mobility, it became difficult to are inclined to herself and operate her businesses the best way she all the time had.

“I used to be adamant about not allowing the amputation deter me from my goals,” Green said. “My mindset has never made room for self-imposed limitations, but unfortunately the world hadn’t caught up.”

Green said that after the accident, it became clear that the majority spaces weren’t ADA compliant, making it difficult for her to navigate, particularly in a hands-on field like e-commerce beauty. “I noticed I used to be falling behind on my shipments because I couldn’t find my way around as easily while in my chair,” she explained. “So, I began making accessibility accommodations and constructing a network of contacts that will help me do that each one while growing my business.”

After a while, she was capable of expand her beauty brand footprint right into a hub for salon suites that housed stylists and other entrepreneurs. Along the best way, she took note of what she learned and created a training program for aspiring business owners who were also amputees.

“I launched my platform, Legless Divas, because I do know there’s a big group of Black women that underwent amputations, and knew nobody else like them,” Green shared with Essence. “After I got here from the hospital, I didn’t have numerous the things that I needed to live my day by day life. I didn’t have a shower bench. I didn’t have a bedside chair. I used to be unable to get through my bathroom doorway due to its construction. There have been so many things that ought to have been done or checked out before returning home and this isn’t unusual. These women needed advocates.”

Legless Divas is an inclusive support group that provides wrap-around services for amputees including one-on-one business coaching, health care resources, and access to an empowerment community of girls.

Moreover, Green mentioned she’s aiming to share the stories of the ladies she’s met and helped along the best way in a recent podcast, Nothing Missing co-hosted with fellow amputee advocates.

Moreover, Green mentioned she’s aiming to share the stories of the ladies she’s met and helped along the best way in a recent podcast, Nothing Missing co-hosted with fellow amputee advocates.

“In step with the whole lot I’ve launched, this series will function a possibility to champion the message that no matter what people have labeled as a disability, we’ll all the time decide to deal with our many abilities. Despite our limbs having been removed, we’re missing nothing.”