By Barbara A. Schmitz
When Jessica Cox was born without arms, there were few role models she could look to for inspiration.
“I grew up without a cellphone and without social media,” she recalled. “I didn’t have a community with others who had similar disabilities. I always wondered if someone else like me was out there. I felt so alone.”
In her late teens, she read a news story about a woman with disabilities, and she reached out to her. That woman became her mentor and changed her life.
Now Jessica is trying to do the same and help others, particularly children who have lost a limb.
Jessica became the world’s first armless pilot in 2008 when she earned her sport pilot certificate; she also has a black belt in tae kwon do.
Now a worldwide motivational speaker who has presented in 29 countries, she spreads her message through the Rightfooted Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to serving the armless community, especially children born without arms. It also provides a free custom dressing hook to children born without arms.
She was back in Oshkosh on Tuesday, speaking to a group about her journey and the importance of being fearless and adaptable, as well as advocating for disabilities. The timing coincides with the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, signed on July 26, 1990.
Too often, people with disabilities are forgotten and aren’t given opportunities to get an education or work a job. “It’s simple things like that that give them dignity,” she said.
If there’s one thing that the children from Limbitless Wisconsin who attended her presentation on Tuesday remember, Jessica hopes it’s this: Disability doesn’t mean inability.
“They need to find a way to find their passions,” she says. “I hope this is a moment that will stay with them forever since the whole world is telling them they can’t, just because they were born without an arm or they lost a leg.”
But just as important as it is that children hear her message, it’s vital that their parents hear it, too. She explained how she buckles her 1946 Ercoupe 415-C’s four-point harness using only her feet, and answered questions about the challenges that come with having no arms.
In short, she told and showed how she can do just about anything those with arms can do.
“If a parent is telling their child that they can’t do something, that child will think they can’t,” Jessica said. It’s normal to want to help your child, but that can mean the child doesn’t learn how to do everyday tasks such as getting dressed or eating.
“Independence doesn’t come easy to people with disabilities, but it’s something they yearn for so much,” she said. “Too many times, society disables children, and we want to make sure people can get over the stigma that exists, rather unconscious or not.”
While Jessica still flies her Ercoupe to promote the mission of the foundation, she looks forward to having a new airplane to further her work. The Impossible Airplane is a four-seat purpose-built RV-10 created for her to fly using only her feet. (The right seat is standard, however.) It is being built, in part, by EAA Chapter 898 and should be completed and fly on November 14, said Patrick Chamberlain, inclusive engineering director for Rightfooted and Jessica’s husband.
A fundraising party will be held the same day at Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona.
For more information, visit ImpossibleAirplane.com.
Construction started in 2022, and EAA members have been working on the airplane weekly. Patrick said most people won’t notice the modifications, such as the throttle quadrant, since they use universal design and a combination of standard pieces.
They hope to start using the new airplane to fly children and their parents in 2027, and Jessica hopes to fly it over the closing ceremonies of the Paralympics in Los Angeles in 2028.
“We’ll use it for Young Eagles events, and we’re excited about the opportunity to go visit families using this airplane,” Patrick said. “To spend time in their home environment and let them see how Jessica can do everything will help those kids become independent.”