While I have always identified as being disabled, I wasn’t always involved with the Disability Community. I’m personally proud to be a woman with a disability because even at times when my disability brings challenges, it makes me who I am.
“Women with disabilities — nearly 1 in 5 women worldwide — experience multiple forms of discrimination that create additional challenges for their activism and lives.” (Women with Disabilities Leading Change, 2019). In a fact sheet for the 57th Commission on the Status of Women back in February 2013, the United Nations shared that “girls with disabilities experience discrimination and heightened vulnerability on account of their gender, age, and disability, and girls with intellectual disabilities are particularly vulnerable”. It saddens but doesn’t surprise me to know that women with disabilities, who already face gender discrimination, face added discrimination based on disability. Yet, women with disabilities continue to advocate for us and fight for our communities since our voices are still often not heard. I dream of helping to carry out this fight and make the world a more inclusive place.
My passion for Disability Rights and the pursuit of a career involving disability advocacy came after watching the documentary Crip Camp and learning about the passionate disabled women who organized the 504 Sit-In in 1977, which resulted in the implementation of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 which prohibits discrimination of an individual based on disability in programs that receive Federal financial assistance. Watching the documentary and learning about Judy Heumann’s passion to fight for the Disability Community pushed me into a career where I can help continue the movement in my own way.
After watching the movie and learning more about the history, I was empowered to further my knowledge about the Disability Community by earning an advanced certificate in disability studies, which I completed in December. This program opened my eyes to issues people with different disabilities face. During my fellowship, I learned that subminimum wage is still legal for disabled workers in most states, so many people with disabilities are paid just a couple of dollars an hour. Additionally, I learned about the need to pass the Marriage Equality for Disabled Adults Act, ensuring government benefits are no longer at risk for an individual if they want to be legally married to their partner.