When Ligia Andrade Zúñiga sees the opportunity for advocacy and change, she takes it. As a first-generation Latinx American with a disability, Zúñiga has spent the past decade working to improve opportunities for underrepresented communities.
“It is important for our community leaders to reflect the people they represent,” says Zúñiga. “I identify as a female person of color with a disability, and I want to be sure these different perspectives are included in policy decisions.”
Zúñiga started her work as a champion for the disability community just months after she sustained a C5-6 complete spinal cord injury from a car accident in 2009 when she was 28 years old.
“The peer support program in the hospital saved my life. It gave me purpose again,” says Zúñiga. “It is such a mutual relationship. It helps peers see what’s possible and where they can go, and it helps mentors remember where they came from and recognize their accomplishments.”
After several years in the peer program at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, Zúñiga trained to become a Reeve Foundation Peer & Family Support Program mentor.
“I’ve met many people over the years who mentored me, and I had to pay it forward,” says Zúñiga. “The relationships you build are priceless, and making new connections is my favorite part. I enjoy showing people the possibilities.”
And Zúñiga certainly has a lot of incredible work to share.
Her passion for disability justice initially brought her to the Silicon Valley Independent Living Center, where she worked for two years to help others transition out of nursing homes. Now, she is chair of the California State Independent Living Council, where she works to collaborate with statewide organizations to advocate policy changes to the governor’s office for people with disabilities in California.
Another area where Zúñiga saw a need was in sexuality resources for people living with a disability.
“I was already separated from my husband at the time of my accident, and there didn’t seem to be a lot of information available about changes in your body and self-esteem after an injury, especially for higher-level quadriplegics,” says Zúñiga.