Five Women Who Are Revolutionizing Disability Rights and Representation
(Image: In a row are images of the five women featured in this article. From left to right: Lachi, Lydia X. Z. Brown, Wanda Díaz-Merced, Rebecca Cokley, and Imani Barbarin) According to the CDC, approximately 36 million women with disabilities live in the United States, which equates to more than half of the disability community. Because March is Women’s History Month, we are highlighting several amazing women with disabilities who are making a difference in society toward greater equity, inclusion, and representation throughout the arts, science, activism, and more. Their work across multiple platforms has shaped and continues to make a difference in the modern disability community.
Lachi
Lachi is a blind recording artist, songwriter, and award-winning disability advocate who is helping to reshape the music industry with her commitment to accessibility, representation, and inclusion. She is a classically trained musician and producer. She has worked with major labels such as Warner Music and collaborated with Grammy-nominated artists, including Snoop Dogg and Cardi B, proving that disability is not necessarily a barrier to success in the entertainment world.Beyond her music career, Lachi is a powerful force in disability rights. She founded RAMPD (Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities), an organization dedicated to amplifying voices of people with disabilities, improving accessibility in the music industry, and ensuring that artists with disabilities have a seat at the table in mainstream media. One of her most significant contributions has been working with the Recording Academy to make the Grammys more accessible, advocating for better accommodations and inclusion at one of the most prestigious events in music. Her advocacy has earned her widespread recognition. Forbes Magazine named her one of the most powerful voices in disability advocacy, and USA Today titled her “2024 Woman of the Year”. She has also spoken at major industry events, consulted on accessibility initiatives, and been featured in top publications like Billboard and The New York Times for her work in making the music industry more inclusive.In 2023, Lachi released "You Lift Me Up," a song dedicated to the late disability rights icon Judy Heumann, often called the "mother of the disability rights movement." Through her music, advocacy, and leadership, Lachi continues to challenge stereotypes, speak for systemic change, and inspire a new generation of artists with disabilities and advocates to claim their space in creative industries.
Lydia X. Z. Brown
Lydia X. Z. Brown (they/them) is an autistic, non-binary, disability rights advocate, attorney, educator, and public speaker. They have spent over a decade fighting for the rights of individuals with disabilities, particularly those at the intersections of race, gender, sexuality, and other marginalized identities. Their work is rooted in disability justice, challenging systemic oppression, ableism, and intersectional discrimination. Lydia’s journey into advocacy is deeply personal.Growing up autistic in a world that often treats difference as a problem, Lydia faced isolation and exclusion, shaping their understanding of ableism as a pervasive system denying people with disabilities autonomy, dignity, and fundamental human rights. This fueled their determination to create a world where marginalized people with disabilities could thrive.After earning their law degree, Lydia became a policy advocate and legal strategist, using their expertise and lived experience to dismantle structural inequalities faced by people with disabilities. One of their most significant achievements came as a Georgetown University graduate student, where they spearheaded the creation of the Georgetown University Disability Cultural Center in 2016. More than a physical space, the Center celebrated disability as a vibrant part of human diversity, offering resources, fostering community, and advocating for disability justice. It became a model for other universities, empowering students with disabilities to share their stories and push for inclusive policies. In 2013, Brown was recognized by the White House Champions of Change program in commemoration of the 23rd anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.Today, as Director of Public Policy at the National Disability Institute, Lydia focuses on economic justice and policy reform, working to shift the violence, discrimination, and marginalization faced by the disability community, especially those experiencing racism, sexism, and other oppressions. They are also a trailblazer in the conversation around gender and disability. As a nonbinary autistic person, Lydia popularized the term “gendervague,” which pushes against rigid gender norms and embraces the fluid, nonbinary experiences of many neurodivergent individuals. Their advocacy is supported by research, including a Nature Communications study showing transgender individuals are three to six times more likely to be autistic, highlighting the need for nuanced understanding at the intersection of gender diversity and neurodiversity.
Wanda Díaz-Merced
Wanda Díaz-Merced is a blind astronomer who has transformed the way we understand the universe, proving that disability is not a barrier to groundbreaking scientific discovery. Born in Puerto Rico, Wanda lost her vision in her early twenties due to complications from diabetes. Rather than letting this limit her, she turned her challenge into an opportunity to reimagine how science could be more inclusive.Wanda’s pioneering work focuses on sonification, which is the process of converting astronomical data into sound. Because of her frustration of the visual-centric nature of traditional astronomy, she developed techniques that allow scientists to "listen" to the stars, galaxies, and cosmic phenomena. This innovation not only opened new doors for her own research but also created opportunities for other blind and visually impaired individuals to engage with astronomy and STEM fields. Her work has proven that accessibility in science isn’t just about inclusion—it’s about expanding the boundaries of what’s possible.Wanda’s contributions extend beyond her research. She is a passionate advocate for disability rights in STEM, working to dismantle barriers and create pathways for scientists with disabilities. Her efforts have earned her international recognition, including speaking engagements at prestigious institutions like NASA and the United Nations. Through her advocacy, she challenges the scientific community to rethink its assumptions about ability and to embrace diverse perspectives as essential to innovation.
Rebecca Cokley
Rebecca Cokley is a Little Person and a third-generation disability advocate. Rebecca has dedicated her career to fighting for the rights of people with disabilities, particularly those who live within the intersections of multiple marginalized identities. Her work spans policy, activism, and community building, making her one of the most influential voices in the disability rights movement today.Rebecca’s parents were instrumental in the fight for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Their activism inspired her to carry the torch, and she has since become a trailblazer in her own right. She was the first Little Person to serve in the White House, where she worked under the Obama administration as the Director of Priority Placement for Public Engagement. In this role, she focused on hiring individuals with disabilities and ensuring their representation in the federal government, a critical step toward making public service more inclusive.Rebecca’s advocacy is deeply intersectional, addressing the ways disability overlaps with race, gender, class, and other identities. She has been a vocal critic of the systemic barriers that disproportionately affect people with disabilities of color, women, and LGBTQ+ individuals. She focuses on amplifying the voices of the most marginalized in the disability community- those who experience multiple layers of discrimination due to intersecting identities- advocating for policies and movements that reflect the full diversity of disability experiences.One of Rebecca’s most significant contributions is her leadership in shaping disability policy at the national level. As the Executive Director of the National Council on Disability (NCD) during the Obama administration, she played a key role in advancing policies that promote equity and accessibility for people with disabilities. Her efforts have focused on issues such as healthcare access, employment discrimination, and the rights of parents with disabilities and families. Rebecca’s ability to bridge the gap between grassroots activism and high-level policy work has made her a uniquely effective advocate.In addition to her policy work, Rebecca is a powerful storyteller and public speaker. Her impact extends beyond her professional achievements. She is a proud parent with disabilities, and her experiences raising children with disabilities in a mixed-race family have further fueled her commitment to creating a more inclusive world. Her advocacy for families with disabilities has brought attention to the unique challenges they face, from navigating healthcare systems to fighting for educational equity.Today, Rebecca continues to lead by example as the Director of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress. In this role, she advances disability rights through research, policy, and advocacy, ensuring that disability justice remains a priority in national conversations.
Imani Barbarin
Imani Barbarin is a Black woman with a disability. Imani has become one of the most influential voices in the disability community, using her platform to challenge stereotypes, amplify marginalized voices, and push for systemic change. Known online as @CrutchesAndSpice, she has turned social media into a powerful tool for education, empowerment, and advocacy.Imani’s rise to prominence began with her social media presence, where she combines wit, humor, and raw honesty to discuss disability issues. Her viral hashtag, #PatientsAreNotFaking, brought attention to the mistreatment of people with disabilities, especially those with invisible disabilities, in healthcare systems. This campaign sparked widespread conversations about equity and compassion in medicine.One of Imani’s greatest strengths is her ability to make complex issues accessible. She breaks down systemic ableism and racism in engaging ways through enlightening social media reels and written articles that highlight examples of the views of disability from popular culture, politics, and the disability community itself, making her a go-to resource for understanding the intersections of disability, race, and gender. Her writing, featured in Teen Vogue, The Guardian, and HuffPost, amplifies her message to broader audiences.Imani’s work is deeply rooted in intersectionality. She highlights how people of color with disabilities face disproportionate systemic oppression, from police violence to inadequate healthcare and education. Her advocacy challenges the disability rights movement to confront its biases and amplify the most marginalized voices. She is a vocal critic of “inspiration porn” (the portrayal of people with disabilities as objects of inspiration for the benefit of able-bodied audiences. It often involves stories, images, or media that highlight individuals with disabilities "overcoming" their disability in ways that make able-bodied people feel inspired, rather than focusing on the systemic barriers people with disabilities face. She openly criticizes the tokenization of the disability community, particularly Black individuals with disabilities.In addition to her digital activism, Imani is a sought-after speaker and consultant. She helps organizations improve accessibility and authentic representation of people with disabilities in media. Her efforts have shifted narratives around disability from pity and inspiration to empowerment and inclusion.Imani’s impact extends beyond advocacy. She is a role model for youth, especially young Black girls, showing them their voices matter and they deserve to take up space. Her authenticity and refusal to conform to societal expectations make her a beacon of disability pride.Today, Imani continues to push for a more inclusive and equitable world through her writing, speaking, and social media presence. Her work reminds us that disability justice is inseparable from racial and gender justice. These powerful women are the present-day voices making a difference in our society for more inclusion, understanding, compassion, and change. This month, and every month, we celebrate the amazing work of powerful women in our country for a more just and equitable world.While these women are remarkable trailblazers, countless others who go unrecognized make an impact every day. Women with disabilities serve their communities, raise families, lead in businesses and local government, and advocate for equality, accessibility, and inclusion. We honor and thank all women with disabilities for their vital contributions to the disability movement, their families, and the world.