6 Disabled Women Who Rewrote the Narrative of the Disability Community
Disabled women has always been on the forefront of fighting for disability rights and changing the perception of disabled people and community.
Hey guys!
International Women’s Day was yesterday, March 8th, and we’re highlighting six disabled women who have rewritten the narrative of the disability community and changed the way people view disabled people. Of course, there are many other amazing disabled women who have changed the disability community! If we’re going to discuss all of them, this post will be a book!
Women have always been at the forefront of fighting for civil rights, disability rights, LGBTQ+ rights, and women’s rights. Disabled women, in particular, have fought hard to ensure that disabled people can fully participate in society. Today, we’re shining a light on these incredible women who have broken barriers and continue to make a difference.
Here are the six disabled women you should know about!
Disabled people are out here following their dreams, pushing through barriers, and proving that we belong. These women are changing the game and showing the world what’s possible.
Claudia Gordon
Claudia Gordon is a lawyer and disability rights advocate. She worked for the National Council on Disability as a consulting attorney and then as an attorney. She was promoted to senior policy advisor for the United States Department of Homeland Security, Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. She played a major role in implementing and executing an executive order on individuals with disabilities in emergency preparedness. She has served as the Special Assistant and Chief of Staff at the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs in the U.S. Department of Labor. Under the Obama administration, she was the Associate Director at the White House Office of Public Engagement. Throughout her career, she has fought for disabled people and marginalized communities, working to create more opportunities and accessibility in workplaces and beyond. She immigrated to America from Jamaica, and she wanted to be a lawyer because she was unable to obtain an education in Jamaica due to her disability. She became the first Black Deaf Women lawyer in the US. She works as the New Chair of the National Council on Disability, continuing her fight for disability rights.
Jordyn Zimmerman
Jordyn Zimmerman is a disability rights advocate and educator who is reshaping the way we think about education. She communicates using a communication app on her iPad and teaches schools how to better support disabled students. Jordyn is a Board Member of CommunicationFIRST. She served on President Biden’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. She is working to create a more inclusive and accessible education system where all students have the resources and support they need to succeed. She has autism and is nonverbal. If you want to learn more about her, watch her interview with Good Morning America, click here!
Imani Barbarin
Imani Barbarin is an author, blogger, social media content creator, and disability rights activist. She runs the blog "Crutches and Spice," where she dismantles the stigma around disability and fights for authentic representation. Imani is outspoken about how ableism intersects with racism, sexism, and other social justice issues. She wants disabled people to know that they are worthy, powerful, and capable of achieving anything. She has cerebral palsy and uses her platform to uplift and advocate for the disability community. If you want to learn more about her, read her blog!
Lauren Potter
Lauren Potter is an actress, comedian, and disability rights activist. She is best known for playing Becky Jackson on Glee but has also starred in shows like Law & Order: SVU, Mr. Blue Sky, and Born This Way. Beyond acting, she has worked with organizations like AbilityPath, the National Down Syndrome Society, and the American Association for People with Disabilities. In 2015, she was appointed to President Obama’s Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities. She continues to use her platform to advocate for inclusion, disability rights, and representation in media. She has down syndrome.
Judith (Judy) Heumann
Judy Heumann was a legendary disability rights activist and educator. As a child, she had to fight just to go to school, and as an adult, she fought institutional barriers that excluded disabled people from society. She became New York’s first disabled teacher after suing the state when they denied her a teaching license because she couldn’t walk. She went on to lead the 504 Sit-In, which led to the signing of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973—a law that laid the foundation for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Judy co-founded the Center for Independent Living and the World Institute on Disability alongside Ed Roberts and other disability activists. She later worked for the Clinton and Obama administrations, advocating for disabled people on a national and global scale. She wrote two books, Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist with Kristen Joiner and a young adult version, Rolling Warrior. She is known as the “Mother of the Disability Rights Movement.” Judy had polio and dedicated her life to ensuring disabled people have the rights, opportunities, and dignity they deserve. If you are interested in her book, read my review of her memoir, click here!
Alice Wong
Alice Wong is an author, activist, and community advocate. She founded the Disability Visibility Project, an online space dedicated to disability media and culture. She has led campaigns to ensure disabled people are valued and represented, including voting initiatives and policy work. Alice served as an advisor for the National Council on Disability, where she worked on federal disability policies. She has written books like Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life and Disability Intimacy: Essays on Love, Care, and Desire. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, Teen Vogue, The Guardian, and more. She also launched the Disability Visibility Podcast in 2017 and works as an independent research consultant. Alice has muscular dystrophy and continues to fight for disability justice.
Disabled Women Are Leaders, Innovators, and Changemakers
Disabled women have always been leaders in advocacy, innovation, and change. They have challenged outdated perceptions, broken down barriers, and paved the way for future generations of disabled people to thrive. Their stories remind us that disability is not a limitation—it’s a part of who we are.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day, let’s recognize the power and resilience of disabled women who have fought—and continue to fight—for equality, accessibility, and justice. Their work has transformed policies, shifted cultural narratives, and inspired millions to demand more from society.
But the fight isn’t over. Disabled women, especially those who are multiply marginalized, continue to face discrimination, lack of accessibility, and exclusion. We must keep pushing for true inclusion, better policies, and full participation for all disabled people. That means amplifying disabled voices, advocating for disability rights, and creating a world where all women—disabled or not—have the opportunities, support, and rights they deserve.
Let’s celebrate these incredible women, learn from their stories, and commit to making the world more just, more accessible, and more inclusive for everyone.
Love, Enable Everything
Sources
https://www.jordynzimmerman.com/
https://www.ncd.gov/2024/04/09/ncd-announces-new-chair-claudia-l-gordon/
*This is the opinion of Enable Everything. Please fact-check everything*