Keith Jones is a life-long disability activist with cerebral palsy. He is the President and CEO of SoulTouchin' Experiences LLC, and his advocacy discusses the need for access, inclusion, and disability empowerment across all social movements. He is outspoken against systems of oppression that impact Black disabled people's experience with education, mental health, incarceration, and more. In addition to his advocacy, Keith is an incredibly talented and influential poet & musician. He is a co-founder of Krip Hop Nation, the worldwide association of artists with disabilities. Krip Hop’s website shares that the association, 'campaigns for equality for people with disabilities worldwide with concerts, tours, workshops and much more'. Over the past few years, Keith and other Krip Hop Nation’s lead artists have gotten prominent recognition and award nominations for their work on the Netflix documentary 'Rising Phoenix' - which is about the Paralympic Games. He received a 2021 Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Music Direction as a Lyricist for the film. He is a featured vocalist on the title song 'Rising Phoenix', so definitely check it out. We also talked with Keith and a few other influential disability advocates on our podcast in August 2022 on the episode about The Intersection of Disability and Reproductive Justice. He brings crucial and valuable insight to this conversation, so tune in if you have not already!

Dr. Sami Schalk is an Associate Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a self-described fat, Black, queer, cisgender, disabled femme, academic, pleasure activist, and author. Dr. Schalk researches the intersections of disability, race, and gender in American culture and literature. She has written articles about film, culture, and literature featured in many research journals. Her recently released book, Black Disability Politics, is on everyone’s book club list this year and has received well-deserved and exciting recognition. Black Disability Politics came out in 2022, and it explores how Black folks engage with disability differently - socially and politically - from the mainstream white disability rights movement. Dr. Schalk explores how Black cultural workers’ engagement with disability is overlooked and misrecognized in both disability studies and Black studies. In her first book, Bodyminds Reimagined: (Dis)ability, Race, and Gender in Black Women’s Speculative Fiction, she discusses how Black women writers can reimagine what the categories of disability, gender, race, and sexuality mean in non-realist texts. Dr. Schalk also writes for mainstream media outlets and often is invited to do speaking engagements about her areas of study and interest. One final cool fact about Dr. Schalk – she’s danced and twerked on stage with Lizzo! 
You can find her books and learn more about her research on her website.
 

Dr. Maya Angelou is a well-known and prominent author, poet, social justice activist, performer, and screenwriter. Her writing career spanned 50 years, including famous essays, shows, poems, such as Phenomenal Woman and Caged Bird, and books, such as her first memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. In the memoir, she describes her experience growing up during segregation and Jim Crow. She details aspects of her childhood and her encounters with racism, sexual abuse, trauma, and poverty. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings includes stories about her experience with disability: selective mutism. She developed selective mutism in response to sexual assault and related trauma at eight years old, and she experienced selective mutism for approximately five years. She eventually started vocally speaking again and pursued a career in writing and performing. She used her voice (both vocally and through writing) to share her experiences and advocate for justice and equity. Angelou also was a celebrated performer featured in Broadway productions, and she wrote, directed, produced, and starred in films and TV shows. Maya Angelou received many awards and honors for her influence, such as the National Media of Arts award, multiple Grammy Awards, the Lincoln Medal, and the Presidential Medal of Freedom – the highest civilian award offered in the United States. Angelou was the first Black to speak at a presidential inauguration in January, 1993. She is also the first Black woman to be featured on the United States Quarter.

Max Barrows is a well-known self-advocate, public speaker, and educator with autism. He has been the Outreach Coordinator at Green Mountain Self-Advocates since 2007, a widely respected leading self-advocacy organization based in Vermont. In his role, Max provides trainings and mentors youth and adults with developmental disabilities, teaching them how to be effective self-advocates. To do so, he travels around Vermont to support and educate self-advocacy groups on how to run their groups effectively and give them insight into what legislative issues may impact the disability community. In addition to his role at the Green Mountain Self-Advocates, he has served as a member and leader in other advocacy organizations, such as the Capitol Advocates Together (CAT) and Self-Advocacy Resource and Technical Assistance Center (SARTAC). At SARTAC, Max leads the technical assistance team by assisting self-advocacy organizations across the United States. He is also on the board of Self-Advocates Becoming Empowered (SABE). In addition to his advocacy, Max is a talented public speaker and is frequently invited to speak at conferences and give keynote speeches. He believes in the inclusion of folks with disabilities, especially folks with developmental disabilities, educating audiences about the competence and potential of the disability community. He’s received awards for his work, including the White House Champions of Change Award and the Champion of Equal Opportunity Award from the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities.

Jen White-Johnson is a disabled, neurodivergent, Afro-Latina artist, and educator for disability design & Justice. Their work – consisting of digital art, zines, stickers, posters, and more – explore disability themes that actively embrace disability and neurodiversity and challenge ableist culture. Jen lives with Graves disease and ADHD and uses their art to educate others and bring people together. They are driven by creating an accessible future for their son, Knox. When their son was diagnosed as Autistic at age 2, Jen started recognizing the lack of Black disabled kids in media. This motivated the creation of their zine ‘KnoxRox’ dedicated to their son. The photozine gives visibility to and shares the value of Black and POC Autistic children’s experiences, centers BIPOC in the disability community, and starts much-needed conversations about racism and ableism in media. The zine and many of Jen’s works have received international recognition, featured in places such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Smithsonian. Their work also has been highlighted in many media and news organizations, such as The Washington Post, AfroPunk, New York Times, CNN, and Teen Vogue. In 2020, Jen was an honoree on Diversability’s D-30 Disability Impact List. They are a sought-after speaker, consultant, and educator frequently asked to present at companies such as Google, Target, Starbucks, and Apple and at countless universities across the country. You can read Jen’s full bio and learn more about them on their website, JenWhiteJohnson.com.

Andraéa LaVant is a Black disabled woman who is a trailblazing communications expert, accessibility consultant, culture creator, producer, and fashion icon. Andraéa has navigated disability her whole life, diagnosed at age two with a form of muscular dystrophy called spinal muscular atrophy. She is the Founder and President of LaVant Consulting, a disability-focused social impact communications and strategy consulting firm that shapes the way the world values and reaches the disability community. The firm has worked with large global companies such as Google, Netflix, and Adobe, and most recently served as the accessibility partner for the 2023 Grammy Awards. Andraéa has been a vital voice in disability advocacy for over 15 years bringing disability into the mainstream media. She most famously has done this through her role as the Impact Producer for Oscar award-winning Netflix documentary “Crip Camp.” In this role, she has been responsible for leading the film’s campaign to promote understanding about disability as a social justice issue and to build coalitions across different communities. Andraéa is also an advocate for inclusive fashion and beauty, striving for accessible and stylish options for all folks, no matter their disability. Her work and advocacy have been featured in top media outlets such as Rolling Stone, Paper, NBC, The New York Times, and many more. The primary mission and force behind her work is to ensure everyone is seen everywhere, thus creating a better life for everyone. 
 

Anita Cameron is a Black, disabled, lesbian, autistic, psychiatric survivor who is a writer and life-long activist for disability justice. She has spent nearly 40 years doing disability community organizing and has worked on all types of disability issues such as, but not limited to, transportation, voting, emergency management, public policy, and assisted suicide. Anita currently serves as the Director of Minority Outreach at Not Dead Yet, an organization that opposes the legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia.  Since 1986, she has been an ADAPT (American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today) member, rising to leadership since then, and has been a part of many nonviolent civil disobedience protests over the years, being arrested 139 times for her advocacy. Anita has worked for other disability organizations such as the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) as a Disability Vote Organizer, increasing voting access and advocating for disability representation in our election systems. She also has worked at the Center for Disability Rights as a Systems Advocate, addressing disability issues and laws at local, state, and national levels. Additionally, Anita is a CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) member and has advocated for the inclusion and participation of disabled folks in disaster preparedness, making the field more accessible. The White House has honored multiple for her immense impact on the disability community, and she has received many awards for her activism. 

Talila A. Lewis, who also goes by TL, is a social justice engineer, educator, organizer, attorney, and artist. Talila’s advocacy centers around the abolition of incarceration and institutionalization, harm reduction and violence interruption, and liberation. TL masterfully educates, organizes, and addresses the connections between various forms of oppression, including (but not limited to) class, ableism, and racism. Talila uses social justice tools to call attention to educational, medical, and legal injustices and bring visibility to issues that have gone long unaddressed. TL is an abolitionist lawyer working to prevent and correct the wrongful convictions of disabled people. Being one of the only lawyers practicing under this abolitionist frame, Talila is a leading educator and trainer to others on this perspective and how to adequately advocate for disabled incarcerated folks. Talila has been recognized for this advocacy by the White House’s Champion of Change award and as one of Pacific Standard Magazine’s Top 30 Thinkers Under 30. Lewis also serves as a member, founder, and consultant for many social justice organizations. Talila co-founded the cross-disability abolitionist organization HEARD, the Black Deaf and Disabled organizing collective – the Harriet Tubman Collective, and TL co-created the Disability Solidarity praxis that holds the disability community accountable. In TL’s consulting work, TL educates organizations about the intersections of racial, economic, gender, and disability justice. Talila has been recognized by many educational institutions, given guest lecture opportunities, and received many awards.

Heather Watkins is a Black disabled woman who is a disability advocate, author, blogger, speaker, mother, caregiver, and community builder. Heather was born with Muscular Dystrophy and is a cane user and occasional wheelchair user. Because of her multiple co-existing identities, she brings an intersectional frame to her advocacy and writing. Her blog, Slow Walkers See More, includes stories and insight from her life as a disabled person. Heather has published written works and features in media spaces such as Disabled Parenting, Our Ability, Art of Living Guide, Disability Visibility Project, Rooted in Rights, Aljazeera, and Mass Rehab Commission’s Consumer Voice newsletter. Heather’s short story Thank God I have Muscular Dystrophy was published in 2013 as a part of the Thank God I…Am an Empowered Woman ® book series. Heather has served on a variety of disability boards and is a member of a variety of different disability organizations. Her positions include previously being the chair of the Boston Disability Commission Advisory Board, the co-founder of the Divas with Disabilities Project, and a member of the Harriet Tubman Collective. She uses the wisdom, insight, and growth from these boards ad projects to better the advocacy skills that she uses for her public policy, writing, and speaking engagements. Heathers shares on her website that she loves reading, daydreaming, and chocolate. Heather was also featured on episode 38 of Disability Rights Florida's podcast.

Keah Brown is a Black disabled bisexual woman, journalist, author, studying actress, screenwriter, and speaker. She is the author of The Pretty One, a widely popular book about her experiences being Black and disabled in America, formatted in a collection of essays. In the book, Keah explores her relationship with her non-disabled identical twin (called “the pretty one” by friends), romantic life, pop culture, and disability in the media. She also recently released her debut picture book Sam’s Super Seats about a disabled girl who goes back-to-school shopping with her best friends. Keah Brown is also the creator of the famous disability hashtag #DisabledAndCute, which has become a viral hashtag used to celebrate the beauty and value of disabled folks. Keah’s work has been in Teen Vogue, Glamour, Harper’s Bazaar, Essence, Netflix, Allure, and more. She is a sought-after speaker and gave a Ted Talk in 2020 entitled Choosing Joy, Ambition, and Self Love. In the talk, Keah speaks about finding her worth within herself while simultaneously living in a world that doesn't value her that way. She has been awarded and recognized by TedXPrinceton Women, The American Writer's Museum, Now This!, and on the Today Show. Keah is currently co-writing a musical and joining the film and TV space.

Imani Barbarin is a Black disabled woman, public speaker, model, actress, writer, disability rights and inclusion activist, and content creator. She is a crutches and occasional wheelchair user living with cerebral palsy. Imani is a popular content creator with thousands of followers on social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter, among others. She has created over a dozen viral hashtags such as #DisTheOscars, calling out the Oscars and other award show programming for their lack of disability inclusion and accessibility, #MyDisabledLifeIsWorthy, in response to the ableist commentary and care throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, #AbledsAreWeird, which points out ways that nondisabled people are discriminatory against people with disabilities, and #ThingsDisabledPeopleKnow, a hashtag that honors the lived experience and inherent knowledge that disabled people have. Imani is the creator of the blog and podcast, both called Crutches And Spice, where she talks about disability, race, gender, current events, pop culture, politics, and much more. Imani is a fierce advocate online, speaking against disability stereotypes, calling out institutional ableism and racism, educating people about disability voting access, addressing people’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and bringing awareness to lesser discussed disability topics that don’t get acknowledged in mainstream media. Her advocacy and writing have been featured in Forbes, Rewire, Disability Visibility, Cosmopolitan, the Today Show, VICE, NPR, and more.

Dr. Oluwaferanmi Okanlami, who also goes by Feranmi and Dr. O, is a Black, disabled doctor, professor, public speaker, educator, athlete, immigrant, and disability advocate. Feranmi was born in Nigeria before immigrating to the US at a young age. He is a decorated athlete, and he was the captain of Track & Field while attending Stanford University and received many awards for his athleticism. After college, he attended the University of Michigan to attend medical school. At the beginning of his third year in med school, he experienced a spinal cord injury that paralyzed him from the chest down. He is now a proud wheelchair user, and his catchphrase is ‘Disabusing Disability,’ which he uses to call attention to the fact that disability does not mean inability. He then went on to earn a Master’s in Engineering and complete his medical school degree in Indiana. He has served on many medical and disability advocacy boards where he advocates for accessible, equitable, and accommodating healthcare. His passion and talent for sports remains, and he strives to create inclusive recreational and competitive sports for all people, especially those with disabilities. He currently is the Director of the University of Michigan’s Adaptive Sports and Fitness program, serves as the university’s Director of Student Accessibility, Disability, and Testing Accommodation Services, and is a professor of medicine and surgery.

Keivonn Woodard is a 10-year-old Black deaf actor and hockey player. Keivonn stars as Sam in the new hit HBO TV show ‘The Last of Us’. The show has taken the world by storm and has given the up and coming young actor well-deserved recognition. The show’s co-creator, Craig Mazin, was blown award by Keivonn’s audition, and he gave him the role of Sam just two days later. Viewers of ‘The Last of Us’ were impressed by Keivonn's performance and have been singing his praises all over social media this week following his featured episode. He’s set to star in the upcoming science-fiction short film ‘Fractal’ soon, and we are certainly excited to see what other roles Keivonn has in the future. Acting isn’t his only strength. Keivonn also is a talented and attentive ice hockey player. He has the nickname ‘Hollywood’ for his animated and flashy goal scoring celebrations. Woodard’s athletic skill reached new heights once an American Sign Language interpreter started coming to practices and games to help him understand what non-ASL users were communicating with one another. A sports grant paying for the interpreter also paid for a new lighting system that informs Keivonn of game whistles and shift changes. The interpreter and lighting system gives him more autonomy and control in the game. Congratulations, Keivonn, and we can't wait to witness what you do next! 

Aaron Rose Philip is a Black disabled trans woman, model, influencer, advocate, and actress. In 2018, Aaron became the first Black transgender woman and physically disabled model to ever be featured and managed by a major modeling agency. She was discovered through her advocacy and outspokenness on social media regarding the lack of representation of trans women of color in the fashion and modeling industries. She grew in popularity and is now a model known worldwide, making runway appearances for brands like Marc Jacobs and Moschino. She has graced the covers of many magazines including Paper, El Pais, and INDIE, and has done editorial work for American Vogue, British Vogue, and Vogue Italia. Aaron can also be found in campaigns done by Dove, Sephora, Nike, and more. She acted and starred in popular music videos and TV, such as Miley Cyrus’ song “Mother’s Daughter” and “Full Frontal with Samantha Bee”.  She has made an incredible impact on the fashion and modeling industries, opening doors for other disabled creatives to find a path into the business. Aaron continues to fight for a more inclusive industry and has been profiled in The New York Times, Vogue, Refinery 29, ELLE, and more for her advocacy. She recently debuted in Moschino’s spring and summer 2022 runway show at New York Fashion Week, being the first model using a wheelchair to walk a major luxury brand’s runway show.  

Photo credit: Community New York

Harry Belafonte is a Black, disabled Jamaican-American singer, activist, and actor. In school, Harry struggled greatly with dyslexia, making him often feel misunderstood. After high school, he served in WW2 in the Navy. Upon returning to the states, Harry fell in love with acting. He took acting courses and began performing in Broadway shows. Harry often sang to pay for his acting classes, soon falling into his musical career. He is most famously known for his song “Banana Boat,” which features the famous "Day-O" lyrics. "Banana Boat" was on his breakthrough album, Calypso, which was the first million-selling LP vinyl record. He’s famous for his other songs “Jump in the Line," featured in the iconic Beetlejuice scene, and “Jamaican Farewell”. He is thought to be one of the most successful Jamaican-American singers and is credited with popularizing the Trinbagonian Caribbean musical style in the 1950s. Harry has won three Grammy Awards, an Emmy Award, a Tony Award. In addition to his music, he's starred in several films and dedicated much of his life to political and humanitarian activism. Harry notably organized the famous “We Are the World” song raising funds for Africa. He has been outspoken on issues relating to the campaign against AIDS, cancer advocacy, learning disabilities, US foreign policy and war, and more. 

Tinu Abayomi-Paul is a Black disabled woman, writer, podcaster, entrepreneur, speaker, social justice activist, disability advocate, and the founder of the organization Everywhere Accessible. Tinu lives with fibromyalgia, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, asthma, and long-covid. Her organization, Everywhere Accessible, was founded on International Day of Disability in 2019 to educate about universal access, center Black Disabled Women in accessibility conversations, problem solve disability-related access problems, and build solidarity across disabled and non-disabled people to make the world a more accessible place for all. Tinu is a master digital connector and uses her skills to teach other people how to effectively use the internet to grow their businesses and gain visibility online through social media, advertising, and website promotion and development. She is also a talented writer and blogger, with her expertise in marketing, websites, and social media featured in the books such as Free Traffic Tips, The Age of Conversation series, and Why Social Media?. Tinu is a fierce advocate for disability justice and equity. She often discusses topics such as mutual aid, the pandemic response and long-COVID, health equity, and more on her social media and podcast - titled Health in The Margins. Learn more about Tinu and keep up with her work by following her on social media and Patreon.

Lauren ‘Lolo’ Spencer is a Black disabled woman, actress, author, model, advocate, speaker, content creator, and disability lifestyle influencer. Lolo uses a wheelchair due to her ALS. She has risen to fame and has received significant recognition for her role as Jocelyn in the HBO Max comedy show The Sex Lives of College Girls. In the show, she plays the sex position peer and friend that supports her four friends. Lolo is a Film Independent Nominated Actress for her portrayal of Tracy Homles in the award-winning film, Give Me Liberty, which premiered at the Sundance and Cannes 2019 Film Festivals. She is also a sought-after model, appearing in Tommy Hilfiger, Facebook’s We The Culture, Zappos, Lady’s Footlocker, and more. Media groups such as Buzzfeed, the Hollywood Reporter, CNN, Variety, NY Times, The New Yorker, and more have covered her success. She is the founder of the lifestyle brand, Live Solo, which is dedicated to young adults with disabilities who seek independence & self-empowerment. Lolo is also a talented writer and is about to release her book Access Your Drive and Enjoy the Ride: A Guide on Achieving Your Dreams from a Person with a Disability. The book, available for pre-order, intends to empower those who read it and offer insight into the beauty of disability lifestyles and how she was able to create the life of her dreams.

Dr. Subini Ancy Annamma is a Black Asian author, educator, researcher, and advocate. She is a scholar who specializes in critical disability studies and race theory. Before pursuing doctoral studies, Dr. Subini was a special education teacher in public schools and youth prisons. She is a professor at Stanford University’s School of Education, where she researches how disabled students of color are criminalized in our society, how these identity intersections impact youth’s trajectories in schools and prisons, how racism and ableism are interconnected, and how to resist criminalization to pursue a liberated future. Her research focuses on increasing access to equitable education for marginalized students, and she does so by centering the voices of students and their futures in her work. Dr. Annamma’s book, The Pedagogy of Pathologization, which follows disabled girls of color and their educational trajectory, has won multiple awards. She has also co-authored other books including Critical Race Spatial Analysis, DisCrit, and DisCrit Explanded Additionally, her work and research have been published in a variety of journals related to education. She personally has received many awards for her scholarly activities from prestigious institutions such as the American Education Research Association, Western Social Science Association, Critical Race Studies in Education Association, and more. She sits on multiple boards advocating social justice, race, disability, and education. The disability community looks to her as a leader in the disability studies field and the disability justice movement.

Marsha Elle is a Black disabled singer-songwriter, motivational speaker, amputee/bionic model from Miami, Florida. Marsha Elle was born with Proximal femoral focal deficiency (PFFD) and has been an above-knee amputee for most of her life. She grew up struggling with self and public image, but she soon became the representation she needed, becoming a model herself. Marsha Elle has walked many runway shows and modeled brands such as FitBit, Fabletics, Ardene, Parfait, SKIMS adaptive, and Adidas. She champions messages of disability inclusion and body positivity, telling others to celebrate the body you have, no matter the disability. Through her music and public speaking opportunities, Marsha Elle strives to deliver a message of hope. When she was 17, she released her hit single “Hallelujah,” with a fusion of Caribbean Zouk and pop, which rose her to fame and streamed internationally. She then released her album “Brave” in 2016, which featured her hit Pop and R&B singles “Unlimbted” and “Beard” on it. Marsha Elle recently released “I Am Beautiful,” a song spreading a message of body positivity, self-love, and acceptance to the world. She’s performed at impressive venues - including the Grand Ole Opry! Media outlets such as Glamour, the Huffington Post, and People Magazine have covered her story, bringing much-needed amputee representation to the modeling and music industries.