When I was a high school junior, I signed up to go to a leadership conference in Washington D.C. I didn’t really know what it was about, except that if you were a student with a disability you got to go on a free trip to DC. I was shocked to arrive and find out that it was a conference for people with disabilities to learn about disability rights. The thing I avoided so long was in my face.
Surprisingly, it was refreshing. It was the first time I felt like I didn’t have to work hard to hide my difference. Like I could just breathe deeper, a full exhale inhale breath. I felt like I wasn’t a freak. I learned the history of disabled people advocating for rights, and I felt like I could be a part of a movement, that by having a disability, I inherited a legacy of struggle, passion, and advocacy. I committed my life to disability rights at that point, and have worked in the movement since.