July is Disability Pride Month – and we’re marking it by centering the words of several accomplished and notable women living with disabilities.
The celebration was launched to commemorate the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in July 1990. In addition to ongoing fights for equal rights and access for all – an especially powerful fight amid our current social landscape – Disability Pride Month is also all about honoring the myriad contributions to the betterment of our society made by people with disabilities working in the worlds of politics, the arts and more.
In that spirit, we’re reflecting upon bits of wisdom from nine disabled women, whose insights inspire us to live boldly, fully – and without tolerance for intolerance.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth. (Credit: U.S. Institute of Peace, Flickr)
“You don’t have to suffer war injuries to understand how tough life can be.” – Sen. Tammy Duckworth
Duckworth is a retired Army National Guard lieutenant colonel now serving as the junior senator from Illinois. While on duty in the Iraq war, she survived a grenade attack but lost both legs, as well as some mobility in one arm. This quote of hers came from a 2015 Politico article penned by Duckworth herself, in which she reflects upon the fact that Americans, whether members of the disabled community or not, are suffering – and need support.
Fannie Lou Hamer. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
“I am sick and tired of being sick and tired, and we want a change.” – Fannie Lou Hamer
Hamer was a longtime voting and women’s rights activist who lived with several disabilities following a childhood bout of polio and a 1963 beating in a Mississippi prison. In a December 1964 speech coordinated to support the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party’s challenge of an unfair election, she uttered these words to express the weariness of living under oppression, and the need for change.
Frida Kahlo. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
“I am my own muse.” – Frida Kahlo
This famous quote, offered by the world-renowned artist while reflecting on her self-portraiture work, speaks to the ways in which we can be our own motivation and inspiration. Kahlo, too, endured polio as a child, and was left with additional disabilities (atop those incurred from her childhood sickness) following a bus accident she lived through at age 18.
Marlee Matlin. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
“Silence is the last thing the world will ever hear from me.” – Marlee Matlin
The actress, author and activist often evokes these words when addressing the world. Matlin, who has been deaf since she was a baby, is committed to always speaking out, both through sign language and speech. Her work as a performer and advocate has garnered her numerous awards, including an Oscar – in fact, she was the first deaf performer ever to win one.
Dorothea Lange. (Credit: U.S. Embassy The Hague, Flickr)
“One should really use the camera as though tomorrow you’d be stricken blind.” – Dorothea Lange
This insight comes from a book written about her life, “Dorothea Lange: A Visual Life” by Elizabeth Partridge. Though she was not blind, the famous photographer and photojournalist was also stricken with polio as a child, which left her with a permanent limp. She reminds us that everything is impermanent, and we should take advantage of what we have, while we have it.
Selma Blair. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
“Every person on this earth needs just one person who sees them and roots for them.” – Selma Blair
The longtime actress has multiple sclerosis, a disease that affects the nervous system. It’s among numerous hardships that she’s navigated over the years, all of which she discusses in her memoir, “Mean Baby.” This bit of wisdom speaks to the importance of community – and the lack of shame in needing one another to get through it all.
Alice Wong. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
“There is so much that able-bodied people could learn from the wisdom that often comes with disability.” – Alice Wong
These words, from her contribution to the book, “Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-first Century,” speak to the insights and intelligence on offer from the disabled community – if only the world would listen. Wong, a disability activist, was born with spinal muscular atrophy, which rendered her unable to walk from age 8 onward. She has dedicated her life to making sure people with disabilities are seen and heard.
Maya Angelou. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.” – Maya Angelou
When she was younger, Angelou was abused – the trauma of the experience left her with an anxiety disorder that initially came with a bout of long-term mutism. She ultimately pushed past it to become a celebrated poet and author. This quote, from seminal work “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” touches upon the pain and struggle of keeping one’s feelings trapped inside.
Christina Applegate. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)
“There’s this need and this desire to make every single day count.” – Christina Applegate
The actress has, like Blair, been living with multiple sclerosis for some time. And before that, she navigated breast cancer following a 2008 diagnosis, undergoing a double mastectomy as well as radiation therapy. While speaking with Oprah.com, she noted how her experiences have inspired her to center her dreams and desires.
