Catalyzing her journey was a question she had to ask herself: What’s a leg got to do with it? She continues to ask this question when talking about her organization, Divas with Disabilities (DWD). DWD addresses the lack of “likenesses of myself in mass media.” Dr. Walton realized that despite her qualifications to work as a reporter and actress, employers would only continue to see her in the way society conditioned them. She explained, “Women, in particular, are discriminated against,” and to a fully-engaged room said, “Automatically, the value of what they [members of society] see, based on our body parts, is how society deems and defines what a woman should be.”

Dr. Walton emphasized that unless we as advocates and people with disabilities speak up, the world will continue to focus on what people–particularly women and especially those with disabilities–cannot do. “The word ‘disability’ is applied to us, and ‘disabled’ is applied to us,” Dr. Walton expressed sincerely, “But it’s just a name. And it doesn’t define us.”

Before we dispersed into breakout rooms, three members of DWD spoke about projects they’ve brought into the world.

Tameka Citchen-Spruce was denied entry into broadcasting school with a barrage of excuses. However, discrimination against her disability didn’t stop her from pursuing film. Today, she is working with DWD in producing a docu-series about their lived experiences as women with disabilities. She also directed and released her documentary, My Girl Story.

Shameka Andrews, a disabilities advocate for twenty years, introduced us to her organization Pridability, an initiative whose mission is to expand LGBTQIA Advocacy across New York State for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD).

Zazel O’Garra runs a physically integrated dance company, ZCO DANCE PROJECT, whose goal is to create witty, soulful, intelligent, powerful, and intriguing performances. Living with a benign brain tumor that left her partially paralyzed has not stopped O’Garra from continuing her role in the arts.

Dr. Walton then led us into our breakout session with a powerful thought, “We don’t own being disabled. We use disability as a sense of power. Why? Because we are empowered…we move and transcend beyond our disability.” She then shared a poem:

Do not try to constrain me,
never try to fit me in a box,
for I am more, so much more,
more than you can force to fit in the tiny space
limited by your own lack of vision.

The Meetup’s chatbox and Community Whiteboard were just as engaging. A community member even described the board as it was being built for members with visual disabilities. We learned a few things along the way.