Every young person has that moment when they look back on the way generations before them dressed and thinks, “They wore what?” At the same time, people from those past generations look at young people today and think, “They’re wearing what?”
Unlike skinny jeans, feathered hair, and face glitter, advocating for people with disabilities never goes out of style. It simply can’t. People with disabilities will always need, and deserve, the supports they require to live independently and, unfortunately, there will always be people who want to deny those supports. Whether this denial comes from ignorance or malice (or both), people with disabilities and their allies can’t afford to sit back and hope for the best.
It is too easy for those whose lives are not touched by disability to largely forget that people with disabilities exist. Everyone has something they take for granted and for many people those things are what they consider mundane: driving a car, climbing the stairs as they head into the office, going to a therapy appointment, returning at the end of the day to a comfortable home that meets their needs and doesn’t exceed their budget.
But these things are not mundane to people with disabilities who often don’t have accessible transportation, have difficulty finding and keeping employment (lack of reliable transportation is a big reason!), don’t have access to the mental health care they need, and can’t find a place that is both accessible and affordable to live.
And that is why, unlike fashion, disability advocacy is something that different generations can largely agree on.
What sets younger people apart, however, is social media. There are a number of young disability influencers who publicly share their stories to help make the world we all live in more accessible and inclusive. It is easier than ever for young people to see examples of people with disabilities doing extraordinary things.
Take disability advocate and Para Surf World Champion Liv Stone, for example. Stone has hundreds of thousands of followers between Instagram and TikTok where she posts about fitness, nature, and her daily life. As she puts it, “Being born a congenital above the elbow amputee with two fingers on each of my hands hasn’t stopped me from living my best life.” Despite her self-acceptance, Stone understands that the world can be unfriendly. “There will always be people to point out the negative or not treat us with respect, but today’s society is making huge strides toward inclusion,” Stone told Teen Vogue in 2022. “Will there always be discrimination? Yes, that is the reality of my life and many others with a disability. But we are moving forward.”
Model, actress, and artist Aariana Rose Philip is a great example of what moving forward looks like, on the surface at least. In 2023, Philip made the cover of British Vogue. A magazine cover is a monumental achievement for a model and often opens doors to even more opportunities. But that was not Philip’s experience. “Despite the magnitude and cultural weight of that moment, it didn’t truly move the needle,” Philip writes. “Not for me. Not for disabled people. Not for other disabled models. Not for girls like me — Black, trans, visibly different in ways this industry still has difficulty embracing in consistent and meaningful ways.” Still, she keeps showing up and showing out. “I’ve made monumental strides as a trans model with quadriplegic cerebral palsy,” she writes. “But, whenever I feel alone, I’m reminded that I’m not. My communities — incredible disabled models and Black trans people — have been my saving grace. We affirm and uplift one another in a world that often tries to isolate and erase us.”
But young people with disabilities are not willing to be erased. Helena Donato-Sapp is an outspoken disability activist. Donato-Sapp is a Black 15-year-old who was adopted by two white fathers. She has multiple learning disabilities and even though she has faced ableism and bullying at school, she is not at all ashamed. “These multiple learning disabilities made me fierce because I knew I deserved an equal and fair education,” she said in 2023 when she received the Heumann-Armstrong Award. “My work in disability justice is about holding my head up high in regard to all of my intersectional identities so that the students in grades below me can see a model of disability pride.” Donato-Sapp has won numerous awards and is still passionate about her work, especially today. “Here we are in this political moment. It’s dangerous. It’s unbelievable. It’s urgent,” she said during a March 8 address to the Women’s Festival 2025 in Fullerton California. “I am two-and-a-half years away from voting. I cannot wait until the next election! And I know that everyone my age feels the same way.”
As difficult as things are, remember that each generation fights for the rights of the generation that comes after them. Each voice calling for accessibility and inclusivity brings us all closer to the world we want to live in.
Looking for resources, support, or a way to get involved? Contact your local Center for Independent Living today.