Dr. Jaipreet Virdi, a specialist in the history of disability and medicine and professor at the University of Delaware commented that, “When disabled people ‘triumph’ over the challenges or hardship, it’s often the result of long-standing battles against ableism and discrimination. Keller’s own process through these challenges brought to fore the systemic nature of disability oppression, which thus gave her greater insight into capitalism as a root cause of oppression.”
June 9, 2019. Ali Stroker wins Best Featured Actress in a Musical at the 73rd Annual Tony Awards. An actor, singer, and wheelchair user, Ali Stroker has been a trailblazer for disability representation on the stage. She was the first wheelchair user to graduate from the Tisch School of the Arts Drama Department at New York University. In 2015, she was the first wheelchair user to appear on Broadway, starring as Anna in the musical, Spring Awakening. For her performance as Ado Annie Carnes in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical, Oklahoma!, Stroker became the first wheelchair user to win a Tony Award in 2019.
Take the quiz: Check Your Ableism!
Being Young and Disabled
By Noah Griffth, Auburn University
I Was a "Student of Concern"
By Kate Jackson, Rutgers University
In My Moment of Distress
By Anonymous, Temple University