Discover how disability advocate Spencer West challenges stereotypes, expands disability representation, and inspires a new perspective on what's possible.

Christine Hà’s story challenges the idea that there is only one “right” way to do something. Her work asks us to consider how often disabled people mistake doing something differently for being less capable—and what becomes possible when we stop measuring ability by the method used to achieve it.

Amy Purdy’s story challenges the idea that adapting to disability means eventually arriving at “acceptance.” Her experience invites a different question: What if there isn’t one way to adjust to disability, but many ways of responding to the life you’re living—and continuing to write what comes next?

Judy Heumann spent her life challenging systems that treated disabled people as though belonging was something they had to earn. From being excluded from school to helping lead the 504 Sit-In, her advocacy advanced a powerful idea: disabled people already belong—and barriers, not disabled people, are what need to change.

Zach Anner’s work challenges the limited stories we’re often taught about disability. Through humour, television, and storytelling, he shows what can change when disabled people aren’t simply represented, but help shape the stories being told—expanding what disabled life and adulthood can look like.

Shane Burcaw’s advocacy shows that changing minds doesn’t always begin with confrontation. Sometimes it begins with humour, curiosity, and a conversation that makes someone question an assumption they didn’t realize they were carrying. His work asks us to consider not only what we believe about disability—but whether we’re willing to remain curious enough to think differently.

Rick Hansen’s legacy extends far beyond the distance he travelled during the Man In Motion World Tour. His advocacy helped shift the conversation from what disabled people must overcome to the barriers that prevent participation—and why accessibility should make ordinary participation possible without requiring extraordinary determination.

Dr. Rhoda Olkin challenged therapy to understand disability differently—not simply as a diagnosis or impairment, but as a lived experience shaped by identity, ableism, accessibility, and social context. Her work helped change the questions therapists ask, creating space for disabled people to be understood without having to explain why disability belongs in the conversation.