Every day, disability rights leaders are actively sharing their advocacy, resources and wisdom. From podcasts and books to memoirs and government offices, they have been, and continue, to lay down legacies and challenge others’ thoughts and actions around disabled identities and lives.

Below we’re sharing some Disability Rights Leaders you may not know about:

Judy Heumann

Judith Ellen “Judy” Heumann is a lifelong disability rights activist and author of two books: Being Heumann, and Rolling Warrior. She is also the host of The Heumann Perspective Podcast, and stars in the feature film Crip Camp.

Born in 1947, Judy’s work is vast, having brought disability rights to national and international platforms. In American politics, Judy served as Assistant Secretary of Education for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services during the Clinton administration, and as Special Advisor for International Disability Rights during the Obama administration.

We cannot properly fit all of Judy’s accomplishments in one blog, but to many, she is considered the mother of disability rights.

Alice Wong

Writer, editor and publisher, Alice’s work has been featured in previous blogs via their work as editor of the Disability Visibility Project. As a disability activist, Alice has been recognized within Time Magazine, British Vogue, and by former American president Barack Obama.

Alice’s Twitter account is densely packed with timely resources and topics, particularly around disabled lived experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Coming in September 2022 is Alice Wong’s debut memoir Year of the Tiger: An Activist’s Life, available for pre-order.

Keah Brown

Keah Brown is an author, actress, journalist and screenwriter, also known for her creation of the #DisabledAndCute viral campaign. Her work has appeared in several publications, including Teen Vogue, Marie Claire UK, Elle, Harper’s Bazzar, and the New York Times.

She is the author of The Pretty One: On Life, Pop Culture, Disability, and Other Reasons to Fall in Love with Me, and has her debut picture book coming this Fall 2022, Sam’s Super Seats.

Rebecca Cokley

Rebecca Cokley is a three-time presidential appointee, writer, and civil rights activist. She is known for the quote “Envisioning a world where no one is expected to be waiting over 30 years for their civil rights.” Follow Rebecca on twitter, or view her blog posts.

Haben Girma

(*Above: Photo by Jerod Harris for the 2017 Media Access Awards; cover of Haben Girma’s memoir)

Haben Girma is a human rights lawyer, speaker, and author of her memoir Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law.

As the first deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School, her career is devoted to advancing disability justice. She has been cited many times under the quote “People with disabilities drive innovation” with a respective article discussing how disabled ingenuity can be beneficial for all.

Annie Segarra

Annie Segarra is a queer, disabled content creator and activist. Annie covers topics including body positivity, chronic illness, mental health, LGBTQIA+ and more through their YouTube channel.

You can support Annie’s work through multiple options, from direct donation to purchasing Annie’s clothing designs.

Elena Hung

Elena Hung is the co-founder of Little Lobbyists, advocating for kids with complex medical needs and disabilities in the United States.

As a lawyer and a mother of a disabled child with complex medical needs, Elena fights for “the healthier, happier future our children deserve.”

Tiara Simmons-Mercius

(*Above: From Chronic Illness Podcast Network and fourwheelworkout.com)

Tiara Simmons-Mercius, M.Ed/JD graduate and known by the alias FourWheelWorkOut, hosts a Twitter Space on disabled parenting. A disabled parent themselves, Tiara uses the hashtag #ParentingWhileDisabled with the intent for it to grow into a community for disabled parents.

Follow @4wheelworkout on Twitter for reminders on the next Twitter Space event. Tiara has also spoken about ableism, law school, pregnancy and disability through the podcast network, Invisible Not Broken.