Warrior Women: Alice Wong



There is a tendency in our society to overlook the disabled population. Although the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted over thirty years ago, there is still a lot of work to be done regarding accessibility and resources for people with disabilities. Alice Wong is in the vanguard of that fight. Born in 1974 with a neuromuscular disorder known as spinal muscular atrophy, a condition that causes the breakdown of nerves in her body, Wong was left unable to walk by the age of seven or eight. A disabled Asian American living in Indianapolis, Indiana, Wong has described the inevitability that she would become an activist. In an interview with NPR she says, "I truly believe I had no choice [but] to advocate for myself ever since I was child because it was a matter of survival in this unforgiving and inaccessible world."


The culmination of Wong's work lies in the Disability Visibility Project (DPV). It is an online space built specifically to amplify the voices of people with disabilities. Here they celebrate the history and culture of the disabled community, and publish a variety of original forms of media "from the perspective of disabled people." Wong has described the empowerment her project has provided for people with disabilities in an interview with Color Web Magazine, "The tools and resources are there for disabled people to use. They can shape their narrative in any way they want and by creating new media that's more authentic, it will amplify and uplift those voices."

"I am a disabled woman of color and I will always look at disability from that lens."


Although the disabled community as a whole is at the forefront of Wong's activism, she is no stranger to the complexities of intersectionality. In an interview with the online literary magazine Superstition where she said, "I am a disabled woman of color and I will always look at disability from that lens." What is so important about her work with the Disability Visibility Project is its ability to empower people with disabilities from all walks of life. Disability can affect anyone, and there are many instances where those affected are also dealing with other forms of oppression at the same time. The latest post highlighted on the front page of the DPV website is a blog from disability advocate Rasheera Dopson. The post, Black Women Leaders and Disability Justice, speaks of the importance of equality in political spaces. Although I won't detail the contents, I think the piece worthwhile to read. By offering the space for women like Dopson to share their experiences, Wong is enabling anyone who will listen the chance to understand what life is like for those who have to fight for representation, accessibility, resources and more.

"I try really hard not to be a unicorn."

Alice Wong saw a sweeping need for more inclusion and diversity in the fight for disabled rights. She realized early on that she needed to be the change that she wanted to see. She continuously speaks out on the importance of seeing more women like her take up the space they deserve in the fight for equality. In addition to DPV, Wong also works with and funds Disabled Writers, another resource dedicated to amplifying the voices of people with disabilities. She has received multiple awards for her leadership in the disability community, including both the Mayor's Disability Council Beacon Award and the Chancellor's Disability Service Award in the year 2010, and the American Association of People with Disabilities Leadership Award in 2016. She has been featured on the list of BBC's 100 Women in the year 2020. Most recently, Wong has released her debut memoir Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life. She continues to be an inspiration to not only the disabled community, but to women seeking a role model in what it means to be a leader.



Sources 

“Alice Wong (Activist).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 7 Jan. 2023, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Wong_(activist). 

Lu, T. (2023) Activist Alice Wong reflects on 'the year of the Tiger' and her hopes for 2023, NPR. NPR. Available at: https://www.npr.org/2023/02/04/1153937530/activist-alice-wong-lunar-new-year-year-of-the-tiger-rabbit (Accessed: February 9, 2023).

 Monique (2016) Exclusive interview: Alice Wong (disability visibility project), JUST ADD COLOR-Affirming Ourselves Through Entertainment. Available at: https://www.colorwebmag.com/2016/04/20/exclusive-interview-alice-wong-disability-visibility-project/ (Accessed: February 9, 2023).

Alice Wong, Superstition Review. Available at: https://superstitionreview.asu.edu/issue26/interviews/alicewong (Accessed: February 9, 2023).


Comments

  1. Paige SFebruary 13, 2023 at 8:40 PM

    I am unfamiliar with Alice Wong and her activism. I never took into account how the disabled population is overlooked in regards to accessibility. Wong created and online space to make the voices of disabled individuals heard, the Disability visibility Project. This project I find inspiring because it is shaped to be easier to use and to be more authentic.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Dan DamasoFebruary 17, 2023 at 4:50 AM

    This story is very moving and motivating due to the fact that Wong, herself became disabled at such a young age and still chose to advocate for disabled rights. I like the idea that she advocates for disabled writers--to give them the motivation and stride to still have a voice, regardless of their disability. Further, this story is very inspirational to women of her time because Wong presents to her audience that regardless of her ethnicity or disability she has dedicated her life to fighting for what she believes in.

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