4 Black Disability Creators and Influencers to Know

July is Disability Pride Month – a time dedicated to honoring the history, experiences, and achievements of disabled people. It is also a time for allies to learn and listen.

In recent years, representation in the disability advocacy space has increased. However, there could definitely be more, especially Black creators and influencers . Representation amplifies diverse experiences, creates community, and makes people feel seen.

Everyone should learn more about the experiences of disabled individuals and how to be better allies. Here are four incredible Black disability creators and influencers who are using their platforms to share their stories and break barriers for disabled people.

Jillian Mercado

Jillian Mercado, an Afro-Latina disabled actress and model, is revolutionizing the world of fashion and entertainment. There are an estimated 1.3 billion people with disabilities worldwide, but there is such little representation in the media. Growing up, Mercado says the images she saw in the media of disabled people were always about not fitting in, being a burden, or dying. This lack of accurate representation negatively impacted Mercado’s mental health.

As a Dominican model with muscular dystrophy, she uses her platform to amplify the need for diversity in fashion and on screen. The New York native is also well known for her role in “The L Word: Generation Q” from 2019 to 2023.

Keah Brown

Known as the creator of the viral hashtag #DisabledAndCute, Keah Brown is a disability activist, author, journalist, and writer. Born with cerebral palsy, Brown spent her younger years wishing for normalcy. Today, after a radical journey of self-love, she encourages others to find joy in loving themselves and building positive community.

Brown is also the author of “The Pretty One,” a collection of essays examining what it means to be Black and disabled in a mostly able-bodied white America. The essays highlight Brown’s experience with dating, her disappointment with media’s depiction of disability, and her relationship with her able-bodied identical twin – who people referred to as “the pretty one.”

Lauren Spencer

Lauren “Lolo” Spencer is an actress, influencer, and disability advocate all about authentic representation. Diagnosed with ALS at 14 years old, today, she is best known for her role in The Sex Lives of College Girls . It’s estimate that ALS patients will survive two to seven years beyond their diagnosis. Now 37, Spencer has been living with ALS for 23 years.

Spencer also centers her platform around encouraging people with disabilities to be independent and self-empowered. Spencer utilizes her IG account and her YouTube channel, Sitting Pretty , for an authentic look into life with a disability and to support the disabled community,

Stephanie Thomas

Disability fashion stylist and consultant, Stephanie Thomas was born without a right thumb and three toes. As a congenital amputee, doctors told Thomas that she would not be able to walk. Today, as the founder of Cur8able , she utilizes her platform to end fashion industry ableism.

Thomas uses her award-winning Disability Fashion Styling System® to simplify shopping for disabled, chronically ill, and injured people. She empowers people with disabilities to dress with dignity and independence. She also educates brands, retailers, and the entertainment industry to meet their dressing needs.

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