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The Representation of People Living With Disabilities Matters

WMC F Bomb Sofia Jirau Instagram 22822

Picture a Victoria’s Secret model. I can imagine the way that person looks in your mind. The brand perpetuated and made ubiquitous unattainable and unhealthy beauty standards for years. They were so out of touch with the average woman that the company declared bankruptcy and closed 300 stores in two years in recent years.

Now they’re back, and they’re all about diversity and inclusivity. The new chief executive, Martin Waters, has said that the brand wants to become the “world’s leading advocate for women.” Part of that work is introducing a new campaign featuring Sofía Jirau, a 24-year-old model from Puerto Rico who lives with Down syndrome.

Some might see the ad as a cynical ploy to override a bad reputation. And maybe it is. But it’s also a cause for celebration.

Representation for people with disabilities like Sofía matters. Sofía’s success encourages all of us to redefine what’s possible. A woman with Down syndrome can be a Victoria’s Secret model! If we can change the image that appears when we picture a Victoria’s Secret model, what else can we change about our biases?

I’m especially excited for Sofia’s accomplishment because it is my life’s work to create a better quality of living for people with disabilities and to support women living with disabilities to vote and run for office. The way that I’m trying to do this is through politics and advocacy. Women with disabilities have one of the lowest voter turnouts in the United States. I want to change that.

I was inspired to do this work by representation close to home: My brother is on the autism spectrum. Doctors classified him as “nonverbal” when we were growing up. We communicated with sign language. He found some words by participating in organizations like the Special Olympics. He started communicating with his teammates, and now he’s classified as verbal.

Because of him, I’m an advocate for special education programs. I even developed an adaptive baton twirling program and have taught it in high schools and adult resource centers. I have lobbied for a couple of special education bills at the state level. I ran for the school board in my hometown, and it was an honor for my brother to be able to vote for me.

Discriminatory laws still plague the lives of people with disabilities. It’s legal to pay them a subminimum wage, deny them benefits if they get married, or deny them an organ transplant. I want to advocate for and help pass legislation that changes these laws. I have made it my mission in life to create a better quality of living for people with disabilities.

Ableism has persisted too long in our society. I want to be an advocate and political leader that fights to end ableism. I want to be able to reverse that fact and empower women with disabilities to vote and run for office.

Young women like Sofía Jirau are lighting the way along that path. They are showing us what’s possible. We should be proud of them and delight in their success.

Jaymie Bianca is the Boston fellow for IGNITE, America’s largest and most diverse organization for young women’s political leadership.



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