During Hispanic Heritage Month, Easterseals Southern California is proud to highlight the voices of Hispanic activists with a disability who use their platform to raise awareness and advocate for change. Here are three influential advocates worth learning more about:
Daphne Frias
Proudly Latina, Daphne Frias is a champion for the disability community. She started a non-profit to increase voter access, provided groceries to low-income families during the pandemic, and is a climate justice warrior for communities of color and people with disabilities.
Daphne is a medical student with a dual major in Public Health. Recently, Daphne was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and is sharing her journey on Instagram.
Learn more: 5 Tips for Being a Better Disability Ally; Meet Daphne Frias
Andy Arias
Actor, comedian, motivational speaker, artist and disability advocate, Andy Arias works to advance equity for people with disabilities through employment, economic empowerment and systemic lasting change.
Born and raised in Southern California, Andy Arias is a policy advisor in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy. He identifies as Latin X, a person with a disability and part of the LGBTQI+ community. His lived experience includes being in the foster care system for most of his childhood.
Learn more: The Opportunity to Thrive with PRIDE; Empowerment Through Representation
Annie Elainey
Annie Segarra, also known as Annie Elainey, describes herself as a disabled queer woman of color who is a YouTuber, writer, artist/singer/actor, speaker and advocate. She rose to popularity on YouTube as an artist and activist for LGBTQIA+ and disability rights. Her activism also centers on accessibility for all, body positivity, race and mental health. She created the t-shirt she is photographed wearing after attending the Women’s March in 2017 and feeling that it lacked visibility/accessibility for disabled individuals.
Learn more: Annie Elainey (tumblr.com); Annie Elainey YouTube ; Disability, Queerness, and Self Love
As Easterseals seeks to lead the way to full equity, inclusion and access for people with disabilities, we encourage you to take time this month to learn about the voices of Hispanic activists in the disability community.
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