Thriving in Diversity: Latinas and Latinos with Disabilities

The disability community is made up of people with varying levels of physical and cognitive abilities. The voices of Latinas and Latinos with disabilities give us a perspective of how Latinidad and ability intersect. ​

How does the disability community represent themselves? 

“I want you to understand that difference is a beautiful thing."​Nefertiti says, “Diversity is the thing that allows us to thrive. It is the thing that has allowed us to be human for so long, and indeed be as innovative as we’ve been”. Nefertiti promotes expanding access to all.

"Disability" represents a spectrum of experiences and abilities. Its definition has changed over time. There have been multiple ways to describe people with varying abilities. In earlier times, terms like "cripple," "feeble minded," or "handicapped" were used derogatorily.

The Disability Community continually re-envisions negative terms, using them in an empowering way. When the community fought to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, protesters created signs, shirts, and pins that used these terms to fight for civil rights.

Stop tolerating insulting terms like "Cripple" or "Handicap" instead use “Disabled” - in Spanish “Discapacitado” - to describe disability. Recently a Spanish term has emerged: “Diversidad funcional – in English "Functional Diversity" - that centers the community's diversity.

The disability community is the largest minority group in the world. In the U.S. 1 in 6 Latinos live with a disability. This community is made up of individuals who come from diverse countries of origin, racial backgrounds, and, have a range of different abilities.

The Disability Community disproportionately faces discrimination in their daily lives. Despite this, many choose to share their experiences and achievements to combat the stigmas they endure. Some individuals dedicate their careers to advocating for Latinos with disabilities.

Danielle Pérez is a disabled, plus-sized actress and comedian of Dominican descent who uses humor to narrate her struggles and life experiences. She supports diversity in comedy, bringing underrepresented and funny voices to the stage.

Activism has always been important in the disability community. Activism comes in many forms: from advocacy for civil rights with the 1990 ADA Act, to activism expressed through the arts (art-ivism), like fashion, music, visual arts, and more.

Those experiencing disability are their own best advocates. In disability activism, the slogan “nothing about us without us” speaks to the need to have disabled persons in leadership positions to further education, advocacy, diversity and inclusion to all.

Estefani, Oscar, Everlyn and Jabez, also known as That Deaf Family, are a hearing-impaired family of Mexican descent from Kern County, California. They use social media to promote education surrounding parents who communicate with their children by American Sign Language (ASL).

Recognize that we all need to respect every individual's experiences and abilities. Learn about the diversity of disability types and promote accessibility and inclusion.  We should yield the floor to people with disabilities so we can help identify and eliminate barriers.

See how the National Museum of the American Latino supports and integrates inclusivity in its exhibition, “¡Presente!: A Latino History of the United States” at the Latino Gallery at the National Museum of American History! Visit our website to learn about gallery accessibility.