Center for Disability Resources (CDR) : Black Disability History: Past, Present, & Future

Wednesday, February 21, 2024

Black Disability History: Past, Present, & Future

Tatiana Lee, a black woman wearing a purple dress and high heel combat boots doing a wheelie with her wheelchair while smiling.

Black Disability History: Past, Present, & Future.

Tatiana A. Lee is a wheelchair user with Spina Bifida. She is an actor, model, and producer. Tatiana is committed to advancing accessibility and inclusion in film, TV, and media. Her impact is altering how the media portrays people with disabilities.

Initially from Coatesville, Pennsylvania, Tatiana saw that people with disabilities needed more representation in the media. She began using social media to talk about how the disability community lacks visibility and accessibility in entertainment.

Lee has won many awards, including a Daytime Emmy and the Hollywood Fringe Producers Award. In 2018, she was honored with the Christopher Reeves Scholarship at the Media Access Awards for her outstanding contribution to advancing disability inclusion in media. You can watch Tatiana in films such as Footloose, Jade, and Together & Better. As a model, Lee has appeared in ads for big brands such as Apple, Target, and Zappos.

Lee is committed to making Hollywood more inclusive and creating chances for up-and-coming disabled artists. Lee is the Accessibility Lead at Apple TV+, a creative advisor for The Walt Disney Company, Netflix, Sundance Accessible Futures Intensive, and volunteers as the Disability & Accessibility Advocate for Women of Color Unite on disability inclusion in film, TV, and media.

Source: An Actress with Spina Bifida Forged Her Own Path in Hollywood; Now She’s Using Her Platform To Advocate For Others (forbes.com)

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