Wearing Disability with Pride

July has been deemed Disability Pride Month and it serves as a reminder to society that people living with a disability are still people. People with dreams, goals and aspirations who just happen to have a disability that accompanies them on that journey. Visual representation of people differently-abled will help to destigmatize the negative and one-dimenstional perceptions of those types of people. We should see people living with disabilities as simply unique in the bigger scope of the human race. Elizabeth Ortiz feels the same way. This New Jersey living woman has a passion in speaking up about the lack of inclusion in the Entertainment Industry, particularly in the form of acting and modeling, especially when it comes to the portrayal of disabled people. Read more about her personal story below!

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How unrealistic is it, that producers, directors, writers and film crews do not include (real) disabled people in their work? In today's society according to the census of 2000, about two out of every seven families is reported to having a family member with a disability.  I'm sure we are your neighbors, your friends, your co-workers, your sisters, your brothers, your uncles, your aunts, your fathers, your mothers or someone you may see on an every day basis, living life as usual. So why is it that we cannot be seen on the big screen like everyone else? Why is it that people with disabilities are not casted in more movies, plays, fashion shows, TV interviews and magazine covers? Let that resonate for a while.

The few parts that are out there for a person with a disability in movies are given to able-bodied actors or actresses. This is equivalent to a person who is White playing an Afro-American person and painting their face Black (and boy what a backlash that would cause!). So why is it so different for someone who has a disability not to be able to play their own parts? This is a double standard. One of the first movies that portrayed a real disabled person was Helen Keller, who was blind, deaf, and mute. Another was the Elephant man, the story of a man who was terribly disfigured. Since then, several shows and movies have in fact realistically depicted disabled individuals. At this point in time, one would think that the disabled population should be included more in the entertainment industry. But, we still continue to lurk in the shadows only to be seen ever so often. I personally know this firsthand as I've been trying to get into modeling/acting for the longest with no success.

Since childhood I have had Progressive Spinal Atrophy which is one of the forms of Muscular Dystrophy. As such, I use a wheelchair to get around. I am one of nine siblings, and honestly never felt different from them, neither did my siblings. They never treated me any different. I pretty much did everything they did except climb trees and that was because I couldn't figure out how to do it! Ever since I can remember I've always been very conscious of the way I dressed and what I wore. Appearance was always very important to me. I was always into fashion, I would buy fashion magazines and collect them to see the different fashions and even hoped to see someone like myself, but sadly enough it never happened. As I got into my teens and twenties I would take numerous pictures in my different outfits, as I was always a fashionista and somehow, some day a model in the making, or actress. That has always been my "Dream".

In the 90s I attended an acting School in New York. I also did some local modeling and some print ads for a few companies. I even tried out for a play called "Julie's Song" where I landed a role. In 1999 and 2000, I entered the Miss Wheelchair New Jersey pageant. I did not win the title but it certainly was a great experience and one that I will cherish and never forget. In 2019 I came across a modeling contest run by Zappos and decided to enter it. To my disbelief, I won!! What a feeling that was to win something that I had been dreaming about for so long. In January of 2019, they flew me to Vegas for three days for a photo shoot. The photoshoot was held at Zappos headquarters and it included a personal assistant who picked out my clothes for the photo shoot, a hairdresser to do my hair and another young lady to do my makeup. I truly felt like a celebrity! This was a great experience for me as this was the first time that I had flown in quite a while since I was young. Also, the reality of having my dream come true was definitely mind blowing. Still till this day I can't wrap my head around or believe that I achieved those accomplishments in my life. As the saying goes "when one door closes another opens", and that cannot be further from the truth for me.

After doing the model shoot for Zappos I was introduced to Mindy Scheier of Runway of Dreams. I surprised her at one of her business lunches by attending it without her knowing that I was coming. During the question and answer session I spoke and I let her know that I was "Elizabeth Ortiz" and that I was there to let her know that I was going to be in one of her next fashion shows. She then turned around and was so excited to see me and shouted out " "Elizabeth!" how did you know? I was going to call you and let you know". In September of the same year, I was in Mindy's fashion show for fashion week in New York at Cipriani's. What an exciting time and a true dream come true for me as it was a high I never wanted to come down from. I would love to continue modeling and doing other work in the industry. There are limits that are put on us by the state government and other agencies that do not allow us to earn a living like anyone else. This is due to the high cost of healthcare and the equipment that we need on a daily basis.

Yes, you are seeing more people with disabilities in the media - some commercials and some movies but, it is still not enough. There is more work to be done in this industry. The media, networks and Hollywood especially, have an enormous potential of changing the way people view disabilities. With the help of positive reports from talk shows and the news/media, it can have a positive impact by simply focusing on the person rather than their disability.

The fashion world/fashion shows can definitely debunk any myths and stereotypes. It is awesome as well as a blessing to finally have adaptive clothing for people with different abilities. It is also awesome to be a part of the marketing and fashion shows that come along with bringing these clothes out with the individuals wearing them to the forefront. "Rolling down the runways".♿♿♿ I truly hope and pray that the media will take this opportunity to change how people with disabilities are seen, and give the same opportunities as anyone else.

Let me brag a little bit about some individuals who I know that are paving the way for the rest of us. First, Zack Gottsagen. He's definitely a real inspiration to the disability population as he is a “Breakthrough Entertainer” that has made it onto the big screen numerous times and is now in a sitcom on ABC. Zack is an actor with Down Syndrome known for "The Peanut Butter Falcon" (2019), "Best Summer Ever" (2020) and "Bulletproof" (2012). He also plays on "Boynton Beach" on ABC. On February 9th, 2020, Zack made history by being the first disabled presenter at the Oscars along with Shia LaBeouf.

Jillian Mercado is a model/actress who has Muscular Dystrophy and has modeled for the likes of Diesel, Tommy Hilfiger adaptive, Oil of Olay and numerous other brands. She also appeared on The Lword this past season as an attorney.

Laura "Lolo" Spencer is another model and actress who is definitely making a difference in the modeling world. Lolo was diagnosed with ALS at the age of 14. She's a model, public speaker and content creator and has her own YouTube channel called "Sitting Pretty". "Sitting Pretty" is a series she created to showcase her life as a woman who uses a wheelchair. Lolo appeared in an independent film, "Give Me Liberty" and was nominated for Best Supporting Female for it.

Stephanie Aiello was in a car accident that left her unable to walk and now uses a wheelchair. Steph is an Instagram star who rose to fame through her passion for makeup artistry. Her career began when she started uploading videos to her YouTube channel in 2012. Steph is now the first disabled model for Ulta. She is truly beautiful and a real inspiration.

Sammi Haney is a 9 year old actress who has Osteogenesis Imperfecta (brittle bone disease). She plays "Esperanza", a wheelchair user on the Netflix series “Raising Dion”. Esperanza is a bright classmate of Dions’. She is a brilliant artist who is wise beyond her years. Dion grows to realize she is his best friend.

These individuals encourage and influence others to not be afraid to step outside their comfort zone and live that dream they have!  Our lives and desires are as normal as the next. These are only a handful of people that have been able to make a name for themselves in the industry. Hollywood and the entertainment industry has their work cut out for them and therefore should start implementing this into practice as of yesteryears. We're in the 21st century and things should definitely be further than they are.

So world stand up and take notice of individuals with disabilities that have started paving a way for others like myself. Advocate for us to do whatever it is that we want to do in life, as anyone else. To name a few, Stephan Hawkins, who was diagnosed with ALS, was an English theoretical physicist, cosmologist, and author. Marilee Matlin, is a Deaf actress whom to date is the only deaf performer to have won an Academy Award. Ali Stoker, who has a spinal cord injury, was awarded a Tony award for her performance in the Broadway play, Oklahoma. And recently we have Kodi Lee, who is a singer who is visually impaired and diagnosed with Autism, whom just won America's Got Talent. As time goes on you will hear and witness more and more challenges like these to the point that it will be the same as anyone else!!! We are inclusive, unstoppable.

     The ADA may mean “Americans with Disability Act” but to me ADA means:

“American Disable ACHIEVERS"