Erica Smith

It’s Disability Pride Month and I’m thinking about the phrase “Disability rights are human rights.” To me, that means disabled people deserve more than the bare minimum. We deserve to be seen, included, and valued. We deserve the freedom to participate fully in our communities, our workplaces, and the outdoors.

When I was first injured, I didn’t know what I was missing out on. Not because opportunities didn’t exist, but because I never saw anyone like me doing them.

I didn’t see disabled people mountain biking, camping, traveling, or building adventurous lives. I barely saw disabled people at all.

More than a decade later, I found adaptive recreation and a community of disabled people who were living full, joyful, adventurous lives. Seeing them changed how I saw myself. It expanded what I believed was possible for my own life.

It’s hard to imagine yourself somewhere you’ve never seen someone like you before. Representation doesn’t just inspire, it expands what’s possible.

I’m grateful to be part of making disability more visible than it was when I was 17 and newly injured. Because somewhere, someone might be seeing a version of their future they didn’t know was possible.