March is National Women’s History Month; a month dedicated to celebrating, studying, and observing the contributions of women in American history and the present day. Women have made amazing and inspiring contributions across politics, law, technology, and the arts.
In honor of National Women’s History Month, we'd like to take a moment to celebrate some of the most prominent women in our nation's history and their contributions to improving access for all.
Harriet Tubman
Harriet Tubman is best known for her work helping African Americans escape slavery through the Underground Railroad. Tubman supported the Union during the Civil War as a nurse, assisted fugitives, and was the head of espionage for an espionage and scout network. What many people don’t know about Harriet Tubman, is that she accomplished all of this while living with a disability. Suffering a severe head injury while enslaved and developing epilepsy, her work before and during the Civil War had a huge impact on this nation’s history and the outcome of the war.
Harriet Tubman was also a vocal advocate during the women’s suffrage movement.
Helen Keller
Helen Keller is one of the most widely known disability rights advocates. Throughout her life, she advocated for women’s rights and disability rights later culminating in her co-founding the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Today the ACLU is one of the largest civil liberties organizations advocating for people with disabilities, people of color, LGBTQ+ people, and incarcerated persons.
Keller broke down many barriers throughout her life including being the first deaf-blind person to earn a bachelor of arts degree. She also co-founded Helen Keller International in 1915 to fight causes of blindness, like malnutrition, and help those living without sight.
Helen Keller is still one of the most notable women in history and serves as an inspirational figure for advocates across the globe.
Fannie Lou Hamer
Fannie Lou Hamer was a Civil Rights activist that was involved in the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Hamer contracted Polio as a child and later suffered from a myriad of ailments after being beaten in a Mississippi jail after being arrested due to her advocacy work. The focal point of much of her activism was helping Black Americans register to vote. She also co-founded the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party and the Women’s Political Caucus.
The American Association of People with Disabilities launched a leadership program in Hamer’s honor to help encourage Black Americans with disabilities to vote.
Elizabeth Monroe Boggs
Elizabeth Monroe Boggs was a researcher and advocate for persons with developmental disabilities. She is one of the founders of The Arc; an organization that advocates for people with developmental disabilities and provides employment assistance.
Boggs was appointed to John F Kennedy's panel for advocacy related to developmental disabilities. She received numerous awards for her research and advocacy including the Kennedy International Award for Leadership, the Distinguished Public Service Award HEW, the Distinguished Service Award UCPA, the Wallace Wallin Award CEC, and the N. Neal Pike Prize for Service to People with Disabilities.
She also developed and drafted public policy on issues faced by those with developmental disabilities at a time when such policies and understanding were desperately needed.
Patrisha Wright
Patricia Wright is a disability rights advocate and the co-founder of the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF). She is often credited with leading the campaigning, organizing, and lobbying for the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). Wright, who is legally blind, has been recognized for her work and contributions to the disability rights movement through many awards, including the Presidential Citizens Medal in 2001.
Chai Feldblum
Like Patricia Wright, Chai Feldblum played an integral role in the passing of the ADA. Feldblum is a civil rights attorney that acted as the lead attorney drafting the ADA. She also worked on the ADA Amendments Act of 2008.
Feldman was nominated for the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission in 2009 by President Barack Obama. In addition to writing important disability rights legislation, she was the lead drafter on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, a piece of proposed legislation that would prohibit employment discrimination based on sexual orientation. She has also advocated for workplace policies such as flex scheduling, telecommuting, and more − accommodations that can be incredibly beneficial to employees with disabilities.
Intersectionality Matters
The accomplishments of all of these women had a positive impact on many different communities. Many of these women advocated for those with disabilities as well as women’s rights, racial justice, LGBTQ+ rights, and more. Women with disabilities, and especially black women with disabilities, face unique challenges as members of multiple marginalized groups. Thus, it is important to consider intersectionality when looking at disability rights issues and advocacy.
Happy National Women's History Month!
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