Alice Wong (activist)

Alice Wong participated at the 25th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act via robot (cropped)

Alice Wong is an American disability rights activist, media maker, and consultant. She is the founder and director of the Disability Visibility Project, an online community dedicated to creating, sharing, and amplifying disability media and culture. Wong is known for her work in amplifying the voices of disabled people and advocating for disability rights and inclusion.

Early Life and Education

Alice Wong was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. She was diagnosed with spinal muscular atrophy at a young age. Wong attended Indiana University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and Sociology. She later received a Master of Arts in Medical Sociology from the University of California, San Francisco.

Career

Disability Visibility Project

In 2014, Wong founded the Disability Visibility Project (DVP), which started as a partnership with StoryCorps to collect oral histories of people with disabilities. The project has since expanded to include a podcast, an online community, and a book titled "Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century," which was published in 2020.

Media and Advocacy

Wong has contributed to various media outlets, including NPR, Al Jazeera, and The New York Times. She is a frequent speaker on topics related to disability rights, healthcare, and social justice. Wong has also served on the National Council on Disability, an independent federal agency that advises the President and Congress on disability policy.

Consulting

As a consultant, Wong has worked with numerous organizations to improve accessibility and inclusion. She has provided expertise to entities such as the American Association of People with Disabilities and the Ford Foundation.

Personal Life

Alice Wong uses a ventilator and a wheelchair for mobility. She is an advocate for assistive technology and healthcare access for disabled individuals. Wong resides in San Francisco, California.

Awards and Recognition

Wong has received several awards for her advocacy work, including the Paul G. Hearne Leadership Award from the American Association of People with Disabilities and the Beacon Award from the San Francisco Mayor's Disability Council.

Publications

• Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century (2020)

See Also

• Disability rights movement
• Assistive technology
• Healthcare access
• Social justice