When I was growing up, there were no women with disabilities to look up to. The lack of role models made me feel alone, but the next generation of girls and women with disabilities don’t have to go through what I did. Disability EmpowHer Network’s Letters from Role Models program connects girls with disabilities with successful adults to show them the successful examples of adults with disabilities that I and so many others like me never had.
Stephanie Woodward, a disability lawyer and activist, co-founded the network in December 2020 with her friend, disability rights activist Leah Smith.
“Even in the disability space, CEOs and executive directors are often not disabled women. Outside of the disability world, there are even fewer disabled women in leadership positions. We decided that in order to help more disabled women become leaders, we needed to not only empower disabled women, but also mentor young girls with disabilities who will be the disabled women of tomorrow. And so Disability EmpowHer Network (DEN) was born,” Woodward told Teen Vogue.
Research shows that women with disabilities often have lower self-esteem and are socially isolated compared to women without disabilities. For many, the pandemic has further isolated them and intensified their desire for connection. Disability EmpowHer’s letter program is one way to make a difference. The goal of the program is to help girls with disabilities across the U.S. feel more confident in themselves by matching them with successful mentors who provide them with tailored advice through letters. Matching is based on disability, interests and personality.
In fact, the program was a direct response to the increased isolation brought on by the pandemic.
“The pandemic has made life more challenging and isolating for all of us, but girls with disabilities have faced particular challenges. As remote learning has become the norm, girls with disabilities have become even more isolated.” […] “The idea came to us in December to match up five girls with disabilities with five successful women with disabilities and have the women write letters to the girls to encourage them to start the new year on a positive note. We posted it on a whim, not knowing if anyone would be interested,” she told Teen Vogue.
“The first girl nominated to receive a letter was a fourth-grader who has arthrogryposis. She was nominated by her grandmother, who told us her granddaughter was concerned about how she would wear makeup in the future because her disability limited her arm movement,” Woodward recalls.
DEN paired the girl with Sarah Gaber, a beauty queen from Florida who also has arthrogryposis.
The girl’s grandmother told Teen Vogue: “[My granddaughter and I] She discussed many times how she felt about being treated differently and feeling left out. […] I have no idea what that feels like, but I’m glad to know that she can now reach out. [her role model]Having someone who completely understands you makes your heart happy. [Her role model] They really empathize and give advice.”