Pokey, like Captain Kirk, controls every aspect of the software and hardware that powers any device he’s using. The biggest difference between Captain Kirk and Pokey is that Pokey can crochet while he’s commanding machinery. How? Enter: ingenuity.

His transition from therapeutic recreation into his entertainment career highlights a concept I must keep repeating: people who are disabled often act from a fear that they’re about to be left behind rather than the belief they're about to succeed. Bryan might have longed to be onstage as a child, but he did not believe that dream belonged to him.

Mark moved to Atlanta ready to embrace life in his early 20’s. Far from family, his friends, the freedom granted by NYC’s transit system, and the familiar programs he could rely on back home, the small amount of vision Mark had suddenly faded to darkness. Just inches from his face, Mark could no longer distinguish the five fingers on his hand. Something scary was happening.

Being social can release a pressure valve in some people because a nice chat invites relaxation. However, ask yourself: what would it be like if you had to work hard just to get your words out? For Chris Schuyler, Sr. Staff Attorney with NYLPI’s Disability Justice Program, it’s a little complicated. Chris has a stutter which is a neurological condition. Despite his difficulty getting the words out, Chris knows exactly what he’d like to say. But the stutter causes the very specific tools in the brain, which are responsible for getting thoughts into verbalized words, to misfire.

The world loses when disabled people are left out. Rebecca Lamorte, an Emmy-nominated New Yorker with a disability, lost her mobility following a scary accident on the NYC subway. Her story highlights the fluid aspect of being disabled; it can happen to anyone. Her success despite the accident has ushered Rebecca into the center of disability advocacy as a leader and catalyst for inclusion.