As a disabled model, to be asked to walk a runway during London Fashion Week was a dream come true. But as incredible as the experience was, it showed me how much work still needs to be done within the fashion industry to be a truly inclusive space for the disability community.
Inclusive representation is a new trend. Ensuring that the media we consume reflects the world we live in accurately has only really been on people’s minds for the last ten or so years. And, while improvements are being made, there are many places were representation is still severely lacking.
Up until last fall, I hardly ever let my picture be taken sitting down. Part of the reasoning was my aversion to showing off my stomach rolls. I’ve always struggled with body image, and if I had nothing to block my tummy from view, I was guaranteed to be self-conscious.
The bigger and more problematic reason I avoided these types of photos, though, was my aversion to my mobility aids. I didn’t like the idea of “looking disabled.” There is such a stigma surrounding wheelchairs, crutches, canes, and prosthetics, not to mention bulkier medical equipment, that it’s hard for people who require these devices to not feel ashamed of needing them.