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WENDY LU: I always say that
I am a proud disabled woman.

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It's something that
people don't hear often.

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It's a core part of who I am,
it's core part of my identity.

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When I used to go to my doctor's
office when I was younger,

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one of the first things
he would always say

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is, all right, so we've got
to figure out how to get you

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got something out of your neck.

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They assume the end goal
for me is to get rid of it.

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They don't even
ask me what I want.

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Society thinks that the end
goal is for disabled people

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to quote, "get better," or to
find a care for themselves.

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Like, that's like,
their hope in life.

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I wish we could get to a point
where the focus is on what

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the disabled person
wants for themselves

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versus what society
tells us they

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need to do with their lives.

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So I wear a tracheotomy tube--

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trach for short-- it
helps me freak breathe.

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I was born with
vocal cord paralysis,

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which basically means that
part of my vocal parts

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are paralyzed.

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And so it affects my breathing.

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But not my speaking.

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I remember when I started middle
school, my teacher asked me,

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how would you feel about
going up in front of class,

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and introduce yourself, and
talk about your disability,

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just so that they
can get used to it,

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and you can answer any
questions they might have?

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And I think it was
probably the first time

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that I spoke about my
disability in front of people.

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I think I was like, a little
flattered, a little excited.

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On one hand, it's like, I am
really glad that I got to do it

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because so often, kids with
disabilities-- or just people

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with disabilities in general--

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aren't asked to share
their personal experiences.

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They aren't seen as
experts of their own lives.

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At the same time, it
shouldn't also be expected

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of us to explain our lives.

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We shouldn't always put
in the emotional labor,

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the physical labor
toward educating

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able people on our identities.

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If you had a disability
that was confenital

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or that you acquired
early on in your life,

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ableism is something
that follows

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us from childhood up until you
know, you're in the workforce.

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I went to Columbia Journalism
School for graduate school.

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We took a tour at a
really big newsroom.

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I won't say which one.

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It was a major newsroom.

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And I remember we were standing
near a senior reporter's desk.

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He was answering
someone's question.

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He saw me, and
did a double take.

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He was like, oh blah, blah,
blah-- what happened to you?

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At that moment, everybody
fell silent, and looked at me.

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Like, all my peers.

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Oh, it's a trach tube.

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It helps me breathe.

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And he was like, yeah,
but why do you need that?

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What happened to you?

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I don't mind questions.

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In fact, I prefer them
much more than like,

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staring at me on the subway.

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But it's like, you're
a reporter, right?

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You should know how to ask
questions in a thoughtful way.

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There's that idea
that abled people are

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entitled to our life stories.

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And it's like, no, you're not.

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Like, stop making things
awkward for yourselves and me.

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I've been in job interviews
where I will get asked,

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so does the weather affect you?

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And I'm like, what do you mean?

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And he was sort
of implying like,

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are you able to do the job?

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Even though you're
disabled, like,

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can you still be a reporter?

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I feel like society already
requires us to prove so much.

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Either it's like, we
have to prove ourselves

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to be disabled enough
to get health insurance,

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to get accommodations.

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But then on the other hand, it's
like if we speak up too much

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about our disability, does
that mean that like, oh,

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they're not capable
enough as an employee?

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I want to see more people with
disabilities in the workforce.

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So it's specifically in
my industry in journalism,

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as a journalist, I'm
thinking every story

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has a disability angle.

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We don't just belong in
the lifestyle section.

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Or we shouldn't just be
made into inspiration porn.

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We're talking about
education, or health,

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or sports, police brutality--

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these are all things that
affect the disabled community.

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Ideally, it should be
something that every reporter

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thinks about.

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It should be something that
is on everybody's minds.

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It shouldn't be on just us.

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We have to go beyond just like,
we have a disabled person here.

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That we're now fully woke.

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We're now more inclusive.

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It's not just that disabled
people have to be at the table.

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It's that we also need to
be in key positions of power

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to make decisions for ourselves.

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Our work as human beings should
be based on how sick we are

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or how healthy we are.

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That should already be given.

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