Samantha Jade Durán is changing peoples’ perceptions of disability one post at a time
Samantha Jade Durán (@adisabledicon) advises any disabled person out there to be “unapologetically yourself.” The fashion influencer and disability advocate uses her platform to dismantle ableism and create a more inclusive future for those with disabilities. She says, “Until you put your foot down — or your wheel down — people aren’t going to accept that if we have the appropriate accommodations, if we are treated as equals, then we too will flourish.”
Speaking to In The Know, Samantha explains that she has a rare disease called Maffucci syndrome that caused her to be born with bone tumors all over her body and vein tumors in her hands and feet. Not only was this extremely painful for Samantha, but she has had 18 surgeries and counting since the age of six.
Now, Samantha uses her social media platforms to share her story and show the world what every day is like for someone living with a disability. She says that memories of her younger self navigating an ableist world motivate her to work to make a difference.
“Ableism still permeates almost, well, literally every aspect of society,” she says. “But thanks to social media, so many people have access to content like mine and other disabled creators.”
Samantha creates a variety of disability-related content, discussing everything from disability rights to adaptive fashion, interabled relationships and life hacks. A fashionista, Samantha works in outfits and styling content for her social media as well.
She explains that as a wheelchair user who spends most of her day sitting or lying down, it’s important to consider the practicality of clothing. “But that doesn’t mean we have to sacrifice the iconicism of our looks,” Samantha adds.
“I’ve had a lot of people message me in the past telling me that I’ve encouraged them to wear whatever they want and just be fully, unapologetically disabled,” Samantha says. “And every time I read those comments, I literally cry. It warms my heart that I’m being that person that I needed when I was younger.”
Samantha says that there is a stigma when using mobility aids and that a lot of people think in absolutes, assuming that wheelchair-users can’t walk in any capacity. “And that’s simply not true,” she explains. “The majority of wheelchair-users can walk, myself included, but it’s very limited.”
“Mobility aids aren’t limiting — they’re freeing,” Samantha shares. “You’ll be in less pain, you’ll have less fatigue, you’ll be able to do so much more than you presently do, and you’ll be less miserable.”
She continues, “People have this erroneous, preconceived notion of what disability is and what it looks like, and I simply do not fit those molds. I’m changing people’s perceptions of disability, one post at a time.”
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