“Solely centering Black disabled voices is an intentional, unapologetic action, one that is long overdue to occur and is strongly needed for us to truly be seen and heard without concerning the gazes of others.”
- Vilissa Thompson, Founder, Ramp Your Voice!
Speakers & Talent
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Morénike Giwa Onaiwu
Morénike Giwa Onaiwu, PhD is a global human rights and disability justice activist-scholar, consultant, advocate, author, educator, and parent in a neurodiverse, multicultural, twice-exceptional serodifferent biological and adoptive family.
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Jen White-Johnson
Jen White-Johnson (she/they) is an Afro-Latina disabled and neurodivergent art activist, designer, and educator whose visual work explores the intersection of content and caregiving, emphasizing redesigning ableist visual culture.
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T. S. Banks
T. S. Banks (he/him) is a Black & QTDisabled, non-binary teaching artist, poet, and playwright from Madison, WI. He is the Founder of Loud ‘N UnChained Theater Co and LNU Publishing House, which is home to Black QT Mad-Krip, neuro-expnsive, and chronically ill authors and teaching-artists.
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Kayla Smith
A disability justice activist who focuses on the intersectionality within neurodiversity especially autism. I have been doing advocacy work since 2018. I am the creator of hashtag #BlackAutisticPride.
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Cara Reedy
Cara Reedy is the Founder and Director of the Disabled Journalists Association. She spent ten years of her career at CNN producing documentaries as well as writing for various verticals including Eatocracy and CNN Business.
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Anita Cameron
Anita Cameron is a disability justice activist who has been involved in social change activism and community organizing for 42 years.
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Chelsea House
Chelsea (@TheBlackDisabledFemme) is a consultant, researcher, designer, community builder, and Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC).
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Arielle Gray
Arielle Gray is a journalist, writer and artist currently based in Boston. She is a reporter at WBUR, Boston's NPR station, where she covers Black and brown communities through the lens of art and culture
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Alice Sheppard
Living into a dare, dancer and choreographer Alice Sheppard resigned her tenured professorship to train with Kitty Lunn and Infinity Dance Theater.
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Ellice Patterson
Ellice Patterson is the founder/ executive and artistic director of Abilities Dance, a Boston-based dance company that welcomes artists with and without disabilities.
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Claire Jones & Amaranthia Sepia
Claire Jones and her daughter, Amaranthia Sepia, are a Black, invisibly disabled mother-daughter duo who are the co-founders of the grassroots project (not a non-profit!) Sista Creatives Rising (SCR).
Our Mission
This conference will intentionally center Black disabled perspectives and create spaces to candidly discuss the topics that matter to us, as well as learn about the talented individuals who are a part of our dynamic community.
Our Purpose
At the Ramp Your Voice Conference we will make the unseen seen and form new connections across fields and endeavors, to lift up and support the intellectual, creative, and joyful talent that runs right through our powerful community.
Advisory Board
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Dr. Sami Schalk
Associate Professor of Gender and Women's Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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Heather Watkins
Disability rights advocate, author, mother, speaker, and consultant.
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Keah Brown
Award winning journalist, author, studying actress, and screenwriter.
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Sandy Ho
Program Director of the Disability Inclusion Fund at Borealis Philanthropy.
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Sarah Blahovec
Co-Founder and President of Disability Victory. Chronically ill and queer disability civic engagement expert.
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S.E. Smith
Northern California-based journalist, essayist, and editor.