Advisory Board
Dr. Sami Schalk
Dr. Sami Schalk is an associate professor of Gender and Women's Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research focuses on disability, race, and gender in contemporary American literature and culture. She is the author of Bodyminds Reimagined: (Dis)ability, Race, and Gender in Black Women's Speculative Fiction (Duke 2018) and Black Disability Politics (Duke 2022). Sami identifies as a fat, Black, queer, disabled femme and a pleasure activist.
Heather Watkins
Heather Watkins is a disability rights advocate, author, mother, speaker, consultant, graduate of Emerson College with a B.S. in Mass Communications. Born with Muscular Dystrophy, she serves on several disability-related boards and projects. Her publishing experience includes articles for sites like: Femme Frugality, The Century Foundation, Disabled Parenting, Rooted In Rights, Women’s Media Center, and Thank God I. Heather’s short story, “Thank God I have Muscular Dystrophy” published in 2013 as part of compilation in the Thank God I…Am an Empowered Woman ® book series. Her blog Slow Walkers See More includes reflections and insight from her life with disability.
Keah Brown
Keah Brown is an award winning journalist, author, studying actress and screenwriter. She is the recipient of Ulta Beauty’s Muse 100 award, Which is a celebration of 100 inspirational voices around beauty, she is one of The Root’s 100 most influential African Americans of 2018. Keah is the creator of the viral hashtag, #DisabledAndCute. Her work on disability, identity, and pop culture has appeared in Town & Country Magazine, Teen Vogue, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire UK, And The New York Times, among other publications. Her essay collection, THE PRETTY ONE, picture book, SAM’S SUPER SEATS and young adult novel titled THE SECRET SUMMER PROMISE are out now.. Find out more at keahbrown.com.
s.e. smith
s.e. smith is a Northern California-based journalist, essayist, and editor. smith's work on disability, culture, and social attitudes has appeared in publications such as the Washington Post, Time, The Guardian, Rolling Stone, Esquire, and Vice, in addition to anthologies, most recently Body Language (Catapult, 2022). They received a National Magazine Award in 2020 for their work in Catapult.
Sandy Ho
Sandy Ho is the program director of the Disability Inclusion Fund at Borealis Philanthropy. Prior to her role in philanthropy Sandy was a disability policy researcher, and comes to disability community organizing by way of mentoring for youth with disabilities. Sandy was a 2022 Disability Futures Fellow, and was most recently named a 2023 Obama Foundation USA Leader. In 2016 she founded the Disability & Intersectionality Summit. She received her MPP from Brandeis University’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management. Sandy identifies as a disabled queer Asian American woman.
Sarah Blahovec
Sarah Blahovec (she/her) is a chronically ill and queer disability civic engagement expert. She works with organizations to address the barriers to voting and running for office for the one in four Americans who have a disability. Sarah is also the Co-Founder and President of Disability Victory, a 501(c)4 which is building the political power of disabled progressives through training, networking, and leadership development. She takes joy in fibercrafting, reading, hiking in Virginia, and being an overly attentive dog mom to her miniature schnauzer, Harpo.