Valentina "The Open Road" Ibarra

Cause They Represent & Why

Disability representation, disability justice, and accessible public spaces. Valentina stands for the progress disabled people have fought for, from accessible routes in public spaces to stronger standards for accessible government websites and mobile apps. She also pushes for disabled people to be represented authentically, not treated as an afterthought. These advances matter, but access and inclusion still need people willing to keep advocating for them. Physical access: The ADA’s design standards require accessible routes connecting places like accessible parking, sidewalks, transit stops, and building entrances. That’s the legal groundwork behind features such as ramps, curb cuts, and step-free routes. ADA accessible-route standards Digital access: The U.S. Department of Justice has set WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the accessibility standard for state and local government websites and mobile apps. Compliance deadlines were extended to 2027 or 2028, depending on the entity. DOJ rule and updated deadlines Representation: There is more public attention on authentic disability representation and casting disabled performers, though the work is far from finished. One 2025 study found disabled characters made up just 3.9% of scripted TV characters it analyzed, and many were not played by disabled actors. Geena Davis Institute study

Different Kinds of Beauty™

“i move through a world that was not built for me, and i do it anyway — not because it's easy but because disappearing was worse. my chair is not a footnote, it's the frame 🌿”