Meet Riley!

I personally know Riley from our ~wild, fun~ college days at Illinois State Unversity. Our friendship all started with an email- so 21st century lol. She is that friend that you don't need to talk to everyday to know that she got my back and when we do hangout, it's like we have never left each other's side. She is that one person who L.I.T.E.R.A.L.L.Y understands my crazy, beautiful life to a T. She got a special place in my heart.

"Disability only becomes a tragedy when society fails to provide the things we need to lead our lives." - Judy Heumann

Riley Spreadbury

24 years old

She/Her/Hers 

Chicago, IL

"When I look back at the metamorphosis of my disability identity, I'm often shocked at how much I have changed. Almost 12 years ago to the day, I broke my neck and became a C8 quadriplegic, though identifying proudly with the disability community came much later. Coming to terms with the physical aspect of my disability was incredibly grueling. I had to relearn how to do the simplest of tasks. Figuring out how to put on pants independently or how to transfer from my bed to my chair and back took years to get right. I had to say goodbye to some of my favorite activities, rollerblading being the most notable. The hardest thing to say goodbye to was having a body that listened to me and did what I wanted it to do (that goodbye actually happened about two years prior to my spinal cord injury. Thanks kyphosis). 

Once I adapted to this new life, I realized that society wasn't exactly coping with my disability very well. I guess that was when I found the disability community and the wonderful culture and history that comes with it. I wasn't aware that with my disability came a community that agrees their main problem is the barriers society puts up around them, not their disability. Don't get me wrong, actual disabilities exist, but society is what can make them so gosh darn unbearable. I want people to comprehend that I don't mind being disabled. I think my wheelchair is awesome. When I get up in the morning and put on pants, it's no more inspiring than any other human being doing it. I am a dynamic, multi-dimensional person. I have things that make me awesome, as well as ridiculous flaws that I could overcome if I wasn't so lazy. I work. I exercise. I cook. I date (poorly). I do all the things any twenty-something might find themselves doing. People with disabilities are in fact people (crazy, right?). It's honestly just as simple as that. Dealing with all of society's blunders is what inspired my career as a disability rights activist, public speaker, and recreational therapist. When I went to college, I knew I wanted to challenge people's perceptions and understandings, I just didn't know how I was going to do that. Since my major was in recreational therapy, I was introduced to many people with disabilities. They were all unique and interesting in their own way (sort of like human beings). The one qualifier they all had, however, was that somewhere along the line they lacked autonomy and a chance to use their voice. Lucky for me, a distinct trait in recreational therapy is a dedication to advocacy. I learned from my professors that there were laws in place that are suppose to protect my community. I learned how to dispute things that create barriers. I learned how to adapt. 

While I was learning about all of these aspects of my community, I was spending most my time with people without disabilities. Most of my friends and family are not disabled. Yet, I have deep and meaningful relationships with them where they treat me as an equal (because I am an equal). This lead me to think that if the people in my life could respect and include me as well as adapt for me, couldn't society? At the risk of oversimplifying, the main issue is ignorance. If people knew how to act around individuals with disabilities and how to adapt for them, things would be a lot more comfortable for everyone. That is why I have gone into public speaking. I am in the process of starting a public speaking and advocacy company (Advocacy in Real Life) that travels around the nation teaching people about disability history, culture, and etiquette. While it is still in the beginning stages, I am hoping that I can eventually help break the stigma of disability and make this world a little easier for my community."

Connect with Riley!

Socials handle: @itsrileylyn  Website: advocacyirl.com

Comment section is open for questions/conversations.

Thank you for reading!

XO Ashley

*I have only grammatically modified each person's stories*

*[] was only used to replace a word(s) that I believed was not appropriate for my blog-*