A directory of disabled artists, writers, musicians, filmmakers, performers, and creators across all media. This page helps you discover and support disabled creators.
This directory collects disabled creators in one place for easy discovery. All creators listed here are openly disabled and create work that may or may not be disability-focused.
This directory is always growing. Suggest additions via How to Contribute.
Labels used below
- (non-US) — creator is based outside the US
| Name | Disability | Genre/Focus | Notable Work |
|---|
| Susan Nussbaum | Wheelchair user | Literary fiction | Good Kings Bad Kings |
| Rivers Solomon | Autistic, chronic illness | Speculative fiction | An Unkindness of Ghosts |
| Nicola Griffith | MS | Literary/thriller | So Lucky |
| Talia Hibbert | Fibromyalgia, chronic illness | Romance | Get a Life, Chloe Brown |
| Helen Hoang | Autistic | Romance | The Kiss Quotient |
| Leigh Bardugo | Osteonecrosis | Fantasy | Six of Crows |
| Corinne Duyvis | Autistic | YA sci-fi | On the Edge of Gone |
| Elle McNicoll | Autistic | Middle grade | A Kind of Spark (non-US) |
| Sara Nović | Deaf | Literary fiction | True Biz |
| Ann Clare LeZotte | Deaf | Middle grade | Show Me a Sign |
| Harriet McBryde Johnson | Neuromuscular disability | YA/essays | Accidents of Nature |
| Ivelisse Housman | Autistic | YA fantasy | Unseelie |
| Name | Disability | Focus | Notable Work |
|---|
| Alice Wong | SMA, wheelchair user | Disability culture | Disability Visibility |
| Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha | Chronic illness, neurodivergent | Disability justice | Care Work |
| Emily Ladau | Wheelchair user | Education/advocacy | Demystifying Disability |
| Judith Heumann | Polio, wheelchair user | Memoir/activism | Being Heumann |
| Haben Girma | Deafblind | Memoir | Haben |
| Eli Clare | Physical disability, genderqueer | Theory/memoir | Brilliant Imperfection |
| Imani Barbarin | Cerebral palsy | Essays/advocacy | Crutches and Spice |
| Esmé Weijun Wang | Schizoaffective disorder | Essays | The Collected Schizophrenias |
| Rebekah Taussig | Wheelchair user | Memoir | Sitting Pretty |
| Simi Linton | Wheelchair user | Memoir/theory | My Body Politic |
| Name | Disability | Style | Notable Work |
|---|
| Jim Ferris | Physical disability | Crip poetry | The Hospital Poems |
| Kenny Fries | Limb difference | Poetry/memoir | Body, Remember |
| Petra Kuppers | Chronic illness | Performance poetry | Cripple Poetics |
| Neil Marcus | Physical disability | Performance | Storm Reading |
| Vassar Miller | Cerebral palsy | Traditional verse | Collected Poems |
| Name | Disability | Medium | Notable For |
|---|
| Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) | Spinal damage, chronic pain | Painting | Self-portraits, disability icon |
| Riva Lehrer | Spina bifida | Painting | Circle Stories portraits |
| Sunaura Taylor | Arthrogryposis | Painting, writing | Animal/disability rights |
| Christine Sun Kim | Deaf | Sound art, drawing | Exploring sound and silence |
| Joseph Grigely | Deaf | Conceptual art | Conversation pieces |
| Katherine Sherwood | Stroke survivor | Painting | Post-stroke work |
| Yinka Shonibare | Physical disability | Installation | Cultural identity work (non-US) |
| Sandie Yi | Physical disability | Sculpture | Installation art |
| Chun-Shan (Sandie) Yi | Wheelchair user | Sculpture | Disability arts |
| Tony Heaton | Wheelchair user | Sculpture | Disability arts (non-US) |
| Name | Disability | Genre | Notable For |
|---|
| Stevie Wonder | Blind | Soul/R&B | Legendary career |
| Ray Charles (1930-2004) | Blind | R&B/soul | Pioneer |
| Evelyn Glennie | Deaf | Classical percussion | International soloist (non-US) |
| Sean Forbes | Deaf | Hip-hop | D-PAN founder |
| Mandy Harvey | Late-deafened | Singer-songwriter | AGT finalist |
| Itzhak Perlman | Polio | Classical violin | World-renowned violinist |
| Teddy Pendergrass (1950-2010) | Paralyzed | Soul | Continued performing post-injury |
| Django Reinhardt (1910-1953) | Partial hand paralysis | Jazz guitar | Developed unique technique |
| Viktoria Modesta | Amputee | Pop/performance | Bionic artist (non-US) |
| Gaelynn Lea | Osteogenesis imperfecta | Indie folk | NPR Tiny Desk winner |
| Name | Disability | Focus | Notable Work |
|---|
| Jim LeBrecht | Wheelchair user | Documentary | Crip Camp (co-director) |
| Jennifer Brea | ME/CFS | Documentary | Unrest |
| Jenni Gold | Wheelchair user | Documentary | CinemAbility |
| Rodney Evans | Vision loss | Documentary | Vision Portraits |
| Billy Golfus | Brain injury | Documentary | When Billy Broke His Head |
| Shoshannah Stern | Deaf | TV creator | This Close |
| Josh Feldman | Deaf | TV creator | This Close |
| Ryan O’Connell | Cerebral palsy, gay | TV creator/actor | Special |
| Name | Disability | Notable Roles |
|---|
| Marlee Matlin | Deaf | Children of a Lesser God, Switched at Birth |
| Troy Kotsur | Deaf | CODA (Oscar winner) |
| Millicent Simmonds | Deaf | A Quiet Place, Wonderstruck |
| Lauren Ridloff | Deaf | Eternals, The Walking Dead |
| RJ Mitte | Cerebral palsy | Breaking Bad |
| Micah Fowler | Cerebral palsy | Speechless |
| Zack Gottsagen | Down syndrome | The Peanut Butter Falcon |
| Jamie Brewer | Down syndrome | American Horror Story |
| Danny Woodburn | Little person | Seinfeld, various |
| Peter Dinklage | Achondroplasia | Game of Thrones |
| Warwick Davis | Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia | Harry Potter, Willow (non-US) |
| Ali Stroker | Wheelchair user | Oklahoma! (Tony winner) |
| Madison Ferris | Muscular dystrophy | The Glass Menagerie (Broadway) |
| Kiera Allen | Wheelchair user | Run |
| Alaqua Cox | Deaf, amputee | Echo (Marvel) |
| Mat Fraser | Phocomelia | American Horror Story (non-US) |
| Name | Disability | Notable For |
|---|
| Ali Stroker | Wheelchair user | First wheelchair user to win Tony |
| John McGinty | Deaf | Broadway’s Spring Awakening |
| Sandra Mae Frank | Deaf | Spring Awakening, Wonderstruck |
| Russell Harvard | Deaf | Tribes, various |
| Daniel Durant | Deaf | CODA, Spring Awakening |
| Name | Disability | Platform | Notable For |
|---|
| Maysoon Zayid | Cerebral palsy | Stand-up | Viral TED talk |
| Josh Blue | Cerebral palsy | Stand-up | Last Comic Standing winner |
| Zach Anner | Cerebral palsy | Stand-up, YouTube | Oprah show winner |
| Drew Lynch | Stutter | Stand-up | AGT finalist |
| Lee Ridley (Lost Voice Guy) | AAC user | Stand-up | BGT winner (non-US) |
| Adam Hills | Amputee | TV host | The Last Leg (non-US) |
| Francesca Martinez | Cerebral palsy | Stand-up | UK comedian (non-US) |
| Alex Brooker | Limb difference | TV host | The Last Leg (non-US) |
| Nina G | Stutter, dyslexia | Stand-up | Stuttering comedian |
| Name | Disability | Company/Style | Notable For |
|---|
| Alice Sheppard | Wheelchair user | Kinetic Light | Choreographer, performer |
| Judith Smith | Physical disability | AXIS Dance | Co-founder |
| Laurel Lawson | Wheelchair user | Kinetic Light | Performer |
| Marc Brew | Physical disability | Choreographer | International work (non-US) |
| Alito Alessi | Physical disability | DanceAbility | Methodology founder |
| Chelsie Hill | Paralyzed | Rollettes | Wheelchair dance team |
| Bill Shannon | Physical disability | Crutch dancer | Street performance |
| Name | Disability | Show | Focus |
|---|
| Alice Wong | SMA | Disability Visibility Podcast | Disability culture |
| Andrew Gurza | Cerebral palsy | Disability After Dark | Disability and sexuality |
| Emily Ladau | Wheelchair user | The Accessible Stall | Disability news/culture |
| Kyle Khachadurian | Osteogenesis imperfecta | The Accessible Stall | Co-host |
| Brianne Benness | Chronic illness | No End in Sight | Chronic illness |
See YouTube Channels for detailed list.
Highlights:
| Name | Disability | Content |
|---|
| Squirmy and Grubs (Shane Burcaw) | SMA | Interabled relationship |
| Jessica Kellgren-Fozard | Deaf, chronic illness | Vintage fashion, education (non-US) |
| Molly Burke | Blind | Lifestyle, makeup |
| Zach Anner | Cerebral palsy | Comedy, travel |
| Rikki Poynter | Deaf | Accessibility advocacy |
| Annie Elainey | Chronic illness | Disability justice |
| Name | Disability | Publication/Focus |
|---|
| John Pring | Physical disability | Disability News Service (non-US) |
| Imani Barbarin | Cerebral palsy | Forbes, various |
| s.e. smith | Chronic illness, mental health | Various publications |
| Vilissa Thompson | Wheelchair user | Ramp Your Voice |
| Keah Brown | Cerebral palsy | Teen Vogue, various |
| Lydia X. Z. Brown | Autistic | Autistic Hoya, various |
| Name | Disability | Field | Institution |
|---|
| Simi Linton | Wheelchair user | Disability studies | CUNY (emerita) |
| Rosemarie Garland-Thomson | Physical disability | Disability studies | Emory |
| Jay Dolmage | Physical disability | Rhetoric | University of Waterloo (non-US) |
| Eli Clare | Physical disability | Disability/trans studies | Independent |
| Lennard Davis | (Son of Deaf parents) | Disability studies | University of Illinois Chicago |
| Robert McRuer | Chronic illness | Queer/disability studies | George Washington |
| Nirmala Erevelles | Physical disability | Disability studies | University of Alabama |
| Petra Kuppers | Chronic illness | Performance/disability | University of Michigan |
Many disability activists are also creators—writers, artists, speakers, media makers.
| Name | Disability | Creative Work |
|---|
| Alice Wong | SMA | Writing, podcasting, editing |
| Judy Heumann (1947-2023) | Polio | Memoir, speaking |
| Haben Girma | Deafblind | Writing, speaking |
| Stella Young (1982-2014) | Osteogenesis imperfecta | Comedy, writing (non-US) |
| Imani Barbarin | Cerebral palsy | Writing, social media |
| Vilissa Thompson | Wheelchair user | Writing, consulting |
| Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha | Chronic illness | Writing, performance |
| Sins Invalid collective | Various | Performance art |
- Buy their work – Books, art, music, merchandise
- Pay for content – Patreon, subscriptions, tips
- Hire them – Speaking, consulting, commissions
- Attend events – Shows, readings, performances
- Share their work – Social media, recommendations
- Credit properly – Name them, link to their platforms
- Review and recommend – Books, shows, albums
- Request accessibility – Ask venues to book accessible acts
- Advocate for funding – Arts grants for disabled artists
- Push for representation – In media, publishing, galleries
- Challenge gatekeeping – Inaccessible venues, ableist institutions
To be added to this directory:
- You must be disabled (self-identification accepted)
- You create publicly available work
- Include: Name, disability (if you share publicly), medium, notable work, website/social
To suggest other creators:
- They must be openly disabled
- Include same information above
- Verify they’re comfortable being listed
See How to Contribute
This directory centers disabled creators across all media.
Have lived experience or expertise that could strengthen this page? We especially welcome perspectives on models not well represented here, including those from the Global South and Indigenous communities.
Suggest an edit or addition →
This page centers disabled people’s expertise and is informed by disabled-led organizing globally. For questions or to suggest additions, see How to Contribute.
