AHW
People often ask me when or how I got my start in disability activism. The truth is, I’ve been doing it informally my entire life. My formal foray began in the spring of 2020, in the early days of the pandemic, when I launched my Instagram, Disability Reframed. As DR has grown, so has my platform, and time has necessitated a space to share some of my life, and all of my work, beyond the scope of solely disability education.
I am thrilled to have had the opportunity to write my first children’s book, I Am, You Are, due out with Penguin Random House UK this spring.
In the meantime, I’m hard at work on a second children’s book manuscript, and a proposal for a larger, non-fiction work. In 2022, I began dipping my toes into the world of freelance writing, and it has been a dream.
When I was a kid, people would ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up. Some things were fleeting: a veterinarian, a ballerina, an actress. But two things were always steady: an author and speaker. When probed further, I could never exactly answer the how of getting there, but damn! I’ve done it! And it will never be lost on me just how sweet that is.
For now, this is a place for you to find & connect with me. But in 2023 plan to come to this space for a blog, interior design inspiration, a podcast, and who knows what else. I can’t wait to see you around!
“Brutal honesty is kind of my schtick.”
— ASHLEY HARRIS WHALEY
2020
Launched Disability Reframed on Instagram
2021
Wrote my first children’s book
2022
Over 15 speaking engagements
2023
Consulting!
A baby!
Virtual workshops!
Who knows!
OFFICIAL BIO
Ashley Harris Whaley is a author, speaker, speech-language pathologist, and disability educator and activist. She leads community engagement for the Cerebral Palsy Foundation and is the founder of Disability Reframed, an online platform focused on changing perspectives through education and conversation. Ashley is a passionate and experienced public speaker who delivers impactful messaging. Ashley's writing has appeared in Refinery29 and TripAdvisor. Her debut children’s book, I Am, You Are, with Penguin Random House is due out in spring 2023.
