Disability rights activist Isabel Mavrides-Calderón is a sophomore education major at Columbia University. Named one of Teen Vogue’s 21 under 21 in 2022, Accessibility Ace” Mavrides-Calderón lives with chronic pain due to a spinal cord injury she suffered at age 11. Motivated by her experience, she took action for change.
When she was a freshman in high school, Mavrides-Calderón was forced to take time off school to have spinal surgery. She asked to Zoom into class, but was told that was not possible. “I was going to have to drop out,” she said.
The pandemic opened doors for Mavrides-Calderón. The widespread use of Zoom for classes taught her that the ability to support disabled students, specifically those who have to miss in-person school for long stretches of time, has existed but simply wasn’t being used.
“My body isn’t the barrier, lack of access is,” she said. “Why is access possible when the majority needs it, but not when disabled people need it?”
She used her voice to advocate for disability rights’ policies, specifically in regard to education, when she was asked to speak at the White House Youth Policy Summit in February 2024.
“By showing people that I have created a seat at the table for myself,” said Mavrides-Calderón, “I hope it opens the door for the next generation of young disabled people.”
She built a platform of over 14,000 followers on Instagram and 40,000 followers on TikTok. She personalized her message by making all her own posts with Canva, creating video content, and showing people how to reach out to their government officials. She highlights media with disability representation on her Instagram feed, such as books with disabled characters.
Mavrides-Calderón looks at the world through the lens of what she can do to make it better. She conducted her first scientific study on chronic illness and education while she was in high school, which was accepted by The American Educational Research Association. Using her own research, Mavrides-Calderón advocated for NYC public schools to maintain remote opportunities for learning.
“If I want disabled student voices to be represented in academia, I don’t have to wait until I’m a college professor to do that,” she said.
Mavrides-Calderón uses her platform not only as a person with a disability but as a Latina woman, advocating for the fair treatment of people of color and immigrants. She also advocates for women, the queer community, and all people who have experienced discrimination.
She truly embodies the legacy of the Americans with Disabilities Act, showing the world that she is not afraid to speak her mind and fight for change. She is a powerful role model for all young people, regardless of their disability status, skin color, or socioeconomic status. With refreshing honesty, Mavrides-Calderón encourages everyone to use their voice for change.
Read all 35 stories of the New York-based leaders profiled in our ADA 35 edition.