When Latavia Sturdivant enters a room, she brings with her more than a title. She brings years of steadfast advocacy, professional expertise, and lived experience that compel society to reconsider its understanding of disability and leadership.
At 33, the Yonkers resident and Ms. Wheelchair America 2026, has built a career centered on education and service, using her platforms to advocate for greater access, equity, and inclusion throughout New York and beyond.
While the alumna of Henry Viscardi School at The Viscardi Center takes great pride in her educational background, her journey into activism was shaped by her experiences navigating the education system. Before attending Viscardi, she said she struggled in general education environments due to barriers related to access and belonging rather than academics. That experience helped shape the confidence and purpose that now guide her work. “My experience at Viscardi was life-changing,” she said.
Sturdivant joined the Ms. Wheelchair competition after also being named Ms. Wheelchair New York in 2025. As someone already involved in advocacy, particularly in the medical equipment industry, Sturdivant faced several barriers in engaging with state officials on a range of issues. On several occasions, she said she was told, ‘you are not a constituent of mine.’ But Sturdivant said that as a winner of the New York title, she was a “constituent of everywhere.”
This momentum propelled her to the national scene. In August 2025, Sturdivant won Ms. Wheelchair America 2026 in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Notably, Sturdivant was the first titleholder from New York.
This annual convention seeks candidates with good leadership and advocacy skills. It challenges participants to complete interviews and deliver a speech based on their platforms. Describing this moment, Sturdivant says that she felt a combination of shock and gratitude. “This title gave legitimacy and reach to work I was already doing and opened doors for collective advocacy beyond my own experience,” she said.
Over the last year, Sturdivant has advanced her advocacy by attending legislative lobby days, disability panels, community events such as Yonkers Comic Con, and public speaking engagements. She gave her TEDx talk and appeared on PIX11’s Monica Makes It Happen. She explained that it had opened her eyes to how legislation, media, and education can all help advance the conversation on accessibility.
“The most urgent priorities are ensuring accurate reimbursement rates—many of which haven’t been meaningfully updated since 1987 . . . the current system must be fixed so that everyone has equitable access to essential equipment. Durable medical equipment is not a luxury; it is a lifeline for people in the ably different community,” she said.
Sturdivant, a licensed speech-language pathologist in the states of New York and Maine, has been offering speech-related services for more than 10 years in the New York City school system. In addition, Sturdivant is an adjunct professor at Lehman College in the Bronx, where she teaches aspiring clinicians about empathy, cultural sensitivity, and disability awareness. She is also a certified lead advocate for the Amputee Coalition.
“Professor Sturdivant brings to her teaching and clinical work a rare integration of lived experience, academic excellence, and advocacy,” said Leslie Gruber, assistant professor in the Speech, Language & Hearing Sciences department, in a statement. “Her journey in speech-language pathology, leadership in advancing accessibility, and role as Ms. Wheelchair America reflect both resilience and a deep responsibility to others. Our student clinicians, clients, and their families are fortunate to learn from and work alongside her, as her insight and compassion deepen our understanding of what it means to ensure every individual is seen, heard, and valued.”
Outside of her clinical and teaching work, Sturdivant produces a podcast, Queens On A Roll. This space is used to facilitate candid conversations on disability, identity, and resilience. Her personal mantra, “Don’t pay attention to what we roll in, pay attention to how we roll,” expresses her desire that people be recognized for their leadership and character rather than for their mobility devices. “‘How we roll’ speaks to how we show up, how we lead, how we problem-solve, and how we contribute. It’s about moving past assumptions and recognizing capability,” she said.
As a reminder that mobility is not an option but a necessity, Sturdivant’s work is especially significant in light of International Wheelchair Day on March 1, celebrated to recognize the positive impact of wheelchairs on lives and to highlight the global access gaps. She said she will continue her fight for change long after the crown is gone, through her business, Advocacy in Motion. She is also launching a new non-profit, Silent Voices Rising, and working on an upcoming book titled The Illusion of Inclusion.
“I hope my legacy is one of action, not just awareness. I want people to remember that I used my platform to open doors, challenge systems, and amplify voices that are often ignored,” she said.
Lan Zhan is a reporter with The SBU Media Group, part of Stony Brook University’s School of Communication and Journalism’s Working Newsroom program for students and local media.