Editor’s Note:  When he was a teenager, Rick Velasquez emigrated from Honduras to the Bronx with his family in search of the American dream. Shortly after, the dream turned into a nightmare when he was hit by a stray bullet while walking down the street. The injury resulted in paralysis putting him in a wheelchair. […]

Editor’s Note:  During deployment in 2004 as a Black Hawk helicopter pilot in Iraq, Tammy Duckworth lost both of her legs when her aircraft was struck. Harnessing her desire to continue serving her country, the Purple Heart recipient began devoting her time to advocating for wounded Veterans, and in 2009, President Obama appointed her to […]

Editor’s Note: During a summer internship at the Center for Disability Rights, Stephanie Woodward attended her first protest to advocate against personal attendant budget cuts. When the chant leader’s voice started to tire, Stephanie instinctively and spontaneously took over for him. Recognizing her knack for advocacy, CDR offered her a part-time job, which she held […]