We have a very special treat for you today — Keely Cat-Wells — reading a personal piece that was published in our latest book, Dear Rebel: 125+ [plus] Women Share their Secrets to Taking on the World.

Keely is an Entrepreneur and Disability Rights Activist dedicated to driving social, systemic, and economic change. She is the brains and heart behind C Talent, Making Space and Making Space Media. Each of these have become global platforms for producing film, TV, and learning spaces that center the Disabled voice. Keely speaks all over the world about the importance of inclusivity and has won many awards.

Keely’s piece explores what it feels like to grow up disabled and to feel discrimination because of it. Keely started a talent agency for people with disabilities because she believes that the movies, television and social media we watch need more authentic voices. We hope this piece opens up new ideas about how we can each be rebels who advocate for equality.

Now, without further ado, here’s Keely’s powerful letter:

The words you read, the TV you watch, the social media you scroll through—it all influences the ways you view and treat your friends, family, and acquaintances. The people who create the content that we consume have an amazing opportunity to positively impact the world we live in. Unfortunately, not all creators treat that opportunity with the care and integrity they should.

I am a Disabled entrepreneur, and when I took a trip to Hollywood to find a job in the entertainment industry, I experienced discrimination. I was a passionate actor who happened to live with a chronic illness and an ileostomy bag (a pouch I wear on my stomach). I landed my dream job, but was soon told I could no longer have it because of ableist attitudes. Those in power told me people like me didn’t belong in “their” space. I decided it was time to rewrite the narrative in Hollywood.

Many of my friends are Disabled actors, writers, content creators, and directors. I decided to start helping them find jobs, advocating to secure dream roles they had not previously been considered for. One by one, they started booking these roles. They were playing doctors, lawyers, princes, and princesses on mainstream TV! Over time, I started working with more and more Disabled talent, placing them in roles all over Hollywood, both in front of and behind the camera.

Before I knew it, I had built a full-fledged talent agency. I called it C Talent because Disabled people rarely get access to options A or B, and we have to create our own option C. For example, rather than accepting the options they were given, like auditioning in parking lots or storage rooms, Disabled talent decided to build their own production companies.

They weren’t satisfied with options A and B, so they turned those barriers into opportunities and created their own options Cs, becoming content creators and flipping the script (quite literally!). That’s what the name C Talent celebrates.

Positive change can be made by changing people’s minds, but to make big changes, you have to find a way to change people’s hearts. Your stories, words, and passion can do this.

For instance, you may notice I identify myself as a Disabled woman. I specifically choose the word “Disabled” because I am proud of my identity and the Disabled community. I also use this word because I want people to realize that I am Disabled by society’s barriers. Sometimes those barriers are people’s attitudes—for instance, the people who decided that I didn’t belong in their space because I live with a chronic illness and an ileostomy. The barriers might be physical. Think of an actor who is a wheelchair user and turns up to an audition to find the room is up a flight of stairs. Communication can also be a barrier—for example, some people may find it hard to read and write, but are not provided with the materials they need to participate in the audition. By using the power of my words, I am saying that it is not me that is broken, it is the system.

Remember, when you advocate for yourself, you are also advocating and making space for others. When I was advocating for my Disabled friends, I focused on not only placing them in their dream roles, but also breaking down accessibility barriers and stereotypical portrayals. One of my favorite examples is when award-winning director and Disability rights activist Jim LeBrecht worked on the Disney movie Luca. Too often, characters with some type of Disability or limb difference are portrayed as villains. Different from the norm, one of the lead characters in Luca, Massimo, is a brash, talented chef and a caring father. He’s also Disabled. The movie showed it wasn’t a big deal that he was an amputee—it was just the way he came into the world.

My experiences have taught me to lead by example and not to underestimate my lived experience. To create change, we have to learn to tell and listen to a new set of stories about the world we want to make, with authentic voices in accessible spaces.

With love and sparkles,

A proud Disabled entrepreneur and Disability rights activist,

Keely Cat-Wells (she/her)

Thank you for listening and we hope you loved that piece as much as we do. And don’t forget, there are many more powerful essays and letters to explore in Dear Rebel. It’s a truly unique book full of amazing wisdom and advice from some of your favorite rebels.

So go to rebelgirls dot com slash more to get your copy today.

As always, thanks for listening, and staaaaay rebel!