We all have abilities. I don't want to be recognized for my disability; I want to be recognized for my ability.
Luckily for me, most of my work is through a brand or client who approaches my agent. Before I began modeling, I never realized how many barriers there were for people with disabilities within the industry. I didn't realize how much prejudice and ignorance existed. That made me even more determined to break down the barriers and to wake up the industry to the fact that beauty shows up in all different shapes, sizes and abilities.
I think there are so many young girls out there who may be discouraged by the images they see in magazines or on TV, because it's such a media-driven culture. But people will be a lot more accepting of themselves when they feel included. Through my website, I'm in touch with a 13-year-old girl from Brazil; like me, she was born with a piece of her arm missing. She thanked me for the work I'm doing and said I give her strength, inspiration and confidence. Showing a young girl like that how you can be happy and have feelings of confidence is one of my biggest achievements to date.
