Jillian Mercado is a fashion blogger and the editor at We The Urban… She also has muscular dystrophy and relies on an electric wheelchair… A few months ago, she saw a casting call from clothing company Diesel. They were looking for young, hip models that represented a variety of cultural backgrounds. Mercado figured Why not? and sent in some pictures on a lark.I just got chills. Never in my life have I seen someone like me in an ad, at least not one that wasn’t for a charity or for a disability-specific product. I hope more companies follow suit and include wheelchair users in their everyday advertisements.
I also showed the Diesel website to my mom. It took even her a few moments to realize what they did. This is how mass media works. This is why people with disabilities need to be visually represented as just that— People.
Woman with muscular dystrophy applies to be a fashion model as a joke, gets the job [5 pictures]
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