Inspired

Disability Inclusion Matters

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As someone with a physical disability, I rarely discuss it because it has never really hindered me. My carbon fiber and titanium legs have taken me to incredible places, but this week I want to talk about disability inclusion. It’s important and we should be talking about it.

I was recently honored at a gala in Los Angeles for Inclusion Matters by Shane’s Inspiration, an incredible organization that builds inclusive parks worldwide for children with disabilities.

In my acceptance speech, I emphasized that the most challenging aspect of having a disability is not the disability itself, but the lack of accessibility that makes the world challenging to navigate. Inclusion means providing equal access to opportunities and resources for those who may otherwise be excluded or marginalized; and yet, we often forget to include disability in the conversation.

(Photo by Maury Phillips/Getty Images for Inclusion Matters by Shane’s Inspiration)

It’s not about being politically correct or following a trend. It’s about acknowledging the inherent value of uniqueness and ensuring that everyone can fully participate in society. It’s about celebrating and recognizing our differences rather than trying to erase them.

Although I’ve been an amputee for 20 years, I didn’t fully understand this accessibility issue until I suffered a vascular injury a few years ago and started using a scooter for long distances. Accessibility is often an afterthought for individuals without disabilities, but it is a fundamental human need. My scooter allows me to remain mobile and gives me independence, not just granting me access to the world, but also to my own home. 

Despite my mobility device, I still encounter significant barriers. I am often the last person to disembark from a plane and have had to navigate airports with broken elevators and uneven floor maps. I’m also on my fifth scooter in five years due to airline damage, but I share this not as a complaint but to highlight that society remains largely inaccessible over 30 years after the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) law was passed.

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen a video I shared of a well-known public figure with millions of followers bashing a SKIMS clothing campaign featuring a model in a wheelchair. If you haven’t had a chance to watch this video, you can find the clip on my Instagram @amypurdygurl. The level of ignorance and privilege displayed in the video was sickening. While I aim to provide valuable, inspiring, and uplifting content on my platform, it’s also essential to stand up for my values and the community that has become my family.

People with disabilities make up the largest minority group globally, with over 1.3 billion people, or approximately 16% of the world’s population, living with some form of disability. We are a complex and diverse population, yet proportionately, we are the least represented in media campaigns and fashion.

No matter who you are, what you do, or what your background is; you could wake up tomorrow with a disability and It’s hard having a disability. Even after it’s become normal for that individual, all disabilities are challenging. It’s hard using a wheelchair and trying to get dressed. Imagine, trying to clasp a bra with one hand, or a hand that doesn’t work as well. Imagine eating while your body is shaking uncontrollably. Imagine knowing that you’re brain isn’t connecting logic due to PTSD or a TBI, but being unable to push through it. 

We shouldn’t talk about disability inclusion because it “feels good.” We should discuss it to normalize the conversation. A few years ago, I participated in a clothing campaign with Beyond Yoga not to promote disability, but to be included as a model, just like any other model bringing their unique style to the campaign. I was praised for the project. Today, only a few years later, this woman in the SKIMS clothing campaign is being ridiculed and criticized to make a political statement.

It’s heartbreaking that I have to say this, but inclusion is not up for debate. We belong simply because we do.

It’s amazing that SKIMS came out with an adaptive collection so that people can get dressed easier. They created a solution for us, real humans, out here in the world, trying to accept, adapt, learn, and grow. But it shouldn’t be amazing, It should be normal. 

I’ve seen firsthand the positive impact that inclusivity can have, both in my own life and in the lives of others. When people with disabilities are allowed to participate and contribute, everyone benefits. I hope that we can continue to make progress toward a more inclusive world, where everyone has the chance to thrive, succeed, and live inspired.

Keep the conversation going! Like, share, and comment on my Instagram.

Transition Tip #3: Give Yourself Grace

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If you follow me on Instagram, I’ve been talking about life transitions and I asked this question:

“Do you feel you’re in a transition right now and if so, how do you feel about it?”

II continue to get an overwhelming response from people sharing the transitions they’re currently experiencing. From divorce, career changes, retirement, physical injury, illness, and the general discomfort and uncertainty of an ever-changing world.

In my last email, I presented a simple challenge aI already presented two challenges to help you in your current transitions.

  1. Allow yourself to daydream. Read the 1st challenge.
  2. Appreciate the magic of the unknown. Read the 2nd challenge.

While I’ve been through many transitions in my life. From losing my legs at 19, having a kidney transplant at 21, and eventually becoming a professional athlete. I suddenly found “fame” when I appeared on Dancing With The Stars. Then, my

While you’re already familiar with my story, from losing my legs at 19, having a kidney transplant at 21, and eventually becoming a professional athlete. What you may not know is that just 2 years ago, after sustaining a major vascular, I had my leg amputated for a 2nd time. This eventually lead to my retirement from professional snowboarding. 

My snowboard coach used to tell me “Amy, have a tender heart with yourself, take the pressure off, you are doing fine.”

This is my next challenge for you.


Give yourself grace.

Being alive and moving forward in today’s challenging modern world is enough. We all go through moments of not feeling good enough, not being productive enough, or achieving enough. These feelings are often presented at a time when we’re busy comparing ourselves to others. 

We are so hard on ourselves! If you’re anything like me, at times, I feel as though I’m not doing enough and put unnecessary pressure on myself to do more. This feeling is exhausting and self-defeating.  

Alternatively, grace is self-care. Grace is giving yourself permission to be exactly who you are and being gentle with yourself. 

Take a moment each day to look at how far you’ve come, allow yourself to have a tender heart, and be grateful for the place you’ve arrived. 


When was the last time you looked in a mirror and said, “I love you and I’m grateful for you.”?

Remember to take a moment out of every day to show yourself some gratitude for the person you’re becoming.

Did you allow yourself to dream? Here’s another transition tip!

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If you follow me on Instagram, I’ve been talking about life transitions and I asked this question:

“Do you feel you’re in a transition right now and if so, how do you feel about it?”

I got an overwhelming response in my DM’s of people sharing the transitions they’re currently experiencing. From divorce, career changes, retirement, physical injury, illness and the general discomfort and uncertainty of an ever-changing world.

In my last email, I presented a simple challenge and a life tip for dealing with transitions. Allow your mind to wander a bit, and allow yourself to daydream again. If you missed this challenge, you can read about it here.


Daydreaming is especially helpful when our life looks different from what we planned, or we feel pressured to continue working towards an undefined goal.

While I’ve been through many transitions in my life. From losing my legs at 19, having a kidney transplant at 21, and eventually becoming a professional athlete. I suddenly found “fame” when I appeared on Dancing With The Stars. Then, my life changed again, unexpectedly when I sustained a major vascular injury and eventually retired from competitive snowboarding.

Retiring from snowboarding wasn’t a transition I was mentally ready for. In many ways, I was in peak form and felt more prepared than ever to compete at the highest level. Yet, in the blink of an eye, I was hospitalized and had my left leg amputated for a second time and then.. a third time!

I remember feeling as If I was letting go of everything I’d built and floating into a vast uncertainty.

I want to give you a new challenge. Something that’s a bit deeper. A mindset that’s even more effective than simply allowing yourself to dream.


Appreciate the magic of the unknown.

At that moment I felt like a ship that had left the harbor, lost sight of land, with no clear destination, and no compass to guide me. 

It was a terrifying feeling yet I had a moment of clarity. A calmness and realization that this ship could arrive in a place even more wonderful than before.

Deepak Chopra says it best “ the unknown is where the possibilities live.”

If you are always living in the “known” then you will only do what you’ve always done. You will only know the people you’ve already met, and be where you’ve already been. 

When you make a decision to step into the unknown, anything can happen. You might find yourself in a wonderful place, that you never could have imagined. 

Transition is when we are “in-between” the major chapters of our life. This is a place where magic can happen if you keep your mind and heart open.


“Are you open to the magic of the unknown?”

In my 5-steps to Resiliency, I talk about reframing a situation. Looking at it from a perspective of compassion and empathy. The same steps can be used to welcome the unknown. 

1. Stay present. 

The moments where you are looking out the window of an airplane or walking to work. It’s those moments when distractions are low that your higher self speaks to you, where your mind quiets down enough to hear your inner voice. Can you hear it?

2. Have empathy towards yourself. 

Unconditional love isn’t just reserved for others, it’s important to love ourselves unconditionally as well. It’s about fully accepting the ups and downs of our journey in order to live our truest, most authentic life. Accept your story and your past and give yourself some grace for coming as far as you have. 

3. Change the story you tell yourself. 

Gratitude is the secret to happiness. When you celebrate what you have, you instantly live abundantly. When you focus on what you don’t have you instantly live in scarcity. Abundance is a mindset, gratitude is the key that unlocks the door.


Rather than looking at your present and mourning what was, choose to see this moment as an opportunity and allow the magic to find you. Negative things will happen in your life, but so can wonderful, magical things. 

The unknown is a rigid box and as scary as it is to live in a space of uncertainty, it is where the possibilities are endless!