Val Vera

Diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy as a child, the native New Yorker is one of only a few professional models in the fashion industry with a disability.

If art is an expression of the artist, Raúl Pizarro’s work can best be described as a multidimensional evolution. Living with a form of Muscular Dystrophy, Pizarro reinvents his painting techniques with each physical challenge brought on by the various stages of muscle loss.

“There is an unwritten contract that I don’t discuss the other parts of my identity. I have to constantly compartmentalize,” says Yolanda Vargas.

The combined effects of being marginalized through ableism and racism, as a Disabled Latinx, can weigh heavily.

Whatever one’s view on immigration, it’s important to understand the impact imposed on disabled immigrants and refugees.