Meet Jennifer Gasner

We recently connected with Jennifer Gasner and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jennifer, so happy you were able to devote some time to sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our community. So, we’ve always admired how you have seemingly never let nay-sayers or haters keep you down. Can you talk to us about how to persist despite the negative energy that so often is thrown at folks trying to do something special with their lives?

I am a wheelchair user. People with disabilities are often subjects of very low expectations, such as not being intelligent, employable, and even attractive. Since my diagnosis at 17 with a progressive disability, I have wanted to go above and beyond those presumptions about my value and capability. I went to college and grad school, and competed in a pageant for wheelchair users. I did many of those things during that time to seek praise and admiration. But now, thirty-three years later, I want to show what many people think about disability is wrong. I have experienced how often disabled people are overlooked, seen as unintelligent, and unable. For example, I went on forty interviews at the same university in nine months and did not receive one job offer. The way people with disabilities have been seen in the media is important. We are not tragic and unfulfilled. Those representations motivate me to contribute positive portrayals of disability.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I am a writer trying to produce more authentic examples of people with disabilities. I want to go beyond what has become known as “inspiration porn”—meaning objectifying disabled people so non-disabled people feel better about their lives. We have greater value and more contributions that we have made and will make in the future.

My debut memoir, “My Unexpected Life: Finding Balance Beyond My Diagnosis,” is one way of detailing my lived experience as a disabled woman and how it impacted me—emotionally and physically. My discovery of disability culture, which sees disability as positive, taught me self-acceptance and pride in being disabled—an identity I had denied.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Empathy
It’s essential to understand there are many perspectives. Everyone’s life or experience is different, and there are many opportunities to discover things you have never considered. When I began my work within the disability community, nearly ten years after my diagnosis, I saw how the images of people with disabilities can perpetuate the idea of disabled people being wretched and villainous. I did not want me or my disabled friends to be seen that way. Consider the impact of your work.

Openness
Try to listen with an open mind. Recognize there is always more to learn. At the same job, I learned that unlike what I believed–every disabled person wants a cure–that disabled people don’t need to be fixed. They are fine the way they are. As a result, I rejected anyone or anything that said I should be cured–as if they were saying, “I wasn’t good enough the way I was.” After years of experience, though, I began to see there are many nuances to wanting the cure. Is your or your loved one’s life threatened? If so, I think the cure takes on a different significance. And that’s okay. I have realized not everything is black and white.

Collaboration
It’s also important to ask questions and learn from other people with experiences you do not have. I did not ask for help for too long, thinking it was a sign of weakness. For instance, I struggled in grad school with my assistantship, being an advisor to a student organization. I was afraid asking for help was a sign of weakness. I was there to learn. I should’ve spoken up.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

I have grown most from getting myself out there to speak during interviews on podcasts and book events.

My disability affects my voice and that has made me self-conscious about speaking. In 2021, I was asked to read a portion of an essay I had written at an event. Initially, I wasn’t going to do it–I thought I’d be seen as the stereotypical unintelligent wheelchair user. But I reconsidered, thinking it would be thought-provoking for the audience to see and hear a disabled writer. I reminded myself that as a woman with a disability, my voice and representation matter. And that eventually, when my memoir came out, I would have to start talking about the book and its message—disability isn’t something to be ashamed of. It brings value to the world. I decided to start getting comfortable using the voice I had hidden.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Captured Forever Photography

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Resilience
Where does your optimism come from?

Optimism is the invisible ingredient that powers so much of the incredible progress in society

Confidence
Stories of Overcoming Imposter Syndrome

Learning from one another is what BoldJourney is all about. Below, we’ve shared stories and

Resilience
The Power of Persistence: Overcoming Haters and Doubters

Having hates is an inevitable part of any bold journey – everyone who has made