Josephine sat with her journal, thinking about the women who came before her.

For a long time, she thought she was finding her voice for the first time. But the more she learned, the more she realized something important.

She wasn’t the first.

Women like Judy Heumann had already begun the work of making the world listen. Long before Josephine was even born, other women with disabilities were advocating for accessibility, equality, and the right to be seen.

One of those women was Helen Keller. Helen was deaf and blind and still became a writer, speaker, and advocate who traveled the world encouraging education and opportunities for people with disabilities.

Another voice that inspired Josephine was Alice Wong. Through the Disability Visibility Project, Alice helped create a place where disabled people could share their stories and experiences with the world.

Josephine realized something that day as she closed her journal.

Her voice mattered.

Not because it was the first.

But because it was part of something much bigger.

A long line of women who refused to be invisible.

And now, in her own way, Josephine was adding her voice to that story.