• 2 months ago
Ali Stroker didn’t see kids with disabilities represented on TV or stage growing up, so she paved the way herself. The actor, singer, and star of GH’s The Accessibility Issue shares how she uses her platform to expand the conversation around disability. From being cast as Annie in a backyard play at seven to accepting her Tony award at Radio City Music Hall at 31, Ali is committed to representing her community and advocating for greater acceptance and awareness. Watch as she explains her mission to represent and create opportunities for the next generation: "Seeing someone like myself in a chair on a magazine cover is a huge deal. I wish I had this when I was a teenager."

Check out The Accessibility Issue here: LINK TK

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Transcript
00:00Conversations around disability don't have to be awkward or scary.
00:04What I love about being a performer is I give permission to ask the questions that maybe you've always had.
00:21Hi! Hi Jay! Oh my goodness.
00:24Thank you so much for having me at your office!
00:27It's so great to have you here! This looks amazing!
00:31My favorite question that people ask me is, what's your story?
00:35I was born and raised in Ridgewood, New Jersey.
00:38And when I was two years old, I was involved in a car accident with my mom and my brother.
00:43I had a spinal cord injury and am paralyzed from the chest down.
00:47I spent at least 10 years in physical therapy.
00:51Having a disability, you are dependent.
00:54You have a lot of feelings about that.
00:56Especially when you're watching other kids just physically get to explore all the time.
01:01And being a kid with a disability, I just didn't see any representation on TV or on stages.
01:08That was a big theme when I was growing up.
01:13I was introduced to musical theater when I was seven by my next door neighbor.
01:17She was 12 years old and she had just come home from theater camp.
01:21And she decided to direct a production of Annie in our backyard.
01:25And she cast me as Annie, the lead.
01:28I was so excited!
01:30I'll never forget wheeling out on stage and singing in front of people.
01:34Magic happened.
01:35For the first time in my life, everyone was staring at me.
01:39But not because of my chair.
01:41They were staring at me because I was the star.
01:43And I knew I wanted to be on stage for the rest of my life.
01:47Because I was able to flip this thing that felt so painful into a moment where I felt so powerful.
01:53And the Tony Award goes to...
01:57Ali Stroker!
02:00Being on stage at Radio City and accepting my Tony was such an overwhelming experience.
02:09This award is for every kid who is watching tonight who has a disability, who has a limitation, or a challenge.
02:19To be accepted and celebrated in a community that I always admired and wanted so badly to be a part of felt like I had arrived.
02:29I had no idea how it was going to change my life, but it certainly did.
02:33And it's opened so many doors.
02:35Here around the corner is our absolute master.
02:38It's given me opportunities to represent and speak on behalf of my community and bring more awareness and acceptance to disability.
02:50Hi!
02:51Hey, our cover star, Ali Stroker!
02:54So now such a huge part of my career is finding opportunities where I can be represented and seen for our younger generation.
03:04Seeing someone like myself in a chair on the cover of a magazine is a huge deal.
03:10I wish that I had had this when I was a teenager.
03:14The Emmy goes to us!