There are over 61 million disabled Americans in the United States. That’s one American out of every four. Yet, how many times do we hear about the stories of disabled Americans? “We, the 1 in 4” is a blog written by just one of those 61 million American and this is my story. 

My name is Nathan R. Stenberg. I am a first-generation disabled college student from a low-income, single-parent family in rural Minnesota. I work as an actor, advocate, consultant, researcher, personal trainer, public intellectual, and public speaker. I am interested in how the stories we tell about disabled people influence everything from depictions of disability in popular entertainment to policy decisions for the disability community in the United States. 

I am writing “We, the 1 in 4” to draw attention to often invisible stories of disabled Americans. However, my story is not representative of the whole disability community. The topics I address in this blog–such as the arts and accessibility; current legal, ethical, and policy issues facing the disability community; tips for first-generation disabled college students from rural communities; and more–stem from my own story and perspective of living with a disability in the United States.