KRISTIN VICTORIA

Since birth Kristin has had a rare disability called Osteogenesis Imperfecta or brittle bones. She ended up breaking a lot of bones as she was growing up and also has a crooked back because of Scoliosis. As a result, she is a full-time manual wheelchair user but that hasn't stopped Kristin from living her life.

Since Kristin started driving at the age of 18, transportation accessibility has always had its barriers. Because of her disability, Kristin modifies her vehicles to make utilizing her car more accessible but that comes with its challenges and expenses. Despite these modifications, pumping gas is still inaccessible for Kristin. “I feel like gas stations got worse since I started driving,” says Kristin, who is forced to be dependent on others such as her husband to pump gas for her. On occasion, Kristin relies on strangers to help her pump gas. She finds it dangerous to have others help her and give them money to pay for the gas but sometimes she has no other option.

Despite all these obstacles and barriers, Kristin has persisted in being a social media influencer and advocate for the disabled community to make the world a more accessible place for everyone.