Image Description: A selfie of Lessa, a white non-binary person with brown hair, tucked in a graduation cap and wearing a blue shirt.
Author Bio
Lessinaydraa “Lessa” Astercourte is a freelance artist and aspiring disability advocate. They’ve lived in Indianapolis for 4 years and intend to stay for a while yet, continuing to work on projects with various homeless and disability causes in the city. Their pronouns are they/them, they identify as a nonbinary lesbian, and their favorite animal is the tarantula.
Image Description: A headshot of a Black man with short hair and glasses, wearing a gray suit jacket, a patterned dress shirt, and a blue plaid tie.
Author Bio
Three words adequately describe the Reverend Doctor Milton Keys: Preacher, Teacher and Producer. Keys uses these three gifts to change the world. Although he was born with cerebral palsy, and a bleak diagnosis, Milton has let nothing stop him from achieving his goals. Despite being given a two-year life expectancy and being supposed to have severe cognitive disabilities, Milton has earned 3 degrees. He has produced and released 13 musical albums, 4 plays, 1 ballet, held 8 youth summits, and completed numerous small projects in the last two and a half decades. As a disability theologian, Dr. Keys has been working to promote the rights of people with disabilities and to create a more inclusive society. His writings and speeches are aimed at inspiring and empowering people to overcome their challenges and to achieve their goals. Keys is the founder and executive director of Advocates Embassy, an organization that helps churches create environments where people with disabilities feel safe, are welcomed, and have access to abundant life. In 2025, AE released Dr. Key’s first book, Finding My Place: A Devotional About Disability and the Human Experience. Dr. Keys is an ambassador from a world without boundaries.
How would I feel supported or empowered with my disability?
My name is Ayden Marietta. I am 22 years old, and I am currently a student in my senior year at Indiana University – Indianapolis. As a student with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Anxiety Disorder diagnoses I do make use of Accessible Education Services (AES) at Indiana University. This year, the AES accommodation I utilized was extended time provided to complete my exams. This included taking my exams in the AES Lab at the University Library. While I found the accommodation useful and helpful, I found one area of the testing process still presented barriers. As a person on the Autism Spectrum, writing out lengthy answers by hand is not only a challenge due to my poor handwriting/fine motor skills; but also challenging for me to express my thoughts when handwriting answers. For some reason, my mind communicates much more clearly when I type out my answers. Not only that, but with my poor handwriting it takes me much longer to write my answers by hand, making it difficult to complete all test questions to the best of my ability. In this area, I would feel much more supported by being able to type my responses. I did ask about being able to type my responses on a computer with no internet access, but was told that the blue book format was required for grading purposes.
In order to ensure that testing accommodations are more supportive for those with disabilities, I would suggest universities allow more leeway in how testing is done. First, I believe that essay questions should have the option to be typed out. For people like me, typing out our answers is easier as we are able to think and focus more clearly than when struggling with our handwriting and trying to put our thoughts onto paper. Second, asking a student which accommodations they believe they can use to best help them succeed on a test or other assignment, even if different or unusual, should be considered as long as it does not provide an unfair advantage. Finally, allowing a student to navigate at their own pace if they need to slow down to focus on one assignment or an exam can improve their ability to concentrate and allow them to put their best effort in each assignment.
To conclude, I believe that students who are provided flexibility in their choice of accommodations, accommodations that are as unique as the students themselves, allows students with disabilities to feel supported in their coursework and to be able to succeed in their classes.
About the Author
Image Description: A smiling young man standing on a stage, dressed in a black double-breasted suit and a tie.
Artist Bio
My name is Ayden Marietta. I am a senior at Indiana University – Indianapolis majoring in Applied Theater, Film, and Television and plan to graduate in May 2026. Since childhood, I have had a real passion and interest in politics, government, and American history. This passion has led me to volunteer and intern for both local and statewide political campaigns, including Mike Braun’s gubernatorial campaign. I also served as an Indiana State GOP Delegate at the 2024 State Convention. I also co-host, along with my friend Justin George, “The Neurologic Podcast” where we both talk about history, sports, politics, and life on the Autism Spectrum. In my final year in high school, I received the governor’s work ethic certificate in 2022 for my academic performance.
Love yourself. No one else can do that for you. This seems impossible at fifteen but you have to learn somehow. Nothing else will get you through this beautiful but trying life.
Embarrassment is not a fatal condition no matter how much high school might lead you to believe it is. You are powerful because you know how to weep down into your bones. You know you might’ve made a great Juliet in the ninth-grade school play. Sure, the role wasn’t made for an overweight girl with cerebral palsy in a power wheelchair. Still, I’m proud of you for trying because it wasn’t the role they wanted you to play.
Who are they? Some of them are other kids who think you don’t belong in public school, influenced by parents who think your presence in their kids’ lives is an act of grave political significance. Alleged adults will tell you in your classes that they have been unsure of your intellect because you are unsure of yourself. They will write concerning notes on your report card about your startling lack of a social life.
You’re fifteen. You cannot actually remake society. The loud-mouthed women in your life will sometimes encourage you to try. Silent serious persistence aimed at specific goals is more your way, that’s all right.
Your brain cannot save you from your body. Also, your heart’s a mess. The good news is, the world is bigger than Richmond, Indiana where you now live.
At fifteen, you have two friends– maybe three. All of them are gorgeous boys–two blonds and one whose hair is auburn. None of them love you “like that.” Sometimes, you think that because the blond one cannot feel your love, you won’t survive but you do.
Your Mamaw and Papaw met at ten, married at eighteen and were married til they died. You have anxiety that you will fall behind. You won’t. You’ll have three whole weddings.
The bad news is, being loved “like that” still won’t save you from your disabled body. Your husband can’t know what to say or do when the stuff of your life is spoken of in terms of price ADL’s and units. You have to love yourself, because then you are free no matter what anyone else does. Jesus loves you so it doesn’t serve Him not to love yourself.
You are a curious girl, I love that about you. You will try to reshape your body and thoughts in at least a million different ways over the next twenty-seven years. Try not to be terrified of the woman you’ll become who neither diets nor dyes her hair. Life without other women’s beauty rituals doesn’t have to be scary.
It’s not your fault you were born and therefore take up space. Trust yourself more. You can’t be able-bodied , but you can be yourself which is pretty great, I love you, dear child. At least, I’m trying.
Love,
Stacye 2026
About the Author
Image Description: Woman in her thirties in a blue sundress and shawl holds a yellow bouquet, smiling.
Artist Bio
Stayce Robinson lives in Indianapolis with her husband Ryne and graduated with a master of arts in creative writing from Ball State University in 2013.
