A Disabled Artist’s Journey Through Art & Activism

Wendy Elliott-Vandivier, an artist and long-time disability advocate will present information on her experiences as an artist and disability activist, As part of her presentation, she will show examples of her cartoons that focus on disability awareness and some of the microaggressions and barriers that disabled people experience as they try to live their ordinary, “un-inspirational” lives. As a member of the Jewish community in Philadelphia, she will also talk about some of the ways that synagogues can be welcoming and inclusive for people with disabilities.

“This cartoon explores the issue of terminology or the words that society sometimes uses to describe people who use wheelchairs. The cartoon is about the need to embrace the terminology chosen by people in the disability community, rather than using euphemisms and sugar-coated terms that deny our identity. For me, my wheelchair is a source of freedom, mobility, and pride.” – Wendy Elliott-Vandivier

Wendy Elliott-Vandivier is a certified SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) with a diverse background in government civil rights enforcement, managing human resources in private industry, and community advocacy. Elliott-Vandivier has been a leader in the disability civil rights community for over 30 years.  In her professional work, she has successfully managed human resources, employee relations, EEO, Affirmative Action and Diversity issues for several large businesses.

Before joining the private sector, Elliott-Vandivier worked for nine years for the Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education, where she managed the agency’s Regional Technical Assistance Staff.  She played a lead role in the implementation of federal civil rights statutes in a six-state region.

Her strong commitment to enhancing opportunities for women, minorities and people with disabilities extends beyond her professional experience.  She is a former Board Member of the American Association of People with Disabilities, and the former Chair of the Philadelphia Mayor’s Commission on People with Disabilities, where she advised the Mayor and Assistant Deputy Mayor with respect to existing and proposed policies, programs, and services for people with disabilities, and informed the public at large about the needs of the disability community.  She was also the Co-founder of MOM Center (Making Options for Motherhood) at Thomas Jefferson University.

Elliott-Vandivier has a BFA from Temple University, Tyler School of Art. Her paintings explore issues of family, memory and experiences as a disabled woman. Her autobiographical cartoons focus on attitudinal barriers and stereotypes regarding disabilities, and some of the micro-aggressions that disabled people experience while living normal, un-inspirational lives.  She is also a photographer of micro-scale monuments in nature and is often inspired by close-up images that people often do not notice in daily life – tree bark, dead leaves, flower anatomy, and water.

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