Dr. Walton Motivates the CG Workforce

As concepts of beauty change and evolve, ideas that were one considered flawed or weak are now embraced and sought after. Read more about using contrast to create harmony.

In honor of National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), Coast Guard Head-quarters was pleased to host Dr. Donna Walton as its keynote speaker, a multi-disciplinary au-thor, motivational speaker, and advocate for people with disabil-ities. She is also the founder and president of the non-profit, The Divas With Disabilities Project. This organization’s mission is to shape the perception of what “disability” looks like by promot-ing women of color through vari-ous media platforms. Dr. Walton said she is dedicated to this mis-sion because a disability is not a person’s sole defining trait. At the age of 18, Dr. Walton’s battle with bone cancer forced the am-putation of her left leg above the knee. She shared her journey to rebuild her world, including overcoming Triple Jeopardy Syn-drome. She defined this phrase and gave examples of how women of color with disabilities are subjected to discrimination based on three characteristics: gender (female), race (African-American), and disability (physical/mental). She also engaged the audience by having them ask, What’s a leg got to do with it (meaning competence)? Dr. Walton replied, I believe it has nothing at all to do with it. By Ms. Deborah Gant, CRD, USCG HQ