Meet Daniella Medina | Disabled Influencer & Activist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Daniella Medina and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Daniella, what do you attribute your success to?
Community. The disabled community is large and that is how I got my foot into so many doors such as modeling and local activism. By finding people who have similar health issues or those who found my story inspiring reaching out to me, I was able to make amazing connections to help my career. For example, when I first went viral on TikTok I was near death and unable to experience my birthday/Christmas so a follower (dear friend now) named Junior Bishop sent me videos of holiday festivities in London,UK. Soon after getting connected they told me about a disabled modeling agency they work for. I applied and was immediately contracted.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a creative, I incorporate my disability and rare fatal genetic disorder into everything I do. From videography to painting, I even started to customize mobility aids. I mainly focus my efforts into making sure my photos, videos and words come with awareness so hopefully there are less people in the future who have to struggle to be heard like I did. Vascular Ehlers Danlos Syndrome is rare and extremely dangerous. Many doctors aren’t even familiar with the classic form of Ehlers Danlos. The purpose with my platform is to bring awareness to not only my illness but to the injustices and ableism disabled people face. But my work also isn’t always that heavy, I do film my travels and good health days to show how beautiful life can be, how there is hope and it’s possible to live fully with limited time.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I go based on accessibility and kindness when it comes to local Arizona must-do’s. In that case I would 100% try to catch a show at The Crescent Ballroom in downtown Phoenix, accessible line entry and extremely attentive staff. Then I’d hop on over to Kobalt in uptown Phoenix for drinks and a good drag show. Kobalt staff has always made me feel safe, the security guard recognizes my light-up forearm crutch every time I go. Joyride Taco House in uptown the spot for good tacos and friendly staff. They are also a very accessible restaurant.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There are many people who helped influence my career, from author and director Justin Baldoni to DJ/producer Chet Porter. But I’d say there are a few people very dear to my heart who helped in big ways. My friend Junior Bishop, whom I met through TikTok and introduced me to the disabled community. Courtney Wilkins, she is an instructional coach at Peoria Accelerated High School in Peoria, AZ. She was my math teacher and practically raised me through my troubled youth. She continuously pushes me to thrive and supports me through my health and career. And Alina Cordoba, she was also my high school teacher but now work for the labor unions here in Arizona. She always makes sure I am well taken care of and has been one of my main supporters through everything I’ve done since I was 17.

Website: https://beacons.ai/daniellescats/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.dani.adventure?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Other: www.tiktok.com/@daniellescats