Avery Roberts

Background

About Avery Roberts

Avery Roberts is a rare disease and disability advocate, as well as an accessibility and inclusion champion. Since living with a physical disability her whole life, she has dedicated her life's work to raising her voice, challenging stereotypes and the status quo, enacting real change, and promoting inclusion done right in society. Avery currently serves as the Community Engagement Coordinator at Cure CMD, a nonprofit focused on advancing research and empowering individuals living with congenital muscular dystrophies (CMD). Through her role, she uses her unique perspective as someone who lives with an ultra-rare subtype of CMD to spearhead outreach programming and educational and informative content creation and execution. She's also a part of the Cure CMD Legislative Advocacy Team, putting a face to rare disease on Capitol Hill and advocating to legislators at the federal and state levels to ensure public policy reflects the needs of the rare disease community. Avery is a part of a professional dance company in NYC, Born Dancing, combining her love of dance with breaking down barriers in the entertainment world. She has performed at prestigious theaters, including being the first wheelchair user to dance on the iconic Radio City Music Hall stage, and, separately, among the first few wheelchair users to feature in a nationally televised live production. A trailblazer in the industry, her passion includes authentic disability representation in the entertainment industry and media. Avery has spearheaded impactful projects like directing and co-producing the professionally filmed video,"Inclusivity Is Being Redefined," promoting what inclusion and representation can and should look like in the entertainment industry. The entire project hopes to increase knowledge, providing support and access between members of the entertainment industry and the disability community. The purpose involves increasing meaningful participation and visibility in the entertainment industry for individuals within the disability community. Every piece was directed, produced, filmed, edited, and featured individuals from the disability community. Avery serves on the Board of Directors of One Rare, an organization providing resources and opportunities to young adults living with rare disease, through education, mentoring, recreation, and peer support. Avery has been featured in Forbes, NBC, USA Today, PopSize UK, BroadwayWorld, FOX Entertainment, News 12, The Teen Magazine, Showstopper, and Rare Revolution, among others.