Maya Moore on Accessible Beauty, Confidence, and Feeling Seen

As late as 1974, it was a crime to have visual differences. Called “unsightly beggar ordinances” (and later named the “ugly laws”), these grotesque regulations made it illegal for those with disabilities to “expose himself or herself to public view,” or they’d be met with fines and arrests for no other reason than demonstrating some type of visible impairment. It’s a stark contrast to Disability Pride Month, which honors what makes people unique. It’s also one of the reasons why Maya Moore—an amputee, model, and disability advocate—refuses to hide.

“If there aren’t clothes offered for people that are disabled or beauty products or things that we as a society deem ‘necessary’ to go out into the public sphere and feel like your most confident self, it says something about where we think people with disabilities belong,” she tells Who What Wear. It’s no secret that fashion and beauty play a significant role when it comes to challenging societal norms, and Moore champions these shifts in both subtle and outspoken ways. She dresses to accentuate her disability, providing endless style inspiration on her thriving social media accounts, she stars in countless fashion and beauty campaigns, and she works with many of those brands behind the scenes on inclusive marketing plans, all with the hope that people with disabilities can see themselves in an industry that so often equates “chic” with being white, thin, and able-bodied.