Jessica Hetzel and Ava Xiao-Lin Rigelhaupt
At an event at the Jewish Community Center in Detroit on March 10, Ava Xiao-Lin Rigelhaupt, a writer, consultant, actress, speaker, and advocate for disability and autism representation, discussed her story and her work on the Broadway musical “How to Dance in Ohio.” The event, organized by The J’s Opening the Doors program, was in celebration of Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance, and Inclusion Month (JDAIM).
Ava identifies as a Chinese, transracial, Jewish, autistic adoptee. She shared her experiences of intersectional identities and how that affected her career in the entertainment industry. In Ava’s speech, she briefly touched on her experience of being diagnosed and how she managed it. Ava’s discussion of her multiple identities left the audience with a lasting impression of the importance of inclusion and belonging among various communities.
With some disabilities, the enjoyment of routine and structure can be common. Ava shared how practicing Jewish traditions brings her joy and leaves her feeling connected with her community and religion. This is important to raise, because disabilities are often not represented in religious settings. That is why JDAIM is important.
“At RespectAbility, our work is centered on the inherent understanding that, as disabled people, we want to belong, to contribute our gifts and talents, and to be respected and valued like anyone else,” said Shelly Christensen, the Senior Director of Faith Inclusion and Belonging for RespectAbility and co-founder of JDAIM. “JDAIM is a call to action for the other 11 months.”
During the event, Ava highlighted her experience working on “How to Dance in Ohio.” This musical follows seven autistic young adults at a social skills center as they prepare for a spring formal dance. The Broadway production was authentically cast with autistic performers, and a lot of the production team identified as autistic as well. The show was also created to be sensory-friendly. Ava shared that “How to Dance in Ohio” represented the autistic community and brought people from all over the world to watch it. At the event, the audience was shown two powerful clips from the show to demonstrate the impact that authentic representation can have on communities.
Ellen Maiseloff, Senior Director of the Opening the Doors program, said that the clips from “How to Dance in Ohio” “served as an example of the information Ava shared: the value of advocating for the true representation of all people, believing in the potential of everyone, and planning creatively, ahead of time, for inclusivity and neurodiversity in the classroom and in life situations.”
The event wrapped up with Ava answering questions from the audience. A majority of the crowd were educators or parental figures who resonated with her identities and disability advocacy. She addressed questions regarding how to best support autistic people. Immediately after the event, the audience enjoyed desserts and networking with Ava and each other.
The event left attendees with a strong sense of community and the importance of inclusion and advocacy. Ava’s story demonstrates that, when universal design and accessibility are prioritized, disabled people can fully participate in all aspects of society.
