July 15, 2024

Ria Gualano is a doctoral student in communication from Rapid City, South Dakota. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Johns Hopkins University and now studies the communication of disability under the guidance of Lee Humphreys at Cornell.

What is your area of research and why is it important?

I study the communication of disability, and I aim to spotlight community perspectives to generate avenues for making social spaces more inclusive. Last year, I interviewed social virtual reality users with invisible disabilities (e.g., arthritis, depression) to explore how avatar customization options could be more inclusive of disability-related identities and experiences. Last semester, I interviewed 42 students and staff with invisible disabilities to examine how disability theories could restructure accommodation and access in higher education. This spring, I organized a disability and neurodiversity arts exhibition that centered the arts-based communication of invisible and often misunderstood experiences from within the community.

What are the larger implications of this research?

I seek to elevate the perspectives of people with disabilities in social, educational, and work contexts. Many misconceptions about disability and neurodiversity arise from inaccurate representations and stereotypes that stem from outside of the community. It is important to contribute to advocacy work and larger movements that shift the spotlight to personal experiences instead. My hope is to provide a platform for others with disabilities and neurodiverse experiences to share their stories and work to rewrite our communities’ narratives, at the local level and beyond.

How has becoming a co-chair for the MAC Peer Mentoring Program shaped your graduate experience and why is peer mentorship important?

I was a MAC mentee my first year at Cornell. My mentors were an essential part of my support system, especially since I came straight from undergrad. The mentors’ personal experiences and advice for navigating Ph.D. student life made me feel grounded, even during a time of major transition, and I later became co-chair of the mentoring program because I wanted help new students connect with opportunities and resources that had benefited me. Peer mentorship is an invaluable way to exchange knowledge grounded in lived experience and illuminate often invisible aspects of the hidden curriculum and sustainable mental health practices.

What inspired you to compile the art exhibition “Invisible Aspects of Disability and Neurodiversity” and what do you hope that attendees take away from it?

I began sketching fashion designs that reflect my experiences of chronic illness last spring. Soon after, I became aware of the power of artistic self-expression in cultivating authentic representations of disability. As I read more on storytelling through exhibit design (e.g., blurbs, spatial layout), I began to wonder whose stories were being told (and by whom). Thus, I began organizing this exhibition. I hope attendees who share some of these invisible experiences felt connected to community, and that those who do not share these experiences could appreciate some of the nuanced, individualized, and often invisible aspects of disability and neurodiversity.

What are your hobbies or interests outside of your research or scholarship?

I’ve been writing novel-length manuscripts since I was a teen, and I recently signed with a literary agent who will represent my rom-coms, which reflect my half-Chinese heritage through Chinese culture and folklore. I also sketch fashion designs – some that represent my heritage and invisible disability, and others that are connected to characters in my books! I love singing and have been involved in many forms of the performing arts throughout my life (e.g., theatre, a cappella, choir, pageants). Fortunately, many friends and family share my love for reality TV, so I enjoy group watch parties on weekends.

Why did you choose Cornell to pursue your degree?

While I was deciding between schools, my (now) advisor sent me an essay about intersections of time and disability, written by a scholar with a chronic illness. I connected deeply with the writing; I was still exploring vocabulary I could use to describe my experiences, and I was moved to find someone else’s precise articulation of shared grief and reconstructed time. I knew immediately I wanted to write a piece that resonant someday, and I wanted to learn from others in Cornell’s community to realize that dream. I hope my work will reflect a tapestry of our stories.