Benjamin Snow earned his masters degree in Social Change Communications from the University of Illinois at Springfield in 2014 and his bachelors degree in Integrative Studies (Political Science & Communications) from Arizona State University in 2012. He earned his Associate of Arts degree in Journalism from Pikes Peak Community College in 2009. Snow has cerebral palsy and uses a power wheelchair. He has used a computer and assistive technology devices all of his life.

Snow was a reporter for his community college newspaper and has also written professionally. He has been a public speaker since 2001 on topics of inclusive education, assistive technology, youth leadership and self-advocacy. As a teenager, he served on the President’s Task Force on Employment of People with Disabilities, and was involved in several national campaigns to increase awareness of accessibility and technology.

He also created and performed in the short film Thumbs Down to Pity, which addresses the inaccurate portrayal of characters with disabilities in Hollywood movies. Thumbs Down to Pity has been used for corporate training and disability awareness programs at over 100 organizations around the world, and has won awards at film festivals on five continents.

Snow says, “I feel it my duty to increase awareness of issues and situations that make life better for people with disabilities – especially their self-reliance, inclusion in the community, and meaningful employment. It is something that I’ve done for over half of my life and continue to do. I received physical, occupational, and speech therapies through some disability service agencies when I was a child. As I grew older, I chose to stop receiving services and use available technologies for daily living. This website was my thesis project.”

He lives in San Antonio, Texas.

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