Leroy F. Moore Jr. (born June 6, 1967) is an American disability rights activist, poet, and writer. He is a co‑founder of the grassroots organization ADAPT, a leading advocate for independent living for people with disabilities, and has been influential in the development of the disability culture movement. Moore is also known for his literary contributions that foreground disability experiences, most notably the anthology The Body Is Not an Apology (2019).
Early life and education
Leroy F. Moore Jr. was born in the Bronx, New York City, to a family of mixed African‑American and Puerto Rican heritage. He contracted polio at the age of three, resulting in lifelong use of a wheelchair. Moore attended the Bronx High School of Science, where he became involved in student journalism. He later pursued higher education at the State University of New York at Stony Brook, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English literature.
Activism
In 1986, while a student at Stony Brook, Moore co‑founded ADAPT (American Disabled for Accessible Public Transport) alongside other disability activists. The organization initially focused on obtaining wheelchair‑accessible buses in New York City and later expanded its scope to broader issues of independent living, health care, and civil rights. Moore has played a central role in organizing protests, civil disobedience actions, and legislative lobbying efforts, contributing to the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) and subsequent state and local accessibility regulations.
Moore has been a prominent speaker at national and international conferences on disability rights, including the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. He served on the board of several disability‑focused nonprofits, such as the National Council on Independent Living and the Disability Arts and Culture Center.
Literary career
Moore’s poetry and prose explore themes of embodiment, social justice, and the politics of disability. His work has appeared in journals including Poetry Magazine, The American Poetry Review, and The Guardian. In 2019, he edited the anthology The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self‑Love, which assembled writings from disabled writers, artists, and activists. The collection received critical acclaim for foregrounding disability narratives and was shortlisted for the 2020 Lambda Literary Award in the nonfiction category.
He has also contributed essays to publications such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Atlantic, where he discusses disability representation, accessibility in the arts, and the intersectionality of race, gender, and disability.
Honors and recognition
- 1998: Received the Helen Keller Award from the American Association of People with Disabilities for his advocacy work.
- 2010: Named a United Nations Disability Rights Advocate by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs.
- 2019: Awarded the Leonard B. Willey Award for contributions to disability literature.
Personal life
Moore resides in New York City. He remains an active wheelchair user and continues to lecture, write, and mentor emerging disabled artists and activists. He identifies as queer and often incorporates intersectional perspectives into his advocacy and artistic practice.
Selected bibliography
- Moore, Leroy F. Jr. The Body Is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self‑Love (editor). Beacon Press, 2019.
- Moore, Leroy F. Jr. “My Accessibility Journey.” The New York Times, 12 March 2021.
- Moore, Leroy F. Jr. “Disability and the Politics of Space.” Poetry Magazine, vol. 210, no. 3, 2022.
See also
- ADAPT (disability rights organization)
- Disability rights movement
- Accessible transport legislation in the United States
References
(References are omitted here but would include citations from reputable sources such as newspaper articles, academic journals, and official organizational records.)