“Accessibility is more than getting in the door…it’s collaborating to create access to connections, information, spaces, and choices.”

Jessica Skintges Wallach is a Washington, DC-based photographer, educator, and accessibility consultant. She is an artist with a disability, and a disabled artist.  With a background in portrait photography, she has recently entered the fine art scene, leveraging her disability as both subject and focus. In her project, The Body is Good, she aims to transform all spaces, particularly healthcare spaces, into affirming environments for all bodies.

Believing in the power of art within healthcare settings, Jessica is driven to empower viewers and offer a broader perspective to patients. Through her photography, she communicates the message that the body, at its core, is inherently good. Her work also serves as a reminder to healthcare staff of the importance of self-care and bodily respect.

Utilizing her Canon camera and Samsung phone as artistic tools, Jessica incorporates stencils into her compositions to explore themes of human experience and mobility. Starting with existing designs and now creating her own, she overlays these stencils with everyday objects and incorporates them into vibrant, colorful imagery, often featuring large soap bubbles.

Her photography boldly addresses the impacts of ableism on society, prompting viewers to contemplate the potential of healthcare spaces as safe and equitable. Through her art, Jessica encourages reflection on the relationship between body positivity and healthcare outcomes, inviting all audiences to consider what a love letter to their own bodies might entail.

“My aim is to challenge ableism through art, sparking conversations that celebrate the inherent value of all bodies. Through my work, I advocate for inclusive spaces and policies, countering ableist notions.

As a portrait photographer and accessibility advocate, I've transitioned into fine art, crafting vibrant images in my project, The Body is Good, which defies ableist narratives using handcrafted stencils and innovative techniques. My photography style emphasizes storytelling and strong visual elements, reflecting the bespoke nature of individuals as they are. Influenced by brain scans, my conceptual work delves into human connection and movement, aiming to dismantle ableism, sexism, and racism while fostering a sense of belonging. My belief is that if we can like ourselves, be comfortable in our own bodies, we can better think about the bodies around us.”

—Jessica Wallach