Still Speaking Out

Activist, author, and lawyer Ady Barkan is fighting for progressive policies while battling ALS.

- By Lara Sorokanich

One of the most powerful voices throughout the 2020 election cycle belonged to a man who lost his ability to speak. Diagnosed with the neurodegenerative disease ALS in 2016, a 37-year-old lawyer and organizer Ady Barkan use a wheelchair and assistive technology to communicate—but his call for Medicare for All has never been heard by more people. During the primaries, Barkan and his Be a Hero PAC engaged Democratic candidates including Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren in frank conversations about the U.S. healthcare system for his video series, Uncovered. Barkan later spoke at the Democratic National Convention. The subject of a forthcoming documentary, Not Going Quietly, Barkan continues to advocate for progressive policies even as his disease progresses. “I’m going to continue using my time to fight for a better healthcare system and a more just society,” Barkan told Fast Company via email (his primary mode of communication is using his eyes to type messages). Here, he shares his playbook for changing hearts and minds.

POLITICS IS PERSONAL