Tatyana McFadden shares journey behind Tatyana’s Law, goals for 2024 Paris Games

Tatyana McFadden, a 20-time Paralympic medalist, has used her platform to improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities. McFadden, 34, recently discussed her struggles as a high school student athlete, what compelled her to help establish Tatyana’s Law and her goals for the 2024 Paris Games.

Thursday marks the 12th celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, an event that works to bring change for digital access and inclusion for people with disabilities.

*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

OlympicTalk: How important is Global Accessibility Awareness Day to you, and what does accessibility and representation mean to you?

Tatyana McFadden: I live it every single day. It shouldn’t be just a one-day thing. We should celebrate accessibility and global awareness every single day. As soon as I leave my house, I have to learn how to adapt right away.

Whether it’s going into a store or restaurant or hotel or into a cab or traveling on the airplane and getting off the airplane — a majority of people don’t think about how people with disabilities do those things. As an elite athlete, I think it’s so important to use my voice and to share the experiences that I have gone through and how we can make this world a better place. I’m speaking on behalf of those who don’t have a platform or for those who are unable to speak up. Especially if we’re going to be hosting the Games in LA in 2028. It’s good to get a start on it.

Do you remember the day you received your first wheelchair?

McFadden: I received my very first wheelchair when I first came over to the U.S. I was adopted at age 6 from Russia. It was a little red wheelchair that was waiting for me in the United States at my new home. It