Alice Wong is a research consultant and disability activist. She is the founder of the Disability Visibility Project™ (DVP), an online community that offers a space for people to publish, discuss, and...

Alice Wong is a research consultant and disability activist. She is the founder of the Disability Visibility Project™ (DVP), an online community that offers a space for people to publish, discuss, and share stories about disability. She is also co-partner of #CripTheVote, a nonpartisan online movement dedicated to engaging disabled people on policies, laws, and practices important to them. Her activism has been featured across a variety of media including WBUR radio, Al Jazeera, Teen Vogue, Esquire, CNET, and Buzzfeed. The following essay was published on Eater.com. Before you read, think about whether you have noticed that plastic straws are no longer being used in many restaurants, including Starbucks. If you have noticed this, what brought the change to your attention? If you haven’t, why do you think that is? As you read, pay attention to how Wong lays out the problem and the solution. Based on how she describes the problem, does the solution seem logical and practical?