Ryleigh Newman

ABOUT ME

I graduated from the Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College with a B.S. in Biological and Physical Sciences, concentrating in Biological Chemistry and Data Science & Analytics. I now research RNA-targeted therapeutics at the Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute, and I run a nonprofit that builds adaptive equipment.

My life’s mission is to transform challenges into opportunities, drawing from my personal experiences with disabilities.

I have two disabilities: significant bilateral hearing loss and an unknown neuromuscular disease resembling Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, which severely atrophies my limb strength.

Because of the disease, I lost the ability to walk a few years ago, as my legs have minimal motor functionality. I also experience atrophy in my hands and wrists.

These symptoms make typical daily tasks challenging without creative modification; they even took the ability to do some of my favorite hobbies.

But, at the same time, have paved the path to creative adaptation!

So I build the accessibility I need, and then I make sure nobody else has to pay a premium for it. That is the thread running through everything below.

Despite the roadblocks, I am turning my hardships around to inspire others and innovate. My personal motto is to “Be Awesome.”