American actress Ali Stroker made history when she won Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical on Sunday for her performance in Oklahoma!
She took the award home for her role as Ado Annie in the Broadway play at the Tony Awards, reported BBC News.
Stroker met with an accident as a toddler, and is paralyzed from the waist down.
The Glee Star highlighted the importance of representation in her acceptance speech.
“This award is for every kid who has a disability, a limitation or a challenge who has been waiting to see themselves represented in this arena,” Stroker said. She also thanked her partner David Perlow for “believing in every part” of her career.
The singer received a standing ovation and thanked the musical’s cast, “My best friends, who have held my hands and pulled me around New York City for years helping me”.
Her win is a step forward for the representation of disability within arts, as mostly disabled characters are played by able-bodied actors.
The actress starred in the Glee Project and played the role of Anna in Deaf West’s 2015 revival of Spring Awakening.
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