Alice Wong was born in Indianapolis in 1974. She was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy and told she wouldn’t live to be older than 18, but she lived to be 51 years old.
In 1997, she moved to San Francisco to pursue a masters in medical sociology at UCSF, but had trouble completing it because of accessibility issues on campus. Eventually she did finish her degree, and ended up working at the University to help make it more accessible for other disabled students.
She also worked as a researcher, writer, podcaster, producer, and activist. In 2014, she founded The Disability Visibility Project, which highlighted the stories and culture of disabled people. Her memoir: Year of the Tiger: An Activist's Life, was a national bestseller.
She was a 2024 recipient of a MacArthur ‘Genius’ Grant. She was known for her sharp sense of humor, her brilliant mind, and her unwavering commitment to making the world a better place.
She died at UCSF of an infection late on Friday. She is survived by her parents Henry and Bobby, her sisters Emily and Grace, and her two cats, Bert and Ernie.
