Steven McCoy was honored at the 3rd annual Disability Impact Awards on July 11 with The Spangenberg-Chappell Memorial Award, recognizing his exemplary commitment to advancing the disability community.
Known as the world’s first Black deaf and blind journalist, McCoy has made significant contributions through advocacy, higher education, and the founding of his nonprofit organization, Spoken Heroes.
“Steven McCoy was selected for the award because of his initiative and meaningful contributions to the disability community at large,” said Ariel Simms, CEO of Disability Belongs. “We believe that changing the way people perceive and value disabled individuals is crucial to making a lasting impact that can remove barriers to opportunities and growth.”
McCoy learned he had Usher Syndrome — a rare genetic disorder affecting both hearing and vision — on Jan. 1, 2019. Having experienced severe hearing loss since childhood, he was now facing progressive vision loss and would eventually become blind.
Reflecting on that day, he remembers saying to himself, “Happy New Year to me!”
The diagnosis led to a period of despair, and in the following year, McCoy attempted suicide. He said he was overwhelmed by the challenges of dual sensory loss and the anxiety of the pandemic lockdown.
“I felt like I was experiencing life through a ski mask because it was so dark,” he reflected. “I felt claustrophobic. I just wanted to end it all, and I tried, but I’m glad that I wasn’t successful at it.”
After this dark period, McCoy shifted his focus to advocacy, using his voice to champion the disability community. He pursued higher education, graduating from Essex County College (ECC) in 2013, and founded the nonprofit Spoken Heroes to help people like him achieve personal and professional success through mental health awareness and job opportunities.
Growing up in Newark’s North Ward, McCoy struggled with how people treated him due to his hearing impairment. He had a loving home environment, but his family had limited resources and relied on government assistance like Medicaid. It wasn’t until family members realized that McCoy wasn’t responding to them, that they decided to conduct a “test.”
“When I was younger, I had a bunch of little cousins, and we played all the time,” he said. “So, what my family did was have my cousins go in the back room, and they called us to another room one by one, and everybody came. And then, when they called me, I didn’t go, and that’s how they knew that I needed to be tested for my hearing.”
McCoy experienced bullying at school and in his neighborhood because of his hearing impairment and the hearing aids he had worn since he was 6 years old, which led to selective mutism, a condition where one avoids speaking.
Doctors initially told McCoy’s family that his hearing loss was due to ear infections, which was incorrect. As a result, he was not diagnosed with Usher Syndrome, which could have prepared him for the prospect of vision loss later in life.
Despite these challenges, McCoy distinguished himself at ECC, taking advantage of resources like the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF). Joanna Romano, director of the EOF program, helped connect him with an internship at the Walt Disney Company, prompting his move to Florida.
“He was a remarkable student. He was always into trying new things,” said Romano. “We knew about the Disney internship, and so he said, ‘I would love that.’ He went there, and he did really well, met a lot of people and was involved with Radio Disney after he came back.”
After a year, Disney offered him a full-time position, but McCoy returned to New Jersey to finish his education. Disney then offered him a job at their store in Elizabeth, where he hosted the popular “Story Time with Steven,” earning rave reviews and a visit from the district manager who was curious about the person responsible for the popular story time events.
McCoy has maintained a strong relationship with ECC and Spoken Heroes has partnered with the school’s Career Development Office to provide training and employment assistance to students with disabilities.
As a journalist, McCoy has covered numerous red-carpet events and hosts the popular podcast “Sessions with Steven,” where he interviews media and public figures. As he grew in his career, he realized there was a lack of accessibility and he was constantly requesting special accommodations for his disabilities — this recognition planted a seed for McCoy’s future.
McCoy met his business partner Ste’fon Ikner at a networking event. Ikner was encouraged to become a support service provider (SSP) — someone who serves as the eyes and ears for an individual. Ikner says after he trained to become an SSP, he had a better understanding of what McCoy was dealing with and they became friends.
“I told Steven, ‘I want to help you with your career as an activist, bringing awareness to the disability community,’” he said.
Ikner said once they took that path they started making strides. He said doors closed to them but that prompted them to start Spoken Heroes as a nonprofit organization together in January 2024. The organization strives to empower individuals with disabilities and to create more inclusivity.
McCoy plans to unveil a documentary about the journey of founding Spoken Heroes, showcasing his speaking engagements, travels, and mental health challenges. He also announced a Spoken Heroes World Tour at the Disability Impact Awards with confirmed dates in Tokyo, New York, and several European cities in 2025.
“There is a huge mental health crisis in the disability community,” McCoy said. “It’s just really important that we continue to reach back and uplift. That’s the only way we’ll be able to see people get out there, get off their couches, and be a part of the world. I’m just grateful that I’m blessed enough to be able to do that.”