The company wants my disability story in its advertising

Dear Delyara, I use a wheelchair and work for a large company. Last month, communications asked whether I would appear in a recruitment campaign about inclusion. I initially agreed because I thought representation mattered. Then I saw the draft. My photograph beside words like resilient, inspiring, overcoming barriers. Nothing about my actual work leading a technical team. Nothing about the months I fought for accessible toilets or the time a fire drill left me upstairs because no evacuation chair had been maintained. They want my body as evidence that the company is inclusive without including the parts where I had to force it to become less inaccessible. I told them I wanted the wording changed. They said marketing needs “emotionally engaging stories.” My manager warned me privately that senior leadership is excited about the campaign and suggested I avoid seeming uncooperative. I have spent my career trying to be judged on my work rather than turned into a lesson about courage. Now saying no to being inspirational may become the least inspiring thing I can do for my career.