'Provide some joy': Disability advocate takes off on TikTok

Motivational speaker going viral on TikTok for videos spreading disability awareness Spencer West joins us to chat about his Internet success, friendship with Demi Lovato, and plans for the future.

TORONTO — Motivational speaker and advocate Spencer West had to put his travelling on hold during the pandemic, and instead turned to social media to spread awareness and advocate for people with disabilities.

West, who lost both legs from the pelvis down at the age of five due to a genetic spinal disorder, makes videos that have become incredibly popular on TikTok – a place where he says he wants to “provide some joy” to those in lockdown.

“I was kind of grounded,” West said of his foray onto TikTok on CTV’s Your Morning on Tuesday. “I was travelling 200 days out of the year speaking, and then when the pandemic his I was left with all of this time at home – and in one respect that was really awesome, because I needed that time to slow down…but then I also had to pivot from doing live shows to doing them from my kitchen.”

West’s tongue-in-cheek takes on TikTok trends have also catapulted his followers into the millions, something he credits to star Demi Lovato, whom he considers a friend.

“TikTok brings us a new audience,” West said, “It’s a space for me to provide some joy…and also some awareness on my identities and how they intersect, having a disability but also being a gay man.”

West said he plans to continue to build his online community to have real conversations about the disability justice movement, and to spread awareness of what his lived experience of navigating the world with a disability is really like.