In 2001, Madi's mother, Nicole, had a still born baby. Had the baby survived, she would have had Down Syndrome. Madi was very confused and very curious. As she grew up, her mother began to see her interest in children who might not fit in, or might act different than what she had been used to. She was very interested, wanting to know more about these individuals, which usually meant Madi would walk right up and start a conversation!

Madi has been working within the disability community for over 9 years. This was something she became very passionate about as she grew older and understood what the word "disability" meant. She saw how people treated these individuals differently and did not like it. Throughout 6th grade and most of junior high, there were many days spent trying tot convince her teachers to include the special education classes. This went on for a couple of years, with limited success.

Finally, once in high school, Madi joined Best Buddies and Special Olympics. From holding "Spread the Word to End the Word" campaigns, to attending Best Buddies prom, she loved her interaction with the disability community and wanted them to be accepted by everyone. Her reign as Miss Arizona's Outstanding Teen in 2012, and Miss Arizona 2015, allowed her many opportunities to work with different organizations that revolved around people with disabilities. Madi knew this was mission in life; Acceptance for ALL.

Our society has created many norms. They have implemented many things into our head when it comes to how we need to dress, act, perform, etc. Madi is here to change that. She promotes acceptance by speaking anywhere and everywhere. Children's groups, spiritual groups, girl scout troops, schools, rotary clubs; the list goes on! Her main focus is the younger generation. The earlier we teach children acceptance, the more loving the world becomes. She is always willing to speak to anyone when it comes to this topic; even adults need to remember to be accepting and caring. We are all human beings. We all have a heart, a soul, and we all deserve to be accepted for who we are.

That is why Madi Esteves created Don't "Diss" Abilities. Our main mission, is to create acceptance and inclusion; focusing on the disability community while also promoting acceptance for ALL!