Because of institutionalization and the school system's automatic placement of physically disabled students in non-rigorous academic tracks, Zames was mostly self-taught, according to friends.
[4] Zames, then her family's breadwinner, worked as an actuary at MetLife,[3] then went on to earn a doctorate in mathematics from New York University.
[1] In 1966 Zames was hired by the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in Newark,[3] where she taught classes ranging from remedial to graduate level.
[5] Once the Americans with Disabilities Act took effect, Zames joined in a successful lawsuit to make the Empire State Building accessible.
[1] Zames' activism included civil disobedience, litigation and advocacy literature to obtain full participation in public life for disabled people.