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A Conversation with Emily Ladau

Speakers

Emily Ladau disability rights activist and author of Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally
Guest: Emily Ladau
disability rights activist and author of Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally
Jonathan Martinis
Host: Jonathan Martinis
Senior Director for Law and Policy

Description:

Author and activist Emily Ladau and Jonathan Martinis discuss her journey from being a college student uninterested in disability advocacy to a leading disability rights activist and writer focused on inclusive media representation and making disability a comfortable topic for conversation. She describes how her life focuses on disability issues, whether by writing her book “Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally,” appearing on “Sesame Street,” hosting the Accessible Stall podcast, or working with the Rooted in Rights blog. Ms. Ladau talks about her role in the broader disability rights movement — “I’m not the start or the end; I’m one point on a broader journey of learning,” — and the importance of continuing to push for change, changing minds by meeting people where they are and fostering conversations to make talking about disability more accepted in society.

Summary

  • She describes how her life focuses on disability issues, whether by writing her book “Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally,” appearing on “Sesame Street,” hosting the Accessible Stall podcast, or working with the Rooted in Rights blog.
  • Ladau talks about her role in the broader disability rights movement — “I’m not the start or the end; I’m one point on a broader journey of learning,” — and the importance of continuing to push for change, changing minds by meeting people where they are and fostering conversations to make talking about disability more accepted in society.

More about Emily Ladau, disability rights activist and author of Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally

Emily Ladau disability rights activist and author of Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an AllyEmily Ladau is a passionate disability rights activist, writer, speaker, and digital communications consultant whose career began at the age of 10, when she appeared on several episodes of Sesame Street to educate children about her life with a physical disability. A native of Long Island, New York, Emily graduated with a B.A. in English from Adelphi University in 2013. In 2017, she was named as one of Adelphi’s 10 Under 10 Young Alumni. In 2018, she was awarded the Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Award from the American Association of People with Disabilities.

Emily is the Editor in Chief of the Rooted in Rights Blog, a platform dedicated to amplifying authentic narratives on the disability experience through an intersectional lens. She also provides consultation and editorial services and manages online presence and communications strategies for multiple disability-related organizations and initiatives. And, she co-hosts “The Accessible Stall Podcast,” a show that dives into disability issues.

Emily’s writing has been published in outlets including The New York Times, SELF, Salon, Vice, and HuffPost and she has served as a source for outlets including NPR, Vox, and Washington Post. Emily has spoken before numerous audiences across the United States, ranging from lectures at universities to conference keynote presentations. At the core of her work is a focus on disability identity, sharing our stories, and harnessing the powers of communication and social media as tools for people to become engaged in disability and social justice issues.

More about Emily’s work can be found on her website, Words I Wheel By. Follow her on Twitter at @emily_ladau.

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