SPEAKER TOPICS & TAGS
Tiffany Yu is the CEO & Founder of Diversability, an award-winning social enterprise to elevate disability pride; the Founder of the Awesome Foundation Disability Chapter, a monthly micro-grant that has awarded $92.5k to 93 disability projects in 11 countries; and the author of The Anti-Ableist Manifesto: Smashing Stereotypes, Forging Change, and Building a Disability-Inclusive World.
Tiffany serves on the NIH National Advisory Board on Medical Rehabilitation Research and LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games Working Group. She was a Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum Sustainable Development Impact Summit.
At the age of 9, Tiffany became disabled as a result of a car accident that also took the life of her father. She started her career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs and has also worked at Bloomberg and startups in media and real estate.
Her TED Talk, How to Help Employees with Disabilities Thrive, has over one million views. She has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Guardian, USA Today, Marie Claire, and Forbes.
Speaker Topics
Disability, Ableism & Allyship
DESCRIPTION
2025 marks 35 years since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), yet the unemployment rate for disabled Americans has remained virtually unchanged (source: Harkin Institute).
With over 61 million Americans (1 in 4) living with disabilities, this reality underscores the urgent need for not only policy reform but also a shift in attitudes, behaviors, and workplace culture.
In this talk, disability advocate and author Tiffany Yu explores what it means to move from awareness to action through the Me, We, Us framework from her book The Anti-Ableist Manifesto.
Participants will gain a deeper understanding of ableism, how it manifests in professional settings, and actionable ways to practice allyship that fosters inclusion for all.
This conversation challenges assumptions, expands empathy, and empowers everyone to contribute to building a more accessible world for all of us.
Disability Representation in Tech
DESCRIPTION
In this keynote-style talk, Tiffany explores the progress that has been made since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990 and the role that technology can play in creating a more inclusive and accessible world.
“Being the Representation I Couldn’t Find:"
DESCRIPTION
In this keynote-style talk, Tiffany shares her personal experiences with being a disabled woman of color and the lessons that she has learned along the way, leaving attendees with an empowering and motivating message on leadership.
The Future of Work: Closing the Disability Employment Gap
DESCRIPTION
All around the world, there is a huge disability employment gap. In most countries, the unemployment rate for people with disabilities is twice that of people without disabilities. Often, it’s as high as 80%. There are over a billion people in the world living with a disability. To have 80% of them unemployed? That’s a lot of untapped potential.
We’re in what some call the “Great Resignation,” hiring people with disabilities is a huge opportunity. Research shows 89% of employers who’ve embraced disability as part of their talent strategy have seen increases in employee retention.
In this talk, Tiffany will outline the steps that every workplace can take to truly welcome people with disabilities.
AI Empowerment for People with Disabilities
DESCRIPTION
In today’s rapidly evolving technological landscape, AI is transforming accessibility for the 1 billion people with disabilities globally, leveling the playing field and paving the way for a more inclusive society.
Tiffany Yu, author of The Anti-Ableist Manifesto and founder of Diversability, will dive into how AI not only empowers disabled individuals but also enhances experiences for nondisabled people. You’ll learn about the ways that focusing on accessibility from the start can be your competitive advantage, leading to better outcomes for all.
Empowering Disability Leadership Through Entrepreneurship
DESCRIPTION
People with disabilities face some of the highest unemployment rates. Self-employment can offer a sustainable and accessible path to economic self-sufficiency by celebrating the innate adaptability, creativity, and ingenuity that naturally develops from navigating life with complex conditions such as paralysis, blindness, and autism.
Join advocate and entrepreneur Tiffany Yu, founder of Diversability, a disabled-run and disabled-led company, for a discussion about how entrepreneurship action can help close the disability employment gap and create a ripple effect of leadership and empowerment within the disability community that will bring us all forward toward a better future.
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