260: The Anti-Ableist Manifesto, with Tiffany Yu

What Do You Mean By That?

There are SO many insightful conversations and incredible stories we’ve shared on this show, and this one was yet another example of one where we went in thinking one thing, and came out thinking another.

Because we’ll be talking with an incredible advocate about ableism and disabilities - a label that, if we aren’t already impacted by it, is a label that - statistically speaking - we may all one day live long enough to be impacted by. We all want to be paying attention.

And maybe, just maybe, if you learn through this episode that the way you thought about ability and disability is different than what you previously assumed, maybe, just maybe, you’ll also be open to learning more about race and racism, age and ageism, sex and sexism, anti LGBTQIA+ sentiment, and more. All of these systems of oppression are linked. And we’re so glad that we were able to be in community with someone that we personally know is such a powerful woman in this space for this discussion.

What to listen for:

• Tiffany’s personal journey, and the importance of disability inclusion

• Some significant stats and perspective - including that 61 million Americans, or one in four adults, have disabilities, making it the largest minority group

• The "me, we, us" framework to address personal unlearning and systemic change

• Practical shifts from ableist language – such as "suffering from" to "living with" disabilities

• The importance of supporting disabled individuals' livelihoods, including the need for inclusive hiring practices, the impact of accessibility on product design, and advocating for a culture that values vulnerability and support

About our guest:

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, and the author of The Anti-Ableist Manifesto: Smashing Stereotypes, Forging Change, and Building a Disability-Inclusive World. Her TED Talk, How to Help Employees with Disabilities Thrive, has over one million views.

She serves on the NIH National Advisory Board on Medical Rehabilitation Research and 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.