Upcoming Convocations

Emily Ladau’s 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, Ladau graduated with a B.A. in English from Adelphi University in 2013 and now serves on their Board of Trustees. 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. In 2022, the Jewish Federations of North America and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism honored her with their Disability Advocate of the Year Award, the New York City Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities honored her with the Frieda Zames Advocacy Award, and the The Viscardi Center honored her with the prestigious Henry Viscardi Achievement Award, which recognizes international leaders with disabilities. And in 2023, she was selected to receive the Progressive Women’s Voices IMPACT Award from the Women’s Media Center.

Demystifying Disability, Ladau’s first book, is a friendly handbook on crucial disability issues, including how to appreciate disability history and identity, recognize ableism, speak respectfully, ensure accessibility, and more. Her talks stem from her same knack for candid instruction, combined with her belief that storytelling is crucial to making the disability experience accessible to the world and creating a world that is accessible to the disability community.

Ladau is the Editor of Able News at The Viscardi Center, a monthly print and digital publication amplifying the perspectives of New York’s diverse, vibrant disability community and serving as a resource throughout the state. She is also the Digital Content Manager for the Disability & Philanthropy Forum, an organization committed to expanding philanthropic commitment to disability inclusion. Previously, she served as the Editor of The Century Foundation’s Voices of Disability Economic Justice project, a commentary series that shines a light on the economic disparities that disabled people experience. Prior to that, she served as the founding Editor in Chief of the Rooted in Rights blog, a platform dedicated to amplifying authentic narratives on the disability experience through an intersectional lens.

Ladau’s writing has been published in outlets including The New York Times, CNN, Vice, and HuffPost and she has served as a source for outlets including MSNBC, PBS NewsHour, NPR, and The Washington Post. She has spoken before numerous audiences about disability, from Microsoft to Comcast/NBCUniversal, and from the U.S. Department of Education to the United Nations. And, she co-hosts The Accessible Stall podcast, a show that dives into disability issues. Central to all of Ladau’s work is harnessing the power of storytelling as a tool to engage people in learning about disability.