I was born with Larsen syndrome, a genetic physical disability. I first ventured into disability advocacy at age 10 when I appeared on Sesame Street. That’s the getting-to-know-you fun fact I share at parties.
I’m from Long Island, New York, where I graduated with a B.A. in English from Adelphi University in 2013. In 2017, I was named one of Adelphi’s 10 Under 10 Young Alumni and had the honor of serving on Adelphi’s Board of Trustees for four years. In 2018, I was selected for the American Association of People with Disabilities’ Paul G. Hearne Emerging Leader Award. In 2022, the Jewish Federations of North America and the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism honored me with their Disability Advocate of the Year Award, the New York City Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities honored me with the Frieda Zames Advocacy Award, and The Viscardi Center honored me with the Henry Viscardi Achievement Award, which recognizes international leaders with disabilities. And in 2023, I received the Progressive Women’s Voices IMPACT Award from the Women’s Media Center.
I provide communications and social media strategy consulting as well as editorial services for multiple disability-related organizations and initiatives. I’m the Editor of Able News at The Viscardi Center and the Digital Content Manager for the Disability & Philanthropy Forum. Previously, I served as the Editor of the Voices of Disability Economic Justice and the founding Editor in Chief of the Rooted in Rights Blog. And, I co-host The Accessible Stall Podcast with one of my best friends, Kyle Khachadurian.
My first book, Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be An Ally, was published by Ten Speed Press in September 2021. I’m proud to be represented by Laura Lee Mattingly at Present Perfect Literary and by Kaley Baron at the Penguin Random House Speakers Bureau.
This site is my little space to share my passion for disability rights and social justice. All of my activism is driven by my belief that it is by sharing our stories and making the disability experience accessible to the world that we will reach a world that is accessible to the disability community.
Short Bio (113 words)
Emily Ladau is a passionate disability rights activist, writer, storyteller, 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. Her writing has been published in outlets including The New York Times, CNN, Vice, and HuffPost and her first book, Demystifying Disability, was published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House, in September 2021. Emily has spoken before numerous audiences, from the U.S. Department of Education to the United Nations. Central to all of Emily’s work is harnessing the power of storytelling to engage people in learning about disability.
Full Bio (430 words)
Emily Ladau is a passionate disability rights activist, writer, storyteller, and digital communications consultant. She is the author of Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally, published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
Emily’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. Born and raised on Long Island, New York, Emily graduated with a B.A. in English from Adelphi University in 2013 and had the honor of serving on their Board of Trustees from 2020-2024. 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 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.
Emily 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.
Emily’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 Emily’s work is harnessing the power of storytelling as a tool to engage people in learning about disability.
Find Emily Across the Interwebs
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The Accessible Stall Podcast
The Accessible Stall is a disability podcast hosted by Kyle Khachadurian and Emily Ladau that keeps it real about issues within the disability community.