DALSA Speaker Symposium with Guest Speakers Ali Stroker and Tiffany Yu

Event Description: Even though disabilities are quite common in our society, there is still much to learn, and it is always important to raise awareness about disabilities and what it means to navigate life as a person with a disability. The field of law is extremely ableist in nature, and perpetuates stereotypes, misconceptions, and stigmas surrounding people with disabilities. Our speakers will be joining us to combat these preconceived notions and show people with disabilities and society more generally that contrary to popular belief the opportunities and possibilities are endless for people with disabilities. People with disabilities are defined stereotypically in terms of what they cannot do and their shortcomings when in fact these “limitations” are the most wonderful parts of people with disabilities and are a source of pride. Disability is not something that people with disabilities should be ashamed of or must hide in any way. People with disabilities should not have to make up for the fact that they have a disability, but instead they should embrace disability as a part of their identity. Please join DALSA and our esteemed guest speakers, Ali Stroker & Tiffany Yu, for a candid conversation on disability where they will speak about their varied experiences while navigating life as a person with a disability, the way in which disability has informed their lives and the person that they are today, and much more. As law students and people interested in the field of law, we will come across many different types of people including people with disabilities as our clients and in our work more broadly. We would like to invite you to attend this speaker symposium and help bolster our mission of increasing diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility for people with disabilities. 

Ali Stroker Biography:

Ali Stroker, an actress, author, and singer, received the 2019 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as ‘Ado Annie’ in Rodgers and Hammerstein's "Oklahoma!" By accomplishing this, she became the first actor or actress in a wheelchair to win a Tony Award and to appear on a Broadway stage. Stroker, paralyzed from the chest down since the age of two, has confronted immense adversity. Despite many stages' limited accessibility, she has forged a path in an industry that has been slow to accept disabled performers. She was also the first actress in a wheelchair to graduate from the NYU Tisch drama program. In 2015, Stroker made Broadway history by originating the role of ‘Anna’ in Deaf West’s lauded revival of "Spring Awakening." Her television career includes notable roles - she was a finalist on the second season of Oxygen’s "The Glee Project," where she placed second and won a guest role on Fox’s Glee. She was also featured in the Kyra Sedgwick ABC series, "Ten Days in the Valley," and guest-starred on Fox’s "Lethal Weapon," CBS’ "Instinct," Comedy Central's "Drunk History," "Blue Bloods," "Only Murders in the Building," and "Ozark." On top of her accolades in music and acting, Stroker is recognized for her advocacy work. She co-chairs Women Who Care, which supports United Cerebral Palsy of New York City. She is a founding member of Be More Heroic, an anti-bullying campaign that tours the country, reaching thousands of students annually. Stroker has also taken her passion for theatre to South Africa with ARTS InsideOut, conducting workshops and classes for women and children affected by HIV and AIDS. Stroker's exceptional ability to uplift others through the arts, regardless of their disabilities, is captured in her personal motto, "Making Your Limitations Your Opportunities." 

Tiffany Yu Biography:

Tiffany Yu is the CEO & Founder of Diversability, an award-winning entirely disabled-run and led social enterprise to elevate disability pride, and a content creator with 200k+ followers across platforms. She is a 3x TEDx speaker and has been named a TikTok API (Asian & Pacific Islander) Trailblazer, a LinkedIn Top Voice in Disability Advocacy, and a Well+Good Changemaker. Her first book, "The Anti-Ableist Manifesto," will be published in 2024. Yu has helped to invest over $170,000 in disability initiatives through the Awesome Foundation Disability Chapter and the Disability Empowerment Endowed Fund at Georgetown University. She has been featured in Marie Claire, the Guardian, and Forbes. She started her career in investment banking at Goldman Sachs and has also worked at Bloomberg. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University and a master's from the London School of Economics. At the age of 9, Yu became disabled as a result of a car accident that also took the life of her father.