Podcasts > All About Change > Tiffany Yu — Smashing Stereotypes and Building a Disability-Inclusive World

Tiffany Yu — Smashing Stereotypes and Building a Disability-Inclusive World

By Jay Ruderman

In this episode of All About Change, Tiffany Yu shares her experience growing up with a disability as the daughter of Asian immigrants, and how she transitioned from keeping her disability private to becoming an advocate for disability rights. As the CEO of Diversability and founder of the Awesome Foundation Disability Chapter, Yu discusses her work promoting disability pride and economic justice through various initiatives.

The episode explores the challenges faced by people with both visible and invisible disabilities, highlighting the impact of stigma on disclosure and the importance of cross-disability solidarity. Yu outlines the role of allies in creating a more inclusive society and describes her efforts through platforms like the San Francisco Mayor's Disability Council to address community concerns and promote local accessibility.

Tiffany Yu — Smashing Stereotypes and Building a Disability-Inclusive World

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Tiffany Yu — Smashing Stereotypes and Building a Disability-Inclusive World

1-Page Summary

Tiffany Yu's Personal Story and Disability Experience

Growing up as the daughter of Asian immigrants, Tiffany Yu kept her disability and family tragedy private for many years due to cultural perceptions of disability as a source of shame. It wasn't until college that she finally shared her story. Yu later took to social media to confront her hand-related shame directly, posting pictures and explaining her arm's functionality despite its paralysis. Through this process, she learned that shame thrives on secrecy and silence, and built a strong supportive community to help counter occasional negative responses.

Tiffany's Disability Advocacy Work and Initiatives

As CEO and founder of Diversability, Yu leads a social enterprise dedicated to building cross-disability solidarity and elevating disability pride. She established the Awesome Foundation Disability Chapter, which has awarded $92,500 to 93 disability projects globally. Yu actively fights against policies like "14c certificates" that allow sub-minimum wage payment to disabled workers, and invests in disabled-owned startups to promote economic justice. She demonstrates her commitment through intentional choices, such as hiring disabled professionals for her book "The Anti-Abliss Manifesto" and choosing disabled-owned businesses for her launch events.

The Disability Community and the Need for Allies

Yu acknowledges that most disabilities are invisible, including conditions like PTSD, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and OCD. She notes that people with non-apparent disabilities often hesitate to disclose their conditions due to stigma. Yu advocates for cross-disability solidarity, emphasizing that despite different experiences, all disabled people face challenges related to ableism. She defines effective allies as those who refuse to devalue others based on disabilities and actively learn about and advocate with the disability community. Through her position on the San Francisco Mayor's Disability Council, Yu works to relay community concerns to city leadership, while encouraging everyone to contribute to making their local areas more inclusive.

1-Page Summary

Additional Materials

Clarifications

  • Cross-disability solidarity is the idea of unity and support among individuals with various types of disabilities. It emphasizes the shared experiences and challenges faced by people with disabilities, regardless of the specific nature of their impairments. This concept promotes collaboration and advocacy efforts that benefit all disabled individuals, aiming to create a more inclusive and accessible society. By working together, people with different disabilities can amplify their voices and push for systemic changes that benefit the entire disability community.
  • The San Francisco Mayor's Disability Council is an advisory body that provides recommendations to the Mayor and city departments on issues affecting people with disabilities. It works to ensure that policies, programs, and services in San Francisco are inclusive and accessible to individuals with disabilities. The council members advocate for the rights and needs of the disability community, aiming to improve the quality of life for disabled residents in the city. Through their work, they strive to address barriers, promote equality, and enhance opportunities for individuals with disabilities in San Francisco.

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Tiffany Yu — Smashing Stereotypes and Building a Disability-Inclusive World

Tiffany Yu's Personal Story and Disability Experience

Tiffany Yu has shared her journey of growing up with a disability and overcoming the associated shame, deeply rooted in her immigrant family background.

Tiffany's Journey Sharing Her Disability Story

Tiffany Yu's family origins played a significant role in how she perceived her disability and the tragedy in her family.

Tiffany's Immigrant Upbringing: Disability and Death as Sources of Shame Kept Her Story Private

As the daughter of Asian immigrants, with her father from Taiwan and her mother a refugee from the Vietnam War, Tiffany's cultural background saw disability and death as sources of shame—affecting the entire household. Any incident, such as a car accident leading to a disability, was perceived as an omen of bad luck that could tarnish the family's lineage. This perspective led Tiffany to maintain secrecy about the accident she experienced and the disability that resulted from it for many years.

Tiffany Shared Her Disability and Family Tragedy In College After Years of Silence

It wasn't until she reached college that Tiffany finally found the courage to share her story. Realizing she was rusty in telling her own story due to a long habit of withholding the truth, Tiffany faced her past and opened up about her disability and the associated family tragedy.

Through public acknowledgment and social media, Tiffany confronted her feelings of shame directly.

Tiffany Shared Her Hand Shame On Social Media to Confront It

An act of bravery and self-acceptance, Tiffany decided to face her shame head-on by posting pictures of her hand on social media. She not only showed her arm but also explained her functional ...

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Tiffany Yu's Personal Story and Disability Experience

Additional Materials

Actionables

  • Start a personal journal to explore your own experiences with shame and silence. Writing can be a therapeutic way to confront personal feelings of shame, much like sharing a story publicly but in a private, controlled environment. Begin by writing about a specific event or aspect of your life that you feel shame about. Reflect on why you feel this way and how keeping it secret has affected you. Over time, you may choose to share these writings with a trusted friend or keep them as a tool for personal growth.
  • Create a small, private support group with friends or peers who have faced similar challenges. This can be a safe space to discuss and share experiences related to shame, disability, or other stigmatized issues. You can meet regularly, either in person or virtually, to support each other in overcoming the silence that often accompanies shame. The group can also serve as a sounding board for when you're ready to share your story more publicly.
  • Use art or creative expression as a means to communicate your ...

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Tiffany Yu — Smashing Stereotypes and Building a Disability-Inclusive World

Tiffany's Disability Advocacy Work and Initiatives

Tiffany Yu is at the forefront of disability advocacy, leading initiatives that promote disability pride, economic justice, and policy reform.

Tiffany's Leadership in Founding Diversability to Elevate Disability Pride

Tiffany Yu heads Diversability, a social enterprise dedicated to building a cross-disability solidarity movement and elevating disability pride.

Diversability: Platform For Disability Community and Awesome Foundation Chapter

Yu, the CEO and founder of Diversability, endeavors to unite the disability community and their allies. During her time at Goldman Sachs, Yu took inspiration from employee resource groups, leading to the formation of Diversability. This platform also features a section dedicated to allies, reinforcing its inclusive vision.

Tiffany's efforts extended to the establishment of the Awesome Foundation Disability Chapter, a monthly micro-grant that funds disability projects around the world. To date, it has awarded $92,500 to 93 disability initiatives across 11 countries.

Tiffany's Advocacy On Legalizing Sub-minimum Wage for Disabled Workers

Tiffany Yu openly condemns policies that permit the sub-minimum wage payment to disabled workers, highlighting the need for significant policy reform.

Tiffany Highlights Outdated Policies Like "14c Certificates" That Perpetuate Ableism and Need Reform

Yu discusses the problematic "14c certificates" that are used by certain organizations across over 30 states to pay disabled individuals below minimum wage. She firmly believes that all individuals, irrespective of disability, are capable of performing work that warrants at least the minimum wage. Yu's cause is underscored by Elizabeth Warren's staff's reports, which indicate that workers with intellectual and developmental disabilities are paid meager wages compared to the high salaries of non-profit CEOs. Yu is driven to transform such practices that reinforce ableism.

Tiffany Invests in Disabled-Owned Startups for "Disability-Centered Economic Justice"

Beyond advocating for legal reforms, Tiffany Yu actively strives to empower the disabled community through f ...

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Tiffany's Disability Advocacy Work and Initiatives

Additional Materials

Clarifications

  • Diversability is a social enterprise founded by Tiffany Yu to promote disability pride and solidarity. It serves as a platform for the disability community and allies, fostering inclusivity and support. Through initiatives like the Awesome Foundation Disability Chapter, Diversability provides grants to disability projects globally, emphasizing empowerment and advocacy. Tiffany Yu's leadership in Diversability showcases her commitment to advancing disability rights and fostering a more inclusive society.
  • "14(c) certificates" are a provision under the Fair Labor Standards Act that allows employers to pay individuals with disabilities less than the federal minimum wage. This provision is intended to provide employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities who may not be able to perform work at the same level as non-disabled workers. However, critics argue that this practice perpetuates discrimination and reinforces ableism by undervaluing the work of disabled individuals. Efforts to reform or eliminate the 14(c) certificates aim to ensure fair wages and equal treatment for all workers, regardless of disability status.
  • Angel investing involves high-net-worth individuals providing financial backing for small startups or entrepreneurs, typically in exchange for ownership equity in the company. In the context of supporting disabled-owned startups, angel investing plays a crucial role in providing capital and resources to help these businesses grow and succeed. By investing in disabled entrepreneurs, angel investors like Tiffany Yu contribute to fostering economic empowerment within the disabled community and promoting diversity and inclusion in the s ...

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Tiffany Yu — Smashing Stereotypes and Building a Disability-Inclusive World

The Disability Community and the Need for Allies

Tiffany Yu provides insight on the daily struggles faced by individuals with invisible disabilities, emphasizing the importance of cross-disability unity and the crucial role of allies in the disability community.

Invisible Disability Challenges in Disability Community Acceptance

Yu acknowledges that a majority of disabilities are not apparent to an observer and can include conditions such as PTSD, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and OCD. There is a notable hesitation among individuals with non-apparent disabilities to disclose their condition due to the stigma attached and the fear of receiving similar negative treatment that people with visible disabilities often endure.

People with non-apparent disabilities have what Yu terms a 'strange privilege,' which allows them to choose when and to what extent to disclose their disability. Jay Ruderman’s personal experiences with scoliosis exemplify the ongoing stigma—despite it being 40 years since he dealt with his condition, he still feels reluctant to talk about it. This hesitancy suggests a broader societal issue where people are afraid of being seen as 'other.'

The hesitation can lead to silence among people with non-apparent disabilities, who may also wish to avoid the stares and invasive questioning on their capability that visibly disabled individuals often face. Yu observes a change within the disability community, with a growing effort to embrace and include individuals with non-apparent disabilities.

Tiffany Stresses the Importance of Cross-Disability Unity and Inclusivity for all Disabled Identities

Yu speaks passionately about cross-disability solidarity, stressing that despite differing experiences, all disabled people share challenges related to ableism and adjusting to a world not built for them. She advocates for supporting one another within the community and welcomes anyone who believes they have a disability, asserting that identifying as disabled is a personal choice.

Tiffany's View on Effective Disability Community Allyship

Yu defines an ally as someone who refuses to devalue others based on their disabilities. An ally shows a commitment to learning ab ...

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The Disability Community and the Need for Allies

Additional Materials

Actionables

  • You can start a blog or social media page dedicated to sharing stories and experiences of people with non-apparent disabilities, focusing on the diversity within the disability community. By creating a platform where individuals can anonymously or openly share their stories, you encourage understanding and reduce stigma. For example, a weekly feature could spotlight a different person's journey with a non-apparent disability, discussing both challenges and triumphs.
  • Consider starting a local book club that focuses on literature by and about individuals with disabilities, both apparent and non-apparent. This can foster empathy and awareness within your community. You could select books across various genres that touch on themes of disability and inclusivity, and then meet monthly to discuss the insights and perspectives gained.
  • Create a simple online feedback tool for your commun ...

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