Speakers Bureau

In a home, DVU board members sit around a long rectangular table at a meeting

Empowered to
tell our own stories

Trained presenters
with lived experience on
disability topics

The DVU Self-Advocates Speakers Bureau includes a selection of diverse people with disabilities, we call ourselves “self-advocates,” who can transform your events and programs and promote inclusivity and empowerment through the power of personal narratives. From developing empathy and acceptance to delving into disability rights history to exploring diversity, equity, and inclusion, we offer the ideal presenter for your event, seminar, workshop, or conference.

The Self-Advocates Speakers Bureau stands as an invaluable resource for schools, organizations, and companies aiming to connect with experienced speakers and trainers for their audiences. Each member of our Bureau is a seasoned expert in their respective fields, equipped with extensive training in public speaking and delivering impactful presentations.

They are not only disability experts but also agents of change within their communities. Through their unique stories, we aim to foster understanding, empathy, and inspire transformative action.

Our self-advocate speakers offer:

  • Authenticity and Relatability: With authentic perspectives drawn from their living experiences, self-advocates’ stories are deeply relatable to audiences. Their narratives encompass both challenges and triumphs, forging meaningful connections.
  • Diverse Perspectives: The Speakers Bureau offers a diverse group of self-advocates, each with unique backgrounds and expertise. This diversity ensures you can find a speaker aligned with your specific goals and objectives.
  • Catalysts for Change: Self-advocates not only share their experiences but also inspire action and promote inclusivity, equality, and understanding.

 

Specialists, with personal experience

The presenters through the Self-Advocates Speakers Bureau can present on a range of topics, including:

  • Practicing Supported Decision-Making and reducing the use of conservatorships
  • Navigating the complexities of the healthcare system through the lens of disability
  • Eliminating racial, ethnic, and geographic disparities in diagnosis, education, and services for people with disabilities
  • Recruiting, employing, supporting, and supervising people with disabilities
  • Including students with disabilities in pre-schools, K-12, and higher education
  • Improving health care and life outcomes of people with disabilities
  • And many other disability rights and justice topics!

For more information, write us at info@disabilityvoices.org.

Find the Self-Advocate Speaker that’s right for you:

German Cervantes

German Cervantes

Expert on

  • Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month
  • Accessibility in Gaming
Oscar Mercado

Oscar Mercado

Expert on

  • Supported decision-making and alternatives to conservatorships
  • The Education System (IEPs)
Jennifer Chassman Browne

Jennifer Chassman Browne

Expert on

  • Education & inclusion
  • Racial and ethnic disparities
  • History of the disability rights movement
  • More...>>
Keith Bonchek

Keith Bonchek

Expert on

  • Education & inclusion
  • Communication access
  • Healthcare
  • More...>>
Thomas Iland

Thomas Iland

Expert on

  • Supported decision-making and alternatives to conservatorships
  • Education & inclusion
  • Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month
  • More...>>
Elena Tiffany

Elena Tiffany

Expert on

  • Education & inclusion
  • Healthcare
  • Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month
Kathleen Barajas

Kathleen Barajas

Expert on

  • Education & inclusion
  • Communication access
  • Transportation & accessibility
  • More...>>
Sarah Wright

Sarah Wright

Expert on

  • Communication access
  • Transportation & accessibility
  • Medical & Healthcare Treatment
Alexa Guerrero

Alexa Guerrero

Expert on

  • Supported decision-making and alternatives to conservatorships
  • Education & inclusion
  • Communication access
  • More...>>
Kecia Weller

Kecia Weller

Expert on

  • Supported decision-making and alternatives to conservatorships
  • Education & inclusion
  • Healthcare
Allison Cameron Gray

Allison Cameron Gray

Expert on

  • Education & inclusion
  • Therapy and Personal Experience
Miguel Lugo

Miguel Lugo

Expert on

  • Education & inclusion
Jeffrey Diamond

Jeffrey Diamond

Expert on

  • Education & inclusion
  • Communication access
Emily Grodin

Emily Grodin

Expert on

  • Education & inclusion
  • Communication access
Tina Ewing-Wilson

Tina Ewing-Wilson

Expert on

  • Education & inclusion
  • Transportation & accessibility
  • Self-Determination
    Service dog access

Note: Disability Voices United’s Self-Advocates Speaker’s Bureau trains and empowers people with disabilities to share their stories. The media, organizations, corporations, schools, community groups, and others can leverage the Bureau to find and book individuals with disabilities who have compelling narratives and messages. Disability Voices United facilitates connections with potential speakers but does not oversee their presentations, negotiate rates, or manage their contracts with organizations wanting their services