AUCD Event | AUCD 2026 Conference - Leading Change Session: Beyond the Data: How Stories of Disability Change Hearts, Minds, and Policy

|

AUCD Community Inclusion

AUCD’s Community Inclusion Team supports the University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) Network in partnership with the Administration for Community Living.

Learn More
|

AUCD Maternal and Child Health Engagement

AUCD’s Maternal and Child Health Engagement supports the Autism CARES Programs, including LEND and DBP Programs.

Learn More
|

AUCD Public Health

AUCD’s Public Health Team works to create health promotion and public health efforts that include people with disabilities.

Learn More
|

AUCD Emerging Leaders Community

AUCD Emerging Leaders are a part of a community that includes trainees, early career professionals, self-advocates, and family members from AUCD member Centers and Programs.

Learn More

Donate

Leading Change Session: Beyond the Data: How Stories of Disability Change Hearts, Minds, and Policy

Tuesday, November 10, 2026

9:00 am - 10:30 am

Ballroom Level: Potomac Ballroom

At a time when so much is at stake for people with disabilities, facts and figures alone are not enough to protect or advance disability policy. In this fireside chat, Emily Ladau, disability rights advocate and author of Demystifying Disability, will draw on lived experience and professional expertise to show how real stories of policy’s impact can change hearts, minds, and ultimately laws. The conversation will explore how to meet people where they are and navigate evolving questions about what is okay to say while still working toward inclusion and accessibility for all. Throughout, the focus will remain on why disabled people must be at the center of our own stories and have seats at the table. Attendees will come away with practical communication approaches, a reminder of their “why,” and renewed hope that sharing our stories can make the world more accessible for the disability community.

Meetings & Sessions

Return to Agenda

Share this item

Presenters

Wilbert Johnson

LSU Human Development Center

My Name is Wilbert Johnson, I'm the Public Information Officer at the LSU Human Development Center. I am passionate about promoting inclusion, accessibility, and equal opportunities for people with disabilities.

As someone with a learning disability, I bring a unique perspective to my work and use my lived experience to help others understand the importance of inclusion, accessibility, and self-advocacy. I believe every person deserves to have their voice heard, their abilities recognized, and the opportunity to reach their full potential.

I am also a Certified Business Office Manager with strong skills in organization, communication, and administrative leadership. Through my professional experience, training, and advocacy work, I strive to create positive change and help build environments where everyone can learn, grow, contribute, and thrive.

I believe information has the power to transform lives and strengthen communities. My mission is to use my voice, experience, and knowledge to advocate for positive change and inspire others to believe in what is possible.

Most importantly, I believe every person with a disability has the right to dream big, pursue their goals, and live their best life. I am committed to helping create a world where those dreams can become a reality.

Emily Ladau

Emily Ladau is a passionate disability rights activist, writer, and communications and cultural access consultant. Her career began at the age of 10, when she appeared on multiple episodes of Sesame Street to educate about her life with a physical disability. Emily’s writing has been published in outlets including The New York Times, CNN, Vice, and HuffPost and her book, Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally (newly revised in 2026), was published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House. She has spoken before numerous audiences, from the U.S. Department of Education to the United Nations. Central to all of Emily’s work is her belief that by sharing our stories and making the disability experience accessible to the world, we'll reach a world that's more accessible and inclusive for everyone.

1100 Wayne Avenue, Suite 1000 Silver Spring, MD 20910

Mailing address:
PO Box 8787
Silver Spring, MD 20907-8787