Author Talk: Disability Rights Activists Tiffany Yu and Ani Grigorian

The Author Series Committee welcomes disability rights activists Tiffany Yu and Ani Grigorian. They will be talking about Yu's groundbreaking book THE ANTI-ABLEIST MANIFESTO: Smashing Stereotypes, Forging Change, and Building a Disability-Inclusive World (Hachette Go, 2024).

Although 15% of people worldwide identify as disabled, disability remains largely ignored and misunderstood by non-disabled people. But Tiffany Yu, the Asian-American daughter of immigrants living with PTSD and a permanent arm injury sustained at age nine, is ready to change that. With her experience in founding disability community groups throughout her career, from her undergraduate education at Georgetown University to her time as an investment banker at Goldman Sachs to her founding of Diversability, an award-winning community business run by disabled people focused on building disability pride, power, and leadership, Yu is uniquely positioned to consider how we might create a more accessible and equitable society for all.

In THE ANTI-ABLEIST MANIFESTO, Yu presents frameworks for conversations, breaks down the language of ableism, and proposes real actions that lead to genuine and authentic allyship. Yu includes contributions from disability advocates, activists, authors, entrepreneurs, scholars, educators, and executives to highlight the importance of an intersectional view of disability and celebrates the power of stories and lived experiences to center the vast range of disabled identities that have far too often been “othered” and rendered invisible.

Copies of Tiffany's book will be available for sale from Pages Bookshop.

About Tiffany: Tiffany Yu is the CEO & Founder of Diversability, a 3x TEDx speaker, and the author of The Anti-Ableist Manifesto: Smashing Stereotypes, Forging Change, and Building a Disability-Inclusive World. She started her career at Goldman Sachs and was named to the 2025 Forbes Accessibility 100 List. At the age of 9, Tiffany became disabled as a result of a car accident that also took the life of her father.

About Ani: Ani Grigorian is a geriatric social worker turned accessibility specialist working to ensure that people can remain in their homes and communities as they age and live with disability. She manages Detroit Disability Power’s fee-for-service Disability Access Consulting Program, advising clients across industries on practical and impactful accessibility strategies that foster a culture of care. Her work spans accessibility audits, policy reviews, training, and tailored design to improve how environments are built and operated. With a focus on city infrastructure, accessible housing, and equitable development, Ani works with projects from planning and community engagement through design and construction. Outside of her role at Detroit Disability Power, Ani works with cultural venues and event producers to expand accessibility for guests, staff, performers, and production teams.

This is NOT a ticketed event, which means seats are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Registering for Tiffany's talk is highly encouraged in order to receive important updates about his visit.

Questions? Email [email protected]!