Hi! I’m Emily Ladau.

I’m a passionate disability rights activist, writer, and communications and cultural access consultant. My career began at the age of 10, when I appeared on several episodes of Sesame Street to educate kids about life with a physical disability. I’m the author of Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally.

All of my activism is driven by my belief that it is by sharing our stories and making the disability experience accessible to the world that we will reach a world that is accessible to the disability community. Want to know more? Check out my website!

Image description: Emily sitting in a power wheelchair, holding a hand painted sign that reads "Honk if you believe that disability rights are human rights."

The Story of “Words I Wheel By”

In 2013, a week after college graduation, I packed up and moved to Washington, D.C. for a summer internship through the American Association of People with Disabilities. I’d decided I wanted to pursue a career in disability advocacy and education, but I had no idea what, exactly, that entailed.

As part of the program, the interns had the opportunity to connect with mentors from across the disability community. Their advice? Put yourself out there.

Being a cliché millennial, I had plenty of years of LiveJournal and Xanga behind me, so I started a blog. I wasn’t sure what to name it, but all credit goes to my mom for her flash of brilliance in coming up with “Words I Wheel By.”

At first, I figured it’d be great if even just a few family and friends read it. But then someone I’d never met found her way to one of my posts and left a comment to let me know it resonated. And I knew I’d found my path.

Over the past (bit more than a) decade, Words I Wheel By has shape-shifted and expanded. Many of the original blog posts are still on my website, but in 2021, coinciding with the publication of my book, Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally, I chose to transition to a newsletter. And here we are!

What I Share

Reflections on key disability issues and what's happening globally
Links to what I'm reading, watching and listening to about disability around the interwebs
Reviews/critiques of disability-related media

With a paid subscription, you can unlock access to my list of what I recommend watching for authentic disability representation, which I’m committed to keeping updated.

I know that resources are scarce for many right now, but if you feel you’ve learned from my work and have the capacity to support, please consider a paid subscription. And if this isn’t viable for you, not to worry! Either way, I’m truly so glad you’re here.

Subscribe to Words I Wheel By

Words I Wheel By aims to help make conversations about disability more accessible to everyone.

People

Emily Ladau

@emilyladau

I'm a passionate disability rights activist, communications and cultural access consultant, and author of "Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to be an Ally."