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How Tiffany Yu Turned Her Story Into a Movement for Disability Inclusion

In a world where nonprofit leaders are constantly navigating the balance between mission and messaging, Tiffany Yu offers a radical, refreshing approach to authentic storytelling. As the founder of Diversability, a global community that elevates disability pride, Tiffany is not only challenging how we think about representation; she’s empowering nonprofit professionals to lead with lived experience, vulnerability, and dignity.

Whether you’re a nonprofit executive director, fundraiser, or communicator looking to harness your story in service of your mission, this post dives into Tiffany’s transformative insights on flipping the script around disability, storytelling with purpose, and crafting messages that truly stick.

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Why Disability Narratives Matter And Why They’re Often Missing

Tiffany’s journey begins with a fundamental truth: disabled people have always been here; we’ve just often been left out of the narrative. Through her work at Diversability and her book, The Anti-Ableist Manifesto, she unpacks how systemic barriers, like traditional publishing norms or hiring processes, have long excluded disability stories.

She explains how literary agents, publishers, and funders often see disability as “too niche,” not realizing the global disability market is worth $18 trillion. This limited perspective means disabled authors and nonprofit leaders struggle to get their narratives seen, heard, or funded and when those stories do get told, they’re often co-opted or stripped of dignity.

As Tiffany puts it:

“If we’re not telling our own stories, others will tell them for us — and not always in ways that feel empowering.”

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Inclusive Storytelling Starts With Dignity

One of the most impactful parts of the conversation is Tiffany’s reflection on how nonprofits can better share stories that aren’t their own. Particularly those of program participants or beneficiaries in ways that uphold dignity.

She shares an example of a disability nonprofit using a visibly disabled child during a holiday fundraising phone-a-thon, designed to evoke pity donations. “It doesn’t feel like it’s done with dignity,” she says. And for many disabled individuals who’ve lived through that kind of tokenization, the emotional toll is long-lasting.

Instead, she encourages nonprofit professionals to ask:

• Are we empowering or objectifying the people we serve?

• Have we created space for people with lived experience to co-create the narrative?

• Are we using story to drive empathy or systemic change?

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Rethinking Ableist Assumptions in Hiring and Communication

Another powerful moment in the interview comes when Tiffany breaks down subtle but harmful ableist assumptions in hiring practices.

For example:

• “Must have a valid driver’s license” can become “Must be able to travel between client meetings.”

• “Must be able to lift 20 lbs” could shift to “Must be able to transport 20 lbs.”

Why does language like this matter? Because it assumes able-bodiedness as the norm and excludes qualified disabled candidates before they’ve even applied.

Tiffany encourages all nonprofits (whether disability-focused or not) to audit their job descriptions and internal policies for unnecessary barriers. It’s about moving from performative inclusion to real accessibility from the ground up.

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Crafting a Signature Talk That Reflects Your Mission

Tiffany also dives into how nonprofit leaders can craft impactful keynote messages or signature stories. She offers a few guiding questions to get started:

1. What’s the one-sentence version of your story?

2. What’s the 10-minute version?

3. Who is your audience, and what is the call to action?

She explains how her talks differ based on context — for example, her TEDx talk, The Power of Exclusion, dives deep into her personal story, while her workshops for corporate audiences might reference that story briefly before diving into practical strategies and scripts.

For nonprofit leaders, she encourages developing one or two core talks that can flex depending on the setting. Whether it’s a donor pitch, a panel discussion, or a board retreat.

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Vulnerability Is a Strength, Not a Liability

In a sector that often prizes stoicism and “professionalism,” Tiffany makes a compelling case for leading with vulnerability.

After reading Brené Brown’s Daring Greatly, she began exploring what it means to lead from a place of openness rather than perfection. She transitioned from a finance career that rewarded stoicism to building a personal brand that prioritized authenticity and mission.

Her advice to nonprofit professionals?

“Start by reflecting on your own story. What’s the version you’re ready to tell now, in one minute, or in ten? And make sure you’re sharing from a place of healing, not harm. That’s the difference between vulnerability and oversharing.”

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Final Takeaway: You Are the Representation You’ve Been Waiting For

Tiffany’s story is one of deep alignment, between purpose, passion, and the lived experience that fuels both. She challenges all nonprofit leaders to reflect on how we show up, how we speak, and how we build organizations that don’t just “include” disabled people but center and celebrate them.

If you’re wondering how to start leading with your story, how to share it ethically, or how to remove barriers in your work, start by asking:

• Whose voices are we elevating?

• What assumptions are we making?

• Are we flipping the script, or just rewriting it from the same lens?

As Tiffany reminds us:

“Be the representation you couldn’t find. There is power in your story and someone is waiting to hear it.”

Resources & Links

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Connect with Tiffany on her website, order her book, The Anti-Ablelist Manifesto, and watch her TED talk, The Power of Exclusion. 

My book, The Monthly Giving Mastermind, is here! Grab a copy here and learn my framework to build, grow, and sustain subscriptions for good.

Join The Sustainers, my Slack community for nonprofit professionals growing and scaling a recurring giving program.

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