Disabilities & Mental Health

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Disabilities & Mental Health

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Mental Health Expert, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School & President, Anxiety and Depression Association of America

Dr. Luana is here to equip you to reach your potential by making bold moves that are science driven and drive outcomes. An international expert in Cognitive Behavioral Therapies, she…

Mandy Harvey | PDA Speakers

Deaf Singer-Songwriter & Golden Buzzer Winner, America's Got Talent

Mandy Harvey is a singer, songwriter, author, and speaker who happens to be deaf. Mandy was Simon Cowell‘s “Golden Buzzer” pick on America’s Got Talent. The video has collectively received…

Professor & Internationally Recognized Expert on Brain Plasticity

Wendy Suzuki, Ph.D. is a Professor of Neural Science and Psychology at New York University.  Her research focuses on two main questions: how our brains allow us to learn and…

Artist, Speaker, Humanitarian and Goodwill Ambassador #UNWomen

Muniba Mazari is lovingly referred to as the Iron Lady of Pakistan. And for all the right reasons. At the age of 21, Muniba was left paralyzed from the hip…

YouTube Personality, Vlogger, Comedian, Author & Actress

Lilly Singh is a YouTuber famously known as IISuperwomanII. Today, her channel has over 600 million views and over five million subscribers. Born in Scarborough, Canada, Lilly lives with her…

Activist, Writer, Speaker and Yoga Teacher. Author of Raise Your Voice, a book about finding and raising your voice

Kathy Khang is the author of Raise Your Voice, a book about finding and raising your voice. She also is one of the authors of More Than Serving Tea (IVP,…

Actress, and Asian-American Activist with a passion for social advocacy on issues such as Mental Health and LGBTQ + Rights

Ami Park is an actor, host, print/commercial model and storyteller. Born in New York and raised in New Jersey,Ami always had a knack for acting since her childhood. She attended…

Retired United States Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills of the 82nd Airborne is a recalibrated warrior, motivational speaker, actor, author and an advocate for veterans and amputees

Retired United States Army Staff Sergeant Travis Mills of the 82nd Airborne is a recalibrated warrior, motivational speaker, actor, author and an advocate for veterans and amputees. Travis’s New York…

Founder of To Write Love on Her Arms

Jamie Tworkowski is the founder of To Write Love on Her Arms and the New York Times bestselling author of If You Feel Too Much. He was born in Morehead…

Boston Marathon Bombing Survivor & Amputee

On April 15, 2013, what is referred to as Marathon Monday in Boston, Heather Abbott of Newport, RI set out on an annual tradition with six friends.  They would attend…

Inspirational Speaker and World Blind Golf Champion

At 19, Jeremy Poincenot was your typical college sophomore. Friends, sports, fraternity and most importantly, perfect 20/20 vision. Then it happened with no warning, no time to prepare, life began…

Host of ESPN's First Take Morning Show

Molly Qerim is the host of First Take, ESPN’s live weekday morning (10 a.m.- noon) debate show with Max Kellerman and Stephen A. Smith, a position she has held since…

Activist for Cystic Fibrosis and Son of Former NFL Quarterback Boomer Esiason

Gunnar Esiason, 26 years old, was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis - a genetic disease that impacts the respiratory and digestive systems - at age 2. Since then, he went on…

Baseball Legend, Two-Time Cancer Survivor, Autism Spokesperson, Community Outreach Advocate, and New York Times Best-Selling Author

Darryl Strawberry is described as a legend by many who have been dazzled by the dynamics of his game, the power he possessed at the plate and the story of…

Former NFL Miami Dolphins Quarterback

Success in business, as on a football field, starts with leadership and productivity -- two areas in which Dan Marino ranks second to none. He was the undisputed field general…

Former CEO and Founder of Kinko’s, Inc. Overcame Dyslexia and ADHD and World-Renowned Entrepreneur

Paul Orfalea founded Kinko’s in 1970 near the University of California at Santa Barbara with a simple idea: provide college students with products and services they need at a competitive…

U.S. Army Veteran, Amputee & Finalist on "Dancing With The Stars"

A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Sergeant Noah Galloway was assigned to the 1st of the 502nd Infantry of the 101st Airborne Division out of Fort Campbell, Kentucky, during Operation Iraqi…

Renowned Health, Diet and Nutrition Expert

Dean Ornish, M.D., is the founder and president of the non-profit Preventive Medicine Research Institute and Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. Dr. Ornish received…

Story Suicide Survivor, Activist, Storyteller and Filmmaker

Kevin Hines continues to speak to over three hundred thousand people about a firsthand experience with suicidal thoughts and his eventual attempted suicide. He is one of 33 Golden Gate…

World-Famous Animal Scientist, Autism Self-Advocate, Author of "Thinking in Pictures: My Life With Autism"

Temple Grandin, Ph.D., is one of the most accomplished and well-known adults with autism in the world. Her life, with all its challenges and successes, was brought to the screen…

Choosing Happiness, Author, Entrepreneur and Award-Winning Blogger

Author, entrepreneur, award-winning blogger, Emmy-winning producer, and inspirational speaker, Shane Burcaw brings a spirited, humorous approach to everything he does. Born with a progressive neuromuscular disease, Shane has been battling…

Athlete, Runway Model, Actress & Double Amputee

Aimée Mullins currently stars in the hugely successful Netflix series, STRANGER THINGS, which is now the most-searched for title in Netflix history. 8.2 million people watched the entire series in…

Actress, Most Well Known for her Role as Becky in "Glee"; In November 2011, President Barack Obama appointed Potter to the President's Committee for People with Intellectual Disabilities

An inspiration to all, Lauren Potter has proven herself a young woman of strength and character. She's overcome bullying and the challenges of living with a disability, and is currently…

Medical Geneticist, Author and Co-Director of the Down Syndrome Program at Massachusetts General Hospital who has dedicated his career to children with cognitive and development disabilities

Dr. Brain Skotko has dedicated his professional energies toward children with cognitive and development disabilities.  In 2001, he co-authored the national award-winning book, Common Threads: Celebrating Life with Down Syndrome…

Scottish Singer Who Gained Fame on "Britain's Got Talent"

Susan Boyle is a Scottish singer who came to international attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV program "Britain's Got Talent" in April 2009, singing "I Dreamed…

Star of the Film Murderball, Winner of the 2005 Sundance Film Festival's Documentary Audience Award

Mark Zupan was paralyzed in a car accident while in high school, he began playing quad rugby in college. In 2004 he lead team USA to a bronze medal at…

Creator of the PostSecret Project, a blog full of secrets anonymously shared via postcard

Frank Warren is the creator of The PostSecret Project, a community art project that invites individuals to send their secrets anonymously on artfully decorated post cards to be shared online.…

Athlete, Adventurer, Author, Activist and Motivational Speaker, and the first blind person to reach the summit of Mount Everest, on May 25, 2001. He was honored with a Time Magazine cover story

On May 25, 2001, Erik Weihenmayer became the only blind person to reach the summit of Mt. Everest. In 2008 he climbed Carstensz Pyramid on the island of Papua New…

Motivational Speaker and Social Activist. He specializes in teaching disability awareness and inclusion to educational and corporate audiences

Johnnie Tuitel, a motivational speaker who was born with cerebral palsy, although bound to a wheelchair, Johnnie’s disability never kept him down. Today, he is a successful businessman and is…

Track and Field Athlete, Road Runner and Marathon Runner who is Legally Blind. Digital Accessibility Consultant/Testing Team Lead, Perkins School for the Blind

Marla Runyan is a former world-class American track and field athlete and marathoner who is legally blind. She began losing her vision at age nine, but that never kept her…

Singer and TV Personality; Author of "Behind The Smile: My Journey Out of Postpartum Depression"

Beginning with her national debut at age three on "The Andy Williams Show," Marie Osmond has proven to be a resilient talent with a magnetic presence recognized across generations. Entertaining…

Renowned Civil Rights Attorney and Law Professor. Spokesperson for Alzheimer’s Disease

Charles Ogletree, the Harvard Law School Jesse Climenko Professor of Law, and Founding and Executive Director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice, is a prominent legal…

Singer-Songwriter, Guitarist and One-Man Band

Ever since the 20th century turned into the 21st, singer-songwriter and guitarist Raul Midón has earned renown as one of music’s most distinctive and searching voices – “a one-man band……

Academy Award Winning Actress & Activist. Deaf since she was 18 months old, due to illness and high fevers, she is also a prominent member of the National Association of the Deaf

Marlee Matlin received worldwide critical acclaim for her film debut in Paramount Pictures’ “Children of a Lesser God,” for which she received the Academy Award for Best Actress. At 21,…

Former CBS Weatherman, TV Personality & Author of "Change in the Weather: Life After Stroke"

CBS journalist and popular television news personality, Mark McEwen served for many years in a variety of high profile positions, including anchoring "CBS This Morning" and serving as weather and…

Founder and Medical Director of RestorMedicine. RestorMedicine is an integrative wellness center focusing on a whole body approach to health

Nicola McFadzean Ducharme, ND is the founder and Medical Director of RestorMedicine. She practices holistic medicine specializing in Lyme disease, hormone balancing, autistic-spectrum disorders, pre-conception health care and digestive disorders.…

Author and World-Class Paralympic Athlete for more than 20 years

At the age of 9, Kansas native Bob Lujano lost all four of his limbs in an attempt to save his life when he contracted a rare form of meningitis.…

Comedian and Actor; Known for his HBO Specials and "Curb Your Enthusiasm"

Richard Lewis has taken his lifelong therapy fodder and carved it into a commanding, compelling art form. His early career as a stand-up brought him to the top of his…

Pioneering Activist, Advertising Researcher, Filmmaker & Writer

Jean Kilbourne is internationally recognized for her groundbreaking work on the image of women in advertising and her critical studies of alcohol and tobacco advertising. Her films, lectures, and television…

Grammy-Winning Singer, Songwriter, Actress and Activist

From humble beginnings as a single Mom in a small Kentucky town to her meteoric rise as a country music superstar and American icon, Naomi Judd's incredible life-long journey is…

Dr. H is a Top Fitness & Health Expert .who Featured as a leading medical expert in both film and TV, including the hit NBC show 'The Biggest Loser.'

Robert Huizenga (better known simply as Dr. H), is an Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine at UCLA. He is the author of multiple scientific abstracts and papers on the aggressive…

Journalist and Commentator; Author, "Moving Violations: War Zones, Wheelchairs and Declarations of Independence"

John Hockenberry is host of public radio’s live morning news program The Takeaway. An Emmy and Peabody Award-winning journalist, he is a former correspondent for NBC News, ABC News, and…

Actor who played reoccurring roles in "Heroes" and "Lost". Will appear in "Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens."

Greg Grunberg is a television and film actor. He is best known for starring as Matt Parkman on the NBC television series Heroes (2006-2010). Other notable roles include the characters…

Stand-Up Comedian. Despite his wheelchair and cerebral palsy, nationally renowned comedian

What do you do with adversity? I laugh at it. For three decades, under the stage name, Chris “Crazy Legs” Chris Fonseca has have had the thrill of sharing laughter…

Award-Winning Actor, Author, Producer and Advocacy

Michael Fox loved hockey and dreamed of a career in the National Hockey League.

Internationally known speaker Marc Elliot will describe a childhood of struggle growing up as a kid diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome. Who speaks on “What Makes You Tic”

Marc Elliot, is one of the most sought-after young public speakers in the country. Preaching the theme of tolerance, he travels to high schools and colleges talking about his struggles…

NFL Football Legend and Studio Analyst for CBS Sports on The NFL Today. Esiason is also host of The Morning Show with Boomer

Former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason is the most visible national figure in the fight against cystic fibrosis

Former Professional Baseball Player, Cancer Survivor & Author of "Comeback"

Dave Draveckys story is one of hope, courage and perseverance in the midst of dark and overwhelming uncertainty. In 1988 Dave was at the top of his game and life.…

Special Needs Stand-up Comedian & Talented U.S. Paralympic Soccer Player

Perhaps best known as the comedian who puts the cerebral in Cerebral Palsy, Josh Blue centers much of his self-deprecating act around his disability.He exploded onto the national comedy scene…