National Leadership Program, Fall 2022/Spring 2023
Emily Tironi was a Communications Fellow in RespectAbility’s National Leadership Program for Fall 2022 and Spring 2023. RespectAbility is a national nonprofit organization fighting stigmas and advancing opportunities so that people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of community.
Emily grew up in Cambridge, NY with her parents and two sisters. Born with a physical disability, Emily is familiar with the stigma, barriers, and discrimination that the disability community faces in their daily lives. As she grew up, she learned to appreciate her disabled identity and became a self-advocate.
Interested in art since she was a child, Emily majored in Media Arts at SUNY Adirondack, learning graphic design skills. Wanting to learn more about disability advocacy and history, Emily went on to earn her bachelors in disability studies from The CUNY School of Professional Studies. During her studies, she interned at AIM Services, a disability service organization, in media and marketing and was able to interview and write about fellow people with disabilities. In 2019, she began creating and showing her collages that celebrate people with disabilities. In 2020, Emily had her first solo show. She participated in many disability related group shows and was able to connect with many fellow artists with disabilities. She wanted to connect with the disability community further and use her creative skills for disability advocacy, which led her to RespectAbility.
At RespectAbility, Emily will work to de-stigmatize disability and promote disability pride through design and social media work as a Communications Fellow. In the future, Emily wants to start her own online organization promoting and supporting fellow artists with disabilities.