Disability as Strategy: Dylan M. Rafaty on Leadership, Access and Impact
Dylan M. Rafaty, President and CEO of the North Texas Disability Chamber, joins Lily Newton and Erin Hawley to talk about disability acceptance and advocacy. With clarity and conviction, Dylan outlines why disability should never be treated as an act of charity. Instead, he frames it as a strategic investment that drives innovation, empowers communities and strengthens organizations from within.
Dylan reflects on his personal experience navigating the world as someone who is deaf and hard of hearing.. He explains that advocacy is often misunderstood as self-promotion, when in reality it is rooted in service to the broader disability community. His message is clear: individual success stories matter, but collective action is where lasting change begins.
Through storytelling, policy engagement and local civic work, Dylan models what authentic opportunity can look like in practice.This episode is a deeper understanding of how to move beyond performative allyship and into meaningful participation for all policymakers, business leaders or members of the public.
Key Moments
05:47 “Disability is not a charity”: why it must be built into planning from the start
08:16 The business case for investing in accessibility and representation
12:38 Understanding the emotional labor behind self-advocacy
23:07 Why access means freedom of choice
28:58 Policy and personal experience: how one drives the other
Connect with Dylan M. Rafaty
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dylan_rafaty
Dylan M. Rafaty website:https://dylanrafaty.com/
Podcast: Let’s Work Inclusively
Podcast: Let’s Work Inclusively
