Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC

Personal Details

Bio

Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC is a disability public speaker, DEI consultant, and content creator with over 14 years of experience in the public sector. Catarina works with companies to improve disability awareness, inclusion, and accessibility. She is the founder of Blindish Latina, a platform smashing disability stigmas through storytelling and advocacy. Catarina has worn hearing aids from a young age and was diagnosed with a progressive vision disability at 17 years old. She has a BA from Duke University, an MSEd from Bank Street College of Education, and an MPH from Hunter College. Catarina is a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (IAAP).

She is a member of RespectAbility's National Disability Speakers Bureau and KeyNote Women's Global Speakers Directory. She has been featured in Nasdaq, Authority Magazine, and as one of the top 21 DEI influencers of 2021. She was also named one of LinkedIn’s Top Voices on Disability Advocacy for 2022. Past clients have included HarperCollins Publishers, LinkedIn, Hachette Book Group, Whole30, Grant Thornton, ColorStack, and BCG Digital Ventures. Catarina is a TEDx Speaker and spoke at TEDxRolandPark in June 2022. Catarina is committed to social justice.

Current position (1)

Disability Public Speaker + DEI Consultant

Blindish Latina

Achievements (1)

2022 LinkedIn Top Voice in Disability Advocacy

Named as one of the inaugural 12 Top Voices in Disability Advocacy by LinkedIn. Announcement here: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/linkedin-top-voices-disability-advocacy-1...

Degrees (3)

Duke University

2003 to 2007

MSEd

Bank Street College of Education

2007 to 2009

MPH

Hunter College- CUNY School of Public Health

2013 to 2016

Presentations

Presentations (5)

A Practical Introduction to Disability Inclusion in the Workplace

Learning Objectives:
- Learn what ableism is and the role it plays.
- Grow in awareness about disability overall, including the definition of disability.
- Understand how to avoid microaggressions and use inclusive language.
- Learn the definition of intersectionality, why it’s important, and how it applies in different contexts.
- Identify 1 clear action you will take to be more inclusive right away.

This is a 60 min presentation with 45 min of content, 10 min Q&A, and 5 min for opening/closing. There is no cap on attendees for presentations. Can also be delivered as an interactive workshop restricted to 50 attendees only.

Unpacking Ableism in the Workplace

Learning Objectives:
- Be able to name and define ableism, including examples.
- Understand the historical context of ableism in our society.
- Understand how ableism shows up in the common language we use.
- Identify 1 way you will continue unpacking ableism.

Disability Inclusion Made Simple

Learning Objectives:
- Define disability inclusion and why it makes a difference.
- Understand barriers to achieving disability inclusion in the workplace.
- Share actionable best practices for inclusion across different settings and contexts.
- Learn practical best practices for being an inclusive manager and leader.

Fireside Chat with Catarina Rivera: Perspectives on Ableism, Latinidad, and Disability

- The title can be customized and adjusted.
- Customized live discussion about disability and the selected topics of the dimension.
- Storytelling approach.
- The benefits of a fireside chat are that many different topics can be discussed and it creates an informal and inviting space, which can help encourage attendance.
- Will be hosted by an internal stakeholder from your company.
- Catarina will send a question bank and then final questions will be determined collaboratively.
- Time for Q&A.
- This is a 60 min event with 40-45 min of fireside chat discussion, 10-15 min Q&A, and 5 min for opening/closing. There is no cap on attendees.

There is No DEI WIthout Disability: The Future of Work Must Prioritize Disability Inclusion

Keynote Address: With the future of work rapidly taking shape, savvy leaders need to recognize that disability inclusion is imperative. While more than 15% of the world is disabled, disability awareness and inclusion are often not seen as priorities. In her keynote, Catarina addresses 3 myths blocking leaders from focusing on disability, explores the emotions surrounding disability, and articulates a vision for the future of work that centers on disability inclusion. Catarina will also share tips for how you can influence other stakeholders to care about disability inclusion and accessibility. She uses her own story as a disabled Latine woman to ground you in real-life examples and to create urgency around the imperative for inclusion.

Catarina has 2 versions of this keynote: one with presentation slides and one without.

This keynote session is 60 minutes, with a 5 min introduction, 40 min keynote speech, and 15 minutes for Q&A. Timing can be customized to your needs.

Past talks (3)

Creating Inclusive Workplaces for All

TEDx Speaker at TEDxRolandPark

Baltimore, Maryland

There is No DEI WIthout Disability: The Future of Work Must Prioritize Disability Inclusion

Keynote Speaker at American Foundation for the Blind 2021 Leadership Conference

Arlington, Virginia

The Future of Work Must Prioritize Disability Inclusion

Keynote Speaker at 2021 Knowbility AccessU Conference

Virtual Speaker