Meet Dayniah!

Dayniah Manderson is a writer, educator, advocate, and theologian whose work lives at the intersection of disability justice, Black Jamaican identity, faith, and the radical act of self-love. Born and rooted in Jamaican culture, she brings to her writing the prophetic tradition of a community that has always known that art is both warning and survival.

A former Secondary English teacher in the New York City Department of Education, Dayniah spent two decades in the classroom teaching young people that their stories have power and that language is one of the most transformative tools they will ever hold. She now serves as adjunct faculty at an Ivy League institution, where she continues to shape the next generation of thinkers, writers, and change-makers.

N-Able Berg — The Audacity of Difference 

Harvard University – The Through Line: From Classroom Ableism to Lifelong Impact
 

NYU – Innovation Without Barriers: Engineering a More Inclusive World
 

Black Women’s Roundtable on Disability & Chronic Illness w/ Rep. Ayanna Pressley

University of Washington – Innovative School Scheduling 

NYU Steinhardt GSO Panel – Diversity in the Workplace 

UFT News – Breaking Barriers in the Bronx Link

New Mobility – Wheelchair-Using Teachers Give the Next Generation a More Accurate View of Disability Link

Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Blog – Disabled Women Make History: Dayniah Manderson Link

Embrace It Podcast: Episode 30 – The Miseducation of Inclusion Link

THIRTEEN – LESSON LEARNED: A Conversation With K-12 Teachers About Mental Health Link

BX Times – Bronx Middle School Teacher Wins Suit Against DOE for ADA Accommodations Link

New York Daily News – Bronx Teacher Files Discrimination Complaint Against NYC Education Dept. Link

USA Today – Does My Wheelchair Make You Uncomfortable? How My Disability May Have Cost Me a Job Link

Disability Visibility Podcast w/ Alice Wong Link

Muscular Dystrophy Association – From Apples to Advocacy: Teacher Dayniah Manderson Embraces Her Role as Ms. Wheelchair NY 2017 Link

News 12 The Bronx – Bronx Woman Named Ms. Wheelchair NY 2017 Link

WCBS 880 Interview – 50 People to Know: Ms. Wheelchair NY 2017 Link

NYU Alumni Feature – Advice to New Graduates Link

Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Blog – Evolving From Self-Hatred to Self-Love Link

Crip Camp Conversation w/ Dr. Jill Biden – Clips and Conversation: 2020 Election & Disability Advocacy
 

New York Times – Bent, Not Broken Link

New York Times Video – A Life of Determination and Dependence Link