Our Differences Are Our Strengths
Sometimes just one small action can change a life. In this keynote, Rowe shares his deeply personal story from special education, to stilt walking, busking on the street as an autistic and legally blind single dad with full custody of his autistic kid, all the way to hatching a plan to get to Broadway's biggest stage. The talk is based on his new memoir: Fearlessly Different: An Autistic Actor's Journey to Broadway's Biggest Stage. Rowe shows all of us that whether disabled or not, the things that make you different, or that you might even perceive as your weaknesses, actually make you unique and valuable and might even be your biggest strengths. We all share this in common because in the end, the story of autism is the story of being human. Mickey has had to advocate for himself his whole life as an autistic and legally blind person,yet becoming better at advocating for oneself or one's business is a skill we all would benefit from. As a disabled stage actor Mickey knows that often people want so badly to fit in that they forget what makes them stand out. This keynote includes statistics and best practices on disability, inclusion, equity, and making sure that everyone we come in contact with feels, seen, heard, understood, and valued.

Right now, disabled students across America are still segregated from non-disabled students--often hidden away from the rest of the school in their own classroom in the back of the building. In this keynote, Mickey Rowe, Founding Artistic Director of National Disability Theatre, speaks from his personal experience on how integrated and accessible education helps everyone. When we think with an accessibility mindset, we help all of our students, not just the students who might have disabilities. Rowe empowers educators with the best practices of Universal Design, making accessibility for all students feel fun and creative rather than intimidating and scary. At the same time Rowe emboldens all students to succeed even when they feel misunderstood or challenged. Rowe reminds students that the things that make you different, or that you might even perceive as your weaknesses, actually make you unique and valuable and might even be your biggest strengths. We all share this in common because in the end, the story of autism is the story of being human. As a disabled stage actor Mickey knows that often people want so badly to fit in that they forget what makes them stand out. This keynote includes statistics and best practices on disability, inclusion, equity, and making sure that everyone we come in contact with feels, seen, heard, understood, and valued.

Not only is a diverse and inclusive workplace morally crucial, but it is also just good business and time and time again we see that the most inclusive workplaces are also the most profitable. Right now, many companies, Microsoft included, have discovered the advantages of hiring disabled employees. As one of the leading experts on autism in our country and as an autistic person himself, Mickey Rowe, Founding Artistic Director of National Disability Theatre, shares the undeniable business and problem-solving benefits of hiring equitably, and the power of diversity in our workplaces and our world. Rowe makes the best practices of Universal Design, access, and inclusion feel fun and creative rather than intimidating and scary. Mickey is a disability and accessibility expert, and his wife Helen is an immigrant woman of color, together they have led DEIA trainings and workshops for companies including Nordstrom, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Metropolitan Opera, New York City Ballet, and more. According to the census 20% of the population is disabled, while the CDC tells us 25% of the population is disabled. This keynote includes statistics and best practices on disability, inclusion, equity, and making sure that everyone we come in contact with feels, seen, heard, understood, and valued.

Mickey Rowe, Founder and Artistic Director of National Disability Theatre, is not only an expert in the fields of disability, accessibility, universal design, and autism but is also an autistic person himself. In this insightful talk, Rowe articulates to parents and medical professionals what autism is like from the inside and "the why" behind many previously not understood autistic behaviors in a way that few can. Rowe helps medical professionals understand the differences between the medical model of disability and the social model of disability and how they can benefit from learning about both. Rowe makes the best practices of disability, autism, Universal Design, and accessibility feel fun and creative rather than intimidating and scary.

Making Change a Reality
As an autistic and legally blind person, Mickey Rowe knows what it's like to feel different and excluded. Like a lot of other disabled students, he was segregated from the rest of the school's population. But that didn't stop Rowe from achieving his dreams and helping others. Rowe not only became an advocate in special education, but also an activist for industry-wide change on Broadway. He became the very first autistic actor to play the autistic character Christopher Boone in the Tony Award-winning play "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time." In this inspiring talk, Rowe, Founder and Artistic Director of National Disability Theatre, shares his story of advocating his way all the way to performing on Broadway's biggest stage. He'll also will disclose the steps you need to take to advocate for yourself and others and make the changes you want to see in the world a reality.

Tenacious Pursuit of Your Goal
Mickey Rowe had to overcome so many barriers to live his dream of becoming a professional actor and director. In a time when disability was not valued, Rowe, who is autistic, carved his own path and educated others on his own value. His tenacious pursuit of his goals got him all the way from special education as an autistic and legally blind student to Broadway's biggest stage. In this motivational talk, he'll share his story and how you, too, can live your dreams. If he can do it, so can you, Rowe says.

Effective Communication in the Face of Differences
As an autistic man, Mickey Rowe has carved his own path communicating with people very different from himself professionally as a director at some of the nation's largest Tony Award-winning theaters, as a husband, romantic partner, as an award-winning author and as a father. People often compare the challenge of communicating with an autistic person to that of breaching the Mariana Trench or the Dark Side of the Moon. We all often need to communicate with people who seem very different from us. As someone who has broached the biggest communication bridges daily, Rowe shows you how.

Universal Design: How Accessibility Help Everybody
Mickey Rowe explains Universal Design and how when we plan for accessibility, we make life easier and more productive for everyone, not just those with disabilities. This keynote includes statistics and best practices on disability, inclusion, equity, and making sure that everyone we come in contact with feels, seen, heard, understood, and valued. According to the census 20% of the population is disabled, while the CDC tells us 25% of the population is disabled. Disability is the only truly equal opportunity minority group. Anyone can become disabled at any time and should we be lucky enough to live long enough each one of us will join the prestigious disability club eventually. As an actor who has been on Broadway, Mickey is a speaker with incredible stage presence and charisma. Rowe empowers us with the best practices of Universal Design, making accessibility feel fun and creative rather than intimidating and scary.