From the president
Zandy Wong, a Public Health Studies major at Johns Hopkins University, focuses on creating a world where accessibility is universal and having a disability is celebrated. At Hopkins, Zandy researches the science of hearing loss, supports accessibility efforts in the IT department, volunteers in the Baltimore community as part of Alpha Phi Omega, and is the undergraduate student representative to the Hopkins Diversity Leadership Council. Locally, Zandy volunteers with the League for People with Disabilities to host Club 1111, an inclusive dance club for people with disabilities, and helps the Maryland Department of Disabilities host outreach events for disabled youth. Zandy also founded the NextGen Accessibility Initiative to help all youth access online education, partnering with Gen Z organizations to help create digitally accessible educational content for over 200,000 youth across 119 countries. Zandy currently advises the U.S. Department of Labor and state policymakers on creating policies to help disabled youth transition into higher education and workplace environments as a member of the CAPE-Youth Working Group (Center for State Governments). She has shared her story of growing up with hearing loss on the TEDx stage, with podcasts, and on industry panels to encourage acceptance of those with disabilities.
Personal Statement
My research and advocacy is centered around creating the world that younger “me” dreamed of – a world where accessibility is universal and having a disability is celebrated. I was born with severe hearing loss, and I didn’t hear the birds chirping until I was 12. Besides the physical challenges of having a disability, I struggled accessing education because of my disability. Those challenges pushed me into becoming a scientist and an advocate. At Hopkins, I research the science of hearing loss. In the community, I volunteer with Club 1111 to host inclusive dance parties for people with disabilities, and founded the NextGen Accessibility Initiative to help make accessible education for over 200,000 youth across 119 countries. As an advocate, I also share my story of growing up with hearing loss internationally, working with the U.S. Department of Labor and state agencies to create policies to help disabled youth transition into higher education and the workforce. I find joy in using both my story and research to help create and implement policies and programs that uplift the disability community, turning my dream into a reality.