Maysoon Zayid — comedian, actress and activist — was the 2015 Margaret A. Johnson Speaker. Born with cerebral palsy, Ms. Zayid is a powerful advocate for the disabled. She told stories about growing up in New Jersey, where she was accepted for who she was. But as a theater major in college and a struggling actress pursuing a career, Ms. Zayid realized that disabled people were almost nonexistent in the entertainment industry. She has appeared on “Countdown with Keith Olbermann,” Comedy Central, PBS, CNN, HBO, MTV, ABC and Huffington Post Live. She is a recurring columnist at The Daily Beast and was a speaker at TEDWomen 2013. She is the founder of Maysoon’s Kids, an education and wellness program for disabled and wounded Palestinian refugee children.
“The world is broken, but together we can fix it. Including people is important not because we have to, but because it makes for a better world. Don’t let other people define you. Clap for yourself, and other people will join you.”