Founder, Blindish Latina · Disability Public Speaker + DEIA Consultant
Diagnosed with Usher syndrome at 17, a progressive vision disability layered on top of hearing loss she'd had since childhood, Catarina moved through what she describes as four stages: from denial to acceptance to self-advocacy to public advocacy.
Catarina has worn hearing aids since childhood and now uses a white cane. As a Latine woman who has lived with disability all her life, she brings a deep understanding of intersectionality to conversations about disability, informed by her Cuban and Puerto Rican heritage and her bilingual, bicultural upbringing.
She spent 14+ years working across educational institutions and nonprofits before founding Blindish Latina, a platform smashing disability stigmas through storytelling, advocacy, and education. Today she works with companies as a public speaker and DEIA consultant, helping them improve disability awareness, inclusion, and accessibility through keynotes, training presentations, fireside chats, and workshops.
Her work has been recognized with a 2024 Webby Awards nomination and an Anthem Awards win, and she has been featured in Forbes, Nasdaq, Authority Magazine, and ABC News Live, among others.
Catarina Rivera, MSEd, MPH, CPACC, is a disability public speaker and DEIA consultant and the founder of Blindish Latina, a platform that smashes disability stigmas. She is a DeafBlind Latina, diagnosed with Usher syndrome at 17, with 14+ years of experience across educational institutions and nonprofits.
Catarina works with companies to improve disability awareness, inclusion, and accessibility, drawing on her lived experience with Usher syndrome and her lens on intersectionality as a Latine, disabled woman. She offers keynote speeches, training presentations, fireside chats, and interactive workshops, including a signature three-part series on disability awareness, ableism in the workplace, and disability inclusion for leaders.
Disability public speaker and DEIA consultant helping organizations build real accessibility and inclusion.