Yat was born with bilateral microtia, a congenital condition in which the outer ears are underdeveloped. Yat cannot wear conventional hearing aids and has profound bilateral conductive hearing loss. Despite a physical disability, he has overcome barriers to inspire others in the community. Wearing prosthetic ears and a bone-anchored hearing aid, Yat is a communication accessibility advocate. Over the past three years, Yat has spoken at over 100 national and local events about his lived experience, accessibility, and social change. While working at Wavefront Centre for Communication Accessibility, Yat spearheaded numerous brand awareness campaigns to increase communication accessibility. From hosting national webinars to local events, with American Sign Language and captions, Yat is committed to removing barriers for all persons with disabilities.

To complement his passion for accessibility, he is a committee member for the Access Transit User’s Advisory Committee, advising TransLink on improvements to the accessibility of our conventional transit services. Yat is also appointed by the Vancouver City Council to the Persons with Disability Advisory Committee and serves on the transportation subcommittee. Previously, Yat served on the Board of Directors of AssistList. Currently, Yat is the Associate Director of Accessible Employers.

Follow @AccessEmployers