Ann Wai-Yee Kwong (she/her) passionately creates, implements, and evaluates innovative strategies around empowerment, education, and collaboration with marginalized communities in her current role as the Coordinator of the Disability Cultural Community (DCC) Center at UC Berkeley. Her intersectional identity and lived experience as a proud Chinese American woman, blind professional, and first-generation college student who graduated from Cal greatly guide her work and research.
As a former Program Manager at the LightHouse for the Blind in San Francisco, Ann designed, managed, and implemented innovative curricula and programs to support the transition of young adults and rising leaders who are blind/low vision as they pursue post-secondary education or navigate the pathway to meaningful employment. In a professional capacity, Ann has also been invited to share her expertise and discuss promising practices regarding persons with disabilities as they enter the workforce at The Forum on Workplace Inclusion. In 2014 she also testified at the (HELP) U.S. Senate hearing; Ann has also contributed her expertise on various advisory bodies including the American Printing House for the Blind, Disability Rights California, and PolicyWorks.
In her current role at Berkeley, Ann serves on the Chancellor's Advisory Council on Disability and Accessibility Planning, has presented at the B4: Building Belonging @ Berkeley & Beyond series, and is the organizer of the National Disability Cultural Center Professionals' Network (DCCPN). Ann will continue to bring her positive philosophy of empowering students who experience structural and systemic oppressions to reimagine their futures as she engages with the community to create a BOLD space and cultivate authentic connections.