SMU Alum Leading the Way for Disability Education in North Texas

March 12, 2024 | By: Myalinda Martinez

The Office of Diversity and Inclusion staff had the opportunity to connect with community leader Dylan Rafaty ’22 at the North Texas Commission Inclusion Ignites Innovation Conference on February 21, 2024.

Dylan Rafaty is the founder, president and chairman of the North Texas Disability Chamber (NTXDC). Founded in 2020, the North Texas Disability Chamber is ranked the 5th cross-disability chamber in the nation and the 4th in Texas. NTXDC serves the North Texas community by educating leaders on advancing accessibility and disability inclusion to promote best hiring practices, community building and interactive engagement between people with disabilities and people without disabilities.

"It all started in high school with a Making a Difference project. After that, I found my passion and community. I realized my peers needed someone to advocate for them regarding the challenges we face.”

During the conference, Rafaty acknowledged that he is often the only person with a disability speaking to crowds about strategies that can best help companies create opportunities for people with disabilities in the workplace. “The challenge is the buy-in for funding and educating on issues from housing, employment, transportation and health care affecting our community.”

Rafaty earned a Master of Arts in dispute resolution from SMU in 2022. He is a certified diversity professional from the National Diversity Council and is completing his Doctor of Education in organizational change and leadership at the University of Southern California.

The North Texas Disability Chamber has four levels of partnership to support the chamber’s initiatives. Email NTXDC at hello@ntxdc.org to get involved.