BIO

Maayan Ziv is an activist, a photographer and an entrepreneur based in Toronto, Canada. From a young age, Maayan challenged norms and worked within her community to increase awareness of disability issues and improve accessibility. 

Living with Muscular Dystrophy, Maayan is a passionate and relentless advocate for creating a more accessible world. In 2015, Maayan founded AccessNow, a crowdsourced app to map the accessibility status of locations worldwide. She has since been a regular media commentator in the media on topics such as disability and inclusion. In 2016, Maayan received the City of Toronto Access Award and the David C. Onley Leadership in Accessibility Award in recognition of her innovative solutions and commitment to improving the lives of people of all abilities.

As a photographer, she has worked with celebrities, fashion models and other influential individuals. Focusing on black and white emotive portraiture, editorial fashion, and gritty street scenes, Maayan has been recognized as an influential Canadian talent. A Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal recipient, her work has been featured on television, in galleries and magazines. Sitting on a wheelchair gives Maayan a unique perspective that is evident in her work and as a freelance artist, her goal is to bring awareness to disabilities and the arts -something she prides to work at everyday.

Maayan also sits on the boards of the Toronto Arts Council and the Centre for Independent Living in Toronto.
She earned a Bachelor's degree in Radio and Television Arts and a Master's degree in Digital Media at Ryerson University.

For all inquiries please contact maayan@maayanziv.com