Research Assistant
mgaitani@syr.eduMira Gaitanis obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Media and Communication Studies and a minor in Sociology from Florida State University in 2023, with her education supported through Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) and the Division of Blind Services (DBS). Her advocacy began in fifth grade when she started participating in her own IEP meetings, and in 2018 she delivered her first ever speech for the Florida Department of Education’s Disability Awareness Week, which launched her public speaking career. She has since presented over twenty times on disability inclusion in education, most notably at Family Cafe, the largest cross-disability conference in Florida.
A 2019 alumna of the Florida Youth Leadership Forum (FYLF), Mira serves on the youth board for the Florida Independent Living Council, where she helps develop the youth portion of their state plan and fosters leadership opportunities for youth with disabilities.
She has also completed fellowships with the AAPD at The Harkin Institute (2024), the Coelho Center for Policy and Innovation (2022), and was an inaugural fellow at Harvard Law School’s Future Leaders in Law Program (2023).
Mira has joined the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI) as a Research Assistant supporting Professor Peter Blanck’s work and research in the disability law and policy space. She is a first-year J.D. student at Syracuse University College of Law, focusing on disability rights and serving as the 1L representative for the Disability Law Students Association (DLSA).
Beyond her traditional work, Mira is a classically trained violinist and violist. Mira also co-founded the indie-folk band Flat Moon Theory in 2016, releasing three albums and an EP two of which were funded through Kickstarter campaigns she led.
She is a Pro Member of RAMPD (Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities), channeling her experience with low vision and chronic pain into songwriting and advocacy.