Ed Rizzuto is a disability advocate, educator, and community leader based in Durham, North Carolina. In 2017, Ed and several friends co-founded Durham’s vibrant Vision InSights Support and Advocacy Group, creating a welcoming space for people who are Blind or Visually Impaired to build community, share resources, and support one another.
Ed earned his law degree and practiced law in California before relocating to North Carolina in 2015. Since then, he has devoted his time and energy to advancing accessibility, inclusion, and disability rights throughout the state. He serves on the Board of Disability Rights North Carolina and Durham’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission and teaches self-advocacy, accessible technology, and independent living skills through the North Carolina Division of Services for the Blind.
Ed first became involved with enVISION: Sensory Beyond Sight, attending rehearsals and providing valuable feedback that helped shape the work’s approach to accessibility and Blind and Low Vision representation. He officially joined the creative team as a Creative Expert for enVISION: The Next Chapter, contributing his lived experience, insight, and advocacy to the project’s ongoing exploration of access as artistic practice.
In addition to his advisory role, Ed has performed with ShaLeigh Dance Works in community-based performances and movement installations, including the opening celebration for Downtown Cary Park and the Rally for Disability Justice commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Olmstead Decision. Through both advocacy and artistic participation, he continues to champion a future where disability rights, accessibility, and belonging are fully realized.
A lifelong lover of music and movement, Ed brings the same joy and curiosity that fueled decades of rock-and-roll concert dancing to his work with SDW. He lives in Durham with his amazing family—Kennedy, Brendan, Benjamin, and Quinne—and his beloved Seeing Eye dog, Giffored.