Author, Comedian and Viral Sensation
LANSING, MI– The Peckham Community Partnership Foundation will host Zach Anner, author, comedian and disability advocate on Friday, October 3, 2025. A television writer & speaker, Anner’s work and advocacy have helped change the conversation around disability.
Anner is recognized for becoming the first person with cerebral palsy to host their own television show on the Oprah Winfrey Network, with his YouTube videos amassing over 100 million views.
Those interested can experience this free event in person or online. The session takes place Friday, October 3 from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. at 3510 Capital City Blvd., Lansing, MI. Registration is required for in-person and virtual attendance. Please register here.
More About Zach Anner: Zach is an ambassador for the Cerebral Palsy Foundation and has worked with United Cerebral Palsy’s Wheels for Humanity program to distribute wheelchairs to underserved communities in Nicaragua. He published his memoir If At Birth You Don’t Succeed in 2016, and his work writing for television has been honored with 2017 and 2023 Sentinel Awards for outstanding depictions of people with disabilities on screen. In 2023, Zach was selected for Netflix’s Created By Initiative, and is a 2025 fellow for the Inevitable Foundation’s Accelerate Program for screenwriters with disabilities.
In this inspirational and fun talk “Prepare for the IMpossible: Seizing Moments and Mistakes on the Way to a Purpose-First Life,” Zach will take audiences on a heartfelt and hilarious journey from his childhood challenges to winning a travel show from Oprah. Along the way, he celebrates the people who make even the steepest uphill battles feel like part of the fun. With humor and honesty, Zach challenges the idea of being “self-made,” and defines success as the collective power of community, empathy and authenticity.
The Peckham Community Partnership Foundation supports Peckham’s biannual Speaker Series, which brings national speakers and authors, disability rights advocates, and individuals who have overcome personal challenges to provoke, motivate and inspire our audiences. Free and open to the public, the Speakers Series raises awareness around disability and other world issues while celebrating ability and diversity.
Peckham is a nonprofit vocational rehabilitation organization that provides paid job training opportunities for people with disabilities and other barriers to employment. For nearly 50 years, Peckham has provided jobs and job skills training to thousands of individuals with barriers through five different business lines throughout Michigan and has operations in Arizona and Kentucky.
Peckham, Inc., is a national award-winning organization, recognized for its achievement in providing exceptional vocational rehabilitation, creating inclusive cultures, and building quality workplaces for employees.