Sofia Tawast, born 1989, is a Finnish journalist and educator with a passion for discussing pop culture, disability, and quality journalism. She is known for her engaging, straightforward, and humorous style. In her debut book, The Great Lie About Disability, which she co-wrote with disability activist Riikka Leinonen, Tawast addresses disability as both a personal and societal issue.
Tawast has nearly a decade of experience in audio journalism as a radio host, music journalist, and producer at the Finnish Broadcasting Company. During her time there, she spearheaded various podcast and social media content projects, including her own podcast series dedicated to horror culture.
Currently, Tawast works as a freelance writer and teaches audio journalism at Turku University of Applied Sciences. She has trained journalists on the intersection of disability and journalism at multiple Yle newsrooms as well as at the Reuters Institute at the University of Oxford.
As a non-disabled mother of a disabled child, Tawast is unafraid to laugh at her own mistakes and ask the ”stupid” questions others might hesitate to. In her work, Tawast explores disability and representation from unexpected angles, offering insights that resonate with audiences in both their professional and everyday lives.
In recent years, Tawast has worked on investigative journalism related to youth, writing widely-discussed pieces on issues such as working conditions in the fashion industry, gender bias in driving instruction, and the resource shortages in daycare centers.