Good design -- and smart technology -- should fuel inclusivity. These talks show how tech and design can empower.

One billion people worldwide are living with a disability, and too many of them are left unemployed or feeling like they need to hide their conditions due to discriminatory hiring practices, says social innovator and TED Fellow Ryan Gersava. With a focus on healing and disclosure, he created an online school to provide people like him with the t...

It’s Time To Stop Ignoring Disability Tuesday, June 13, 2022 [00:00:00] Jill Griffin: I was hiking and I fell in the north east corner of Australia. We were crossing like a small river or Creek. So I basically went from my feet to my head almost cartoon, like woop. And then I rolled down. [00:00:15] Adam Grant: Jill Griffin was 31 when she go...

Disability is far more common and far more diverse than we might realize. But often, people are reluctant to reveal their disabilities, and managers don't know how to address them. In this episode, Adam investigates some extraordinary steps workplaces are taking to support people with disabilities– and those without. For the full text transcript...

Nearly fifteen percent of the world's population lives with a disability, yet this massive chunk of humanity is still routinely excluded from opportunities. Sharing her experience growing up with an autistic sister, disability inclusion advocate Meghan Hussey illuminates the path towards an inclusive future in four steps, and it starts with an a...

"I believe that losing my hearing was one of the greatest gifts I've ever received," says Elise Roy. As a disability rights lawyer and design thinker, she knows that being Deaf gives her a unique way of experiencing and reframing the world -- a perspective that could solve some of our largest problems. As she says: "When we design for disability...

Millions of people worldwide are living with a disability, and too many of them feel compelled to hide or minimize it for fear of falling behind in toxic dating cultures. Disability rights advocate Julie Andrieu recounts the dating obstacles she is often forced to navigate as a person living with spinal muscular atrophy, and illuminates the path...

There are millions of prodigiously gifted musicians of disability around the world, and Charles Hazlewood is determined to give them a platform. Watch the debut performance of the British Paraorchestra.

In this passionate talk, writer and disability rights advocate Kings Floyd draws illustrates the personal costs of society's failure to implement accessible design, shedding light on the direct link between thoughtful infrastructure and an increased connection between friends, families and communities.

As a mother with a son affected with Fragile X syndrome -- a genetic disorder -- Emilie Weight believes that a diagnosis of disability can create opportunity, not despair. Her son's differences compelled her to question her inner self and her role in the world. With this new mindset she discovered his true superhero qualities when she stopped tr...

Ajit Narayanan is the inventor of Avaz, an affordable, tablet-based communication device for people who are speech-impaired.

Eleanor Longden overcame her diagnosis of schizophrenia to earn a master’s in psychology and demonstrate that the voices in her head were “a sane reaction to insane circumstances.”

What can we do to make workplaces more welcoming to people living with disabilities? Representation advocate Tiffany Yu shares three ways that employers can change and tap into every worker's skills and gifts.

In repurposing her wheelchair to create fantastical art, Sue Austin reshapes how we think about disability.

Writer, comedian and advocate Stella Young was the editor of Ramp Up, an online space for news, discussion and opinion about disability in Australia.

Megan Washington has won two ARIA Awards, the Australian equivalent of the Grammys. A popular singer/songwriter, she has recently come clean with a secret—that she has a speech impediment.

Born with a genetic visual impairment that has no correction or cure, Susan Robinson is legally blind (or partially sighted, as she prefers it) and entitled to a label she hates: "disabled." In this funny and personal talk, she digs at our hidden biases by explaining five ways she flips expectations of disability upside down.

Depression is the leading cause of disability in the world; in the United States, close to ten percent of adults struggle with the disease. But because it's a mental illness, it can be a lot harder to understand than, say, high cholesterol. Helen M. Farrell examines the symptoms and treatments of depression, and gives some tips for how you might...

Daniel Kish expands the perceptual toolbox of both blind and sighted humans by teaching echolocation -- the ability to observe our surroundings via sound.

Four decades ago, Judith Heumann helped to lead a groundbreaking protest called the Section 504 sit-in -- in which disabled-rights activists occupied a federal building for almost a month, demanding greater accessibility for all. In this personal, inspiring talk, Heumann tells the stories behind the protest -- and reminds us that, 40 years on, t...

In this deeply charming and humorous talk, DJ and self-professed pirate Tom Nash meditates on how facing adversity due to disability invited patience, ambition and pragmatism into his life in enlightening, unexpected ways. "We all have unique weaknesses," he says. "If we're honest about what they are, we can learn how to best take advantage of t...

A composer and music teacher who has long worked with children with special needs, Adam Ockelford is interested in the psychology of music.

Model and activist Nyle DiMarco -- who was born deaf -- is often asked whether he wishes he could hear. His answer? "I've never wished that because I love who I am." In this personal talk, he emphasizes the connection between education and self esteem, arguing why we need more accessible education for the deaf.

Paralyzed by a stroke, Henry Evans uses a telepresence robot to take the stage and show how new robotics, tweaked and personalized by a group called Robots for Humanity, help him live his life to the full. He shows off a nimble little quadrotor drone, created by a team led by Chad Jenkins, that gives him the ability to once again stroll a garden...

Aspiring Olympic skier Janine Shepherd was nearly killed when she was hit by a truck during a training bike ride. Paralysed and immobile for six months, she was given a grim picture for recovery. But not only did she teach herself to walk again— she learned to fly.

Cuando empezó a usar una silla de ruedas, Rosario Perazolo Masjuan siguió siendo la misma, pero la manera en la que maneja el mundo cambió. Ahora esta activista trabaja para transformar la realidad en la que vivimos para que esta refleje una sociedad más inclusiva y accesible para todos.

Keith Nolan doesn't believe his deafness should be a barrier to serving his country -- and is making the case for increasing the role of citizens with disabilities in the military.

The internet provides access to knowledge for billions across the world, but how accessible is it really? Website accessibility advocate Clive Loseby sheds light on why many parts of the web are closed off to those with disabilities -- and lays out some steps to make being online better for everyone.

The British Paraorchestra is the first orchestra for world-class musicians of disability

Joshua Prager’s journalism unravels historical secrets -- and his own.