0:00:00.824,0:00:03.784
I want to give you a new perspective.

0:00:03.784,0:00:07.645
That sounds grandiose, and it is.

0:00:07.645,0:00:10.172
I left Ireland yesterday morning.

0:00:10.172,0:00:12.625
I traveled from Dublin to New York

0:00:12.625,0:00:14.253
independently.

0:00:14.253,0:00:16.096
But the design of an airport,

0:00:16.096,0:00:18.546
plane, and terminal

0:00:18.546,0:00:23.452
offers little independence when[br]you're 105 and a half centimeters tall.

0:00:23.452,0:00:27.240
For Americans, that's 3'5".

0:00:27.240,0:00:32.292
I was whisked through the airport[br]by airline assistants in a wheelchair.

0:00:32.292,0:00:35.772
Now, I don't need to use a wheelchair,

0:00:35.772,0:00:37.944
but the design of an airport

0:00:37.944,0:00:40.330
and its lack of accessibility

0:00:40.330,0:00:43.488
means that it's my own way to get through.

0:00:43.488,0:00:46.156
With my carry-on bag between my feet,

0:00:46.156,0:00:49.488
I was wheeled through[br]security, pre-clearance,

0:00:49.488,0:00:53.008
and I arrived at my boarding gate.

0:00:53.008,0:00:56.002
I use the accessibility services[br]in the airport

0:00:56.002,0:00:59.787
because most of the terminal[br]is just not designed with me in mind.

0:00:59.787,0:01:02.424
Take security, for example.

0:01:02.424,0:01:05.702
I'm not strong enough[br]to lift my carry-on bag

0:01:05.702,0:01:08.670
from the ground to the carousel.

0:01:08.670,0:01:10.817
I stand at eye level with it.

0:01:10.817,0:01:13.767
And those who work in that space[br]for safety purposes

0:01:13.767,0:01:15.746
cannot help me

0:01:15.746,0:01:18.555
and cannot do it for me.

0:01:18.555,0:01:22.822
Design inhibits my autonomy[br]and my independence.

0:01:22.822,0:01:27.193
But traveling at this size,[br]it isn't all bad.

0:01:27.193,0:01:30.137
The leg room in economy[br]is like business class.

0:01:30.137,0:01:32.561
(Laughter)

0:01:32.561,0:01:35.576
I often forget that I'm a little person.

0:01:35.576,0:01:40.397
It's the physical environment[br]and society that remind me.

0:01:40.397,0:01:45.148
Using a public bathroom[br]is an excruciating experience.

0:01:45.148,0:01:48.099
I walk into the cubicle

0:01:48.099,0:01:50.098
but I can't reach the lock on the door.

0:01:50.098,0:01:53.105
I'm creative and resilient.

0:01:53.105,0:01:57.629
I look around and see if there's[br]a bin that I can turn upside down.

0:01:57.629,0:02:00.934
Is it safe? Not really.

0:02:00.934,0:02:03.742
Is it hygienic and sanitary?

0:02:03.742,0:02:05.768
Definitely not.

0:02:05.768,0:02:08.477
But the alternative is much worse.

0:02:08.477,0:02:10.977
If that doesn't work, I use my phone.

0:02:10.977,0:02:14.577
It gives me an additional[br]four to six inch reach,

0:02:14.577,0:02:17.935
and I try to jam the lock closed[br]with my iPhone.

0:02:17.935,0:02:22.472
Now, I imagine that's not what Jony Ive[br]had in mind when he designed the iPhone,

0:02:22.472,0:02:24.571
but it works.

0:02:24.571,0:02:28.734
The alternative is that[br]I approach a stranger.

0:02:28.734,0:02:30.955
I apologize profusely,

0:02:30.955,0:02:35.274
and I ask them to stand guard[br]outside my cubicle door.

0:02:35.274,0:02:36.768
They do,

0:02:36.768,0:02:39.371
and I emerge grateful

0:02:39.371,0:02:42.281
but absolutely mortified,

0:02:42.281,0:02:45.116
and hope that they didn't notice[br]that I left the bathroom

0:02:45.116,0:02:47.235
without washing my hands.

0:02:47.235,0:02:51.419
I carry hand sanitizer with me[br]every single day

0:02:51.419,0:02:56.890
because the sink, soap dispenser,[br]hand dryer, and mirror

0:02:56.890,0:02:59.323
are all out of my reach.

0:02:59.323,0:03:02.117
Now, the accessible bathroom[br]is somewhat of an option.

0:03:02.117,0:03:05.258
In this space, I can reach[br]the lock on the door,

0:03:05.258,0:03:10.649
the sink, the soap dispenser,[br]the hand dryer, and the mirror.

0:03:10.649,0:03:14.798
Yet, I cannot use the toilet.

0:03:14.798,0:03:17.096
It is deliberately designed higher

0:03:17.096,0:03:21.288
so that wheelchair users[br]can transfer across with ease.

0:03:21.288,0:03:25.564
This is a wonderful[br]and necessary innovation,

0:03:25.564,0:03:28.968
but in the design world,[br]when we describe a new project or idea

0:03:28.968,0:03:30.925
as accessible,

0:03:30.925,0:03:33.358
what does that mean?

0:03:33.358,0:03:36.123
Who is it accessible to?

0:03:36.123,0:03:40.297
And whose needs are not[br]being accommodated for?

0:03:40.297,0:03:43.420
Now, the bathroom is an example[br]of where design impinges

0:03:43.420,0:03:45.377
upon my dignity,

0:03:45.377,0:03:49.471
but the physical environment impacts[br]upon me in much more casual ways too,

0:03:49.471,0:03:52.578
something as simple[br]as ordering a cup of coffee.

0:03:52.578,0:03:54.355
Now, I'll admit it.

0:03:54.355,0:03:56.817
I drink far too much coffee.

0:03:56.817,0:03:59.408
My order is a skinny vanilla latte,

0:03:59.408,0:04:02.725
but I'm trying to wean[br]myself off the syrup.

0:04:02.725,0:04:05.818
But the coffee shop,[br]it's not designed well,

0:04:05.818,0:04:07.826
at least not for me.

0:04:07.826,0:04:10.514
Queuing, I'm standing beside[br]the pastry cabinet,

0:04:10.514,0:04:13.444
and the barista calls[br]for the next order.

0:04:13.444,0:04:14.975
"Next, please!" they shout.

0:04:14.975,0:04:18.657
They can't see me.

0:04:18.657,0:04:21.781
The person next to me in the queue[br]points to my existence

0:04:21.781,0:04:24.283
and everyone is embarrassed.

0:04:24.283,0:04:28.751
I order as quick as I can,[br]and I move along to collect my coffee.

0:04:28.751,0:04:31.805
Now, think just for a second.

0:04:31.805,0:04:34.142
Where do they put it?

0:04:34.142,0:04:36.616
Up high and without a lid.

0:04:36.616,0:04:39.409
Reaching up to collect a coffee[br]that I have paid for

0:04:39.409,0:04:42.872
is an incredibly dangerous experience.

0:04:42.872,0:04:46.083
But design also impinges[br]on the clothes that I want to wear.

0:04:46.083,0:04:49.112
I want garments that reflect[br]my personality.

0:04:49.112,0:04:52.908
It's difficult to find in[br]the childrenswear department.

0:04:52.908,0:04:56.689
And often womenswear requires[br]far too many alterations.

0:04:56.689,0:05:02.527
I want shoes that affect my maturity,[br]professionalism, and sophistication.

0:05:02.527,0:05:07.447
Instead, I'm offered sneakers[br]with velcro straps and light-up shoes.

0:05:07.447,0:05:13.263
Now, I'm not totally opposed[br]to light-up shoes.

0:05:13.263,0:05:17.135
But design also impacts[br]on such simple things,

0:05:17.135,0:05:19.298
like sitting on a chair.

0:05:19.298,0:05:23.590
I cannot go from a standing[br]to a seating position with grace.

0:05:23.590,0:05:26.882
Due to the standards[br]of design heights of chairs,

0:05:26.882,0:05:29.557
I have to crawl on my hands a knees

0:05:29.557,0:05:31.136
just to get on top of it,

0:05:31.136,0:05:36.149
whilst also being conscious[br]that it might tip over at any stage.

0:05:36.149,0:05:39.673
But whilst design impacts on me[br]whether it's a chair,

0:05:39.673,0:05:43.095
a bathroom, a coffee shop, or clothes,

0:05:43.095,0:05:46.708
I rely on and benefit

0:05:46.708,0:05:49.389
from the kindness of strangers.

0:05:49.389,0:05:52.660
But not everybody is so nice.

0:05:52.660,0:05:54.476
I'm reminded that I'm a little person

0:05:54.476,0:05:57.986
when a stranger points,

0:05:57.986,0:05:59.545
stares,

0:05:59.545,0:06:01.590
laughs,

0:06:01.590,0:06:03.442
calls me a name,

0:06:03.442,0:06:05.722
or takes a photograph of me.

0:06:05.722,0:06:08.989
This happens almost every day.

0:06:08.989,0:06:11.978
With the rise of social media,[br]it has given me an opportunity

0:06:11.978,0:06:16.719
and a platform to have a voice[br]as a blogger and as an activist,

0:06:16.719,0:06:19.018
but it has also made me nervous

0:06:19.018,0:06:21.287
that I might become a meme

0:06:21.287,0:06:23.687
or a viral sensation,

0:06:23.687,0:06:26.543
all without my consent.

0:06:26.543,0:06:29.273
So let's take a moment right now

0:06:29.273,0:06:31.918
to make something very clear.

0:06:31.918,0:06:35.744
The word "midget" is a slur.

0:06:35.744,0:06:40.920
It evolved from PT Barnum's era[br]of circuses and freak shows.

0:06:40.920,0:06:43.742
Society has evolved.

0:06:43.742,0:06:46.082
So should our vocabulary.

0:06:46.082,0:06:48.383
Language is a powerful tool.

0:06:48.383,0:06:50.799
It does not just name our society.

0:06:50.799,0:06:53.889
It shapes it.

0:06:53.889,0:06:56.591
I am incredibly proud[br]to be a littler person,

0:06:56.591,0:06:59.745
to have inherited the condition[br]of achondroplasia.

0:06:59.745,0:07:03.051
But I am most proud to be Sinead.

0:07:03.051,0:07:06.669
Achondroplasia is the most[br]common form of dwarfism.

0:07:06.669,0:07:10.913
Achondroplasia translates as[br]"without cartilage formation."

0:07:10.913,0:07:14.636
I have short limbs[br]and achondroplastic facial features,

0:07:14.636,0:07:17.716
my forehead and my nose.

0:07:17.716,0:07:20.477
My arms do not straighten fully,

0:07:20.477,0:07:23.160
but I can lift my elbow.

0:07:23.160,0:07:25.593
I'm not showing you that one.

0:07:25.593,0:07:30.580
Achondroplasia occurs in approximately[br]one in every 20,000 births.

0:07:30.580,0:07:35.277
80 percent of little people are born[br]to two average height parents.

0:07:35.277,0:07:37.583
That means that anybody in this room

0:07:37.583,0:07:40.207
could have a child with achondroplasia.

0:07:40.207,0:07:44.161
Yet, I inherited my condition from my dad.

0:07:44.161,0:07:47.184
I'd like to show you a photo of my family.

0:07:47.184,0:07:49.601
My mother is average height,

0:07:49.601,0:07:51.854
my father is a little person

0:07:51.854,0:07:54.544
and I am the eldest of five children.

0:07:54.544,0:07:57.427
I have three sisters and one brother.

0:07:57.427,0:08:00.452
They are all average height.

0:08:00.452,0:08:03.790
I am incredibly fortunate[br]to have been born into a family

0:08:03.790,0:08:08.033
that cultivated my curiosity[br]and my tenacity,

0:08:08.033,0:08:13.723
that protected me from the unkindness[br]and ignorance of strangers,

0:08:13.723,0:08:17.062
and that armed me with the resilience,[br]creativity, and confidence

0:08:17.062,0:08:22.831
that I needed to survive and manipulate[br]the physical environment and society.

0:08:22.831,0:08:26.679
If I was to pinpoint any reason[br]why I am successful,

0:08:26.679,0:08:28.414
it is because I was

0:08:28.414,0:08:31.841
and I am a loved child,

0:08:31.841,0:08:35.458
now, a loved child with a lot[br]of sass and sarcasm,

0:08:35.458,0:08:38.583
but a loved child nonetheless.

0:08:38.583,0:08:42.477
In giving you an insight[br]into who I am today

0:08:42.477,0:08:45.438
I wanted to offer you a new perspective.

0:08:45.438,0:08:48.432
I wanted to challenge the idea[br]that design is but a tool

0:08:48.432,0:08:51.375
to create function and beauty.

0:08:51.375,0:08:55.616
Design greatly impacts[br]upon people's lives,

0:08:55.616,0:08:57.558
all lives.

0:08:57.558,0:09:00.976
Design is a way in which we can feel[br]included in the world,

0:09:00.976,0:09:05.450
but it is also a way in which[br]we can uphold a person's dignity

0:09:05.450,0:09:07.820
and their human rights.

0:09:07.820,0:09:10.920
Design can also inflict vulnerability

0:09:10.920,0:09:14.686
on a group whose needs aren't considered.

0:09:14.686,0:09:19.081
So today, I want[br]your perceptions challenged.

0:09:19.081,0:09:21.282
Who are we not designing for?

0:09:21.282,0:09:24.040
How can we amplify their voices

0:09:24.040,0:09:26.496
and their experiences?

0:09:26.496,0:09:28.652
What is the next step?

0:09:28.652,0:09:31.273
Design is an enormous privilege,

0:09:31.273,0:09:33.843
but it is a bigger responsibility.

0:09:33.843,0:09:36.922
I want you to open your eyes.

0:09:36.922,0:09:41.332
Thank you so much.

0:09:41.332,0:09:44.073
(Applause)