1
00:00:00,793 --> 00:00:03,040
I want to give you a new perspective.

2
00:00:04,000 --> 00:00:06,840
That sounds grandiose, and it is.

3
00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:09,280
I left Ireland yesterday morning.

4
00:00:09,880 --> 00:00:12,336
I traveled from Dublin to New York

5
00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:13,560
independently.

6
00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:15,976
But the design of an airport,

7
00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:18,536
plane and terminal

8
00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:22,480
offers little independence when
you're 105 and a half centimeters tall.

9
00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:26,440
For Americans, that's 3' 5".

10
00:00:27,680 --> 00:00:31,400
I was whisked through the airport
by airline assistants in a wheelchair.

11
00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,000
Now, I don't need to use a wheelchair,

12
00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:37,776
but the design of an airport

13
00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:40,056
and its lack of accessibility

14
00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:42,160
means that it's my only way
to get through.

15
00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:46,016
With my carry-on bag between my feet,

16
00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:49,416
I was wheeled through
security, preclearance

17
00:00:49,440 --> 00:00:51,800
and I arrived at my boarding gate.

18
00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:55,736
I use the accessibility
services in the airport

19
00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:59,000
because most of the terminal
is just not designed with me in mind.

20
00:00:59,920 --> 00:01:01,640
Take security, for example.

21
00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:05,416
I'm not strong enough
to lift my carry-on bag

22
00:01:05,440 --> 00:01:07,480
from the ground to the carousel.

23
00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:10,080
I stand at eye level with it.

24
00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:15,496
And those who work in that space
for safety purposes cannot help me

25
00:01:15,520 --> 00:01:17,200
and cannot do it for me.

26
00:01:18,200 --> 00:01:21,960
Design inhibits my autonomy
and my independence.

27
00:01:23,000 --> 00:01:26,480
But traveling at this size,
it isn't all bad.

28
00:01:26,960 --> 00:01:29,736
The leg room in economy
is like business class.

29
00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:31,640
(Laughter)

30
00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:34,840
I often forget that I'm a little person.

31
00:01:35,360 --> 00:01:39,320
It's the physical environment
and society that remind me.

32
00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:44,080
Using a public bathroom
is an excruciating experience.

33
00:01:44,880 --> 00:01:47,056
I walk into the cubicle

34
00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:48,938
but I can't reach the lock on the door.

35
00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:52,240
I'm creative and resilient.

36
00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:56,400
I look around and see if there's
a bin that I can turn upside down.

37
00:01:57,400 --> 00:01:58,600
Is it safe?

38
00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:00,240
Not really.

39
00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:02,960
Is it hygienic and sanitary?

40
00:02:03,440 --> 00:02:04,640
Definitely not.

41
00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:07,380
But the alternative is much worse.

42
00:02:08,240 --> 00:02:10,240
If that doesn't work, I use my phone.

43
00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:14,216
It gives me an additional
four- to six-inch reach,

44
00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:16,920
and I try to jam the lock closed
with my iPhone.

45
00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:22,136
Now, I imagine that's not what Jony Ive
had in mind when he designed the iPhone,

46
00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:23,360
but it works.

47
00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:27,440
The alternative
is that I approach a stranger.

48
00:02:28,480 --> 00:02:30,736
I apologize profusely

49
00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:33,840
and I ask them to stand guard
outside my cubicle door.

50
00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:36,536
They do

51
00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:38,520
and I emerge grateful

52
00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:41,160
but absolutely mortified,

53
00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:43,776
and hope that they didn't notice

54
00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:46,134
that I left the bathroom
without washing my hands.

55
00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:50,440
I carry hand sanitizer with me
every single day

56
00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:56,576
because the sink, soap dispenser,
hand dryer and mirror

57
00:02:56,600 --> 00:02:57,960
are all out of my reach.

58
00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:01,856
Now, the accessible bathroom
is somewhat of an option.

59
00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:04,280
In this space, I can reach
the lock on the door,

60
00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:09,200
the sink, the soap dispenser,
the hand dryer and the mirror.

61
00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,320
Yet, I cannot use the toilet.

62
00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:16,976
It is deliberately designed higher

63
00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,160
so that wheelchair users
can transfer across with ease.

64
00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:24,560
This is a wonderful
and necessary innovation,

65
00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:29,680
but in the design world, when we describe
a new project or idea as accessible,

66
00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:31,880
what does that mean?

67
00:03:32,920 --> 00:03:34,840
Who is it accessible to?

68
00:03:35,840 --> 00:03:38,600
And whose needs
are not being accommodated for?

69
00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:41,496
Now, the bathroom is an example

70
00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:44,040
of where design impinges upon my dignity,

71
00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:48,440
but the physical environment impacts
upon me in much more casual ways too,

72
00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:51,480
something as simple
as ordering a cup of coffee.

73
00:03:52,320 --> 00:03:53,680
Now, I'll admit it.

74
00:03:54,160 --> 00:03:56,040
I drink far too much coffee.

75
00:03:56,480 --> 00:03:59,056
My order is a skinny vanilla latte,

76
00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:01,640
but I'm trying
to wean myself off the syrup.

77
00:04:02,800 --> 00:04:05,536
But the coffee shop,
it's not designed well,

78
00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:06,760
at least not for me.

79
00:04:07,520 --> 00:04:10,296
Queuing, I'm standing
beside the pastry cabinet

80
00:04:10,320 --> 00:04:12,360
and the barista calls for the next order.

81
00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:15,400
"Next, please!" they shout.

82
00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:17,640
They can't see me.

83
00:04:18,640 --> 00:04:21,456
The person next to me in the queue
points to my existence

84
00:04:21,480 --> 00:04:23,720
and everyone is embarrassed.

85
00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:27,520
I order as quick as I can
and I move along to collect my coffee.

86
00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:30,920
Now, think just for a second.

87
00:04:31,560 --> 00:04:32,760
Where do they put it?

88
00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:35,800
Up high and without a lid.

89
00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:39,376
Reaching up to collect a coffee
that I have paid for

90
00:04:39,400 --> 00:04:41,840
is an incredibly dangerous experience.

91
00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:45,896
But design also impinges
on the clothes that I want to wear.

92
00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:48,560
I want garments
that reflect my personality.

93
00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:52,000
It's difficult to find
in the childrenswear department.

94
00:04:52,640 --> 00:04:55,920
And often womenswear
requires far too many alterations.

95
00:04:56,600 --> 00:05:01,320
I want shoes that affect my maturity,
professionalism and sophistication.

96
00:05:02,160 --> 00:05:06,400
Instead, I'm offered sneakers
with Velcro straps and light-up shoes.

97
00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:10,976
Now, I'm not totally opposed
to light-up shoes.

98
00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:12,200
(Laughter)

99
00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:16,496
But design also impacts
on such simple things,

100
00:05:16,520 --> 00:05:17,960
like sitting on a chair.

101
00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:22,440
I cannot go from a standing
to a seating position with grace.

102
00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:26,576
Due to the standards
of design heights of chairs,

103
00:05:26,600 --> 00:05:29,296
I have to crawl on my hands and knees

104
00:05:29,320 --> 00:05:30,936
just to get on top of it,

105
00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:34,600
whilst also being conscious
that it might tip over at any stage.

106
00:05:36,120 --> 00:05:37,936
But whilst design impacts on me

107
00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:42,736
whether it's a chair,
a bathroom, a coffee shop, or clothes,

108
00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:45,936
I rely on and benefit

109
00:05:45,960 --> 00:05:47,760
from the kindness of strangers.

110
00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:51,160
But not everybody is so nice.

111
00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:54,976
I'm reminded that I'm a little person

112
00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:56,440
when a stranger points,

113
00:05:57,520 --> 00:05:58,720
stares,

114
00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:00,520
laughs,

115
00:06:01,360 --> 00:06:03,136
calls me a name,

116
00:06:03,160 --> 00:06:04,640
or takes a photograph of me.

117
00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:07,389
This happens almost every day.

118
00:06:08,720 --> 00:06:11,616
With the rise of social media,
it has given me an opportunity

119
00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:15,600
and a platform to have a voice
as a blogger and as an activist,

120
00:06:16,440 --> 00:06:18,736
but it has also made me nervous

121
00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:20,856
that I might become a meme

122
00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:22,440
or a viral sensation,

123
00:06:23,400 --> 00:06:24,800
all without my consent.

124
00:06:26,240 --> 00:06:28,936
So let's take a moment right now

125
00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:30,560
to make something very clear.

126
00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:34,120
The word "midget" is a slur.

127
00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:39,480
It evolved from PT Barnum's era
of circuses and freak shows.

128
00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:42,360
Society has evolved.

129
00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:45,040
So should our vocabulary.

130
00:06:45,840 --> 00:06:48,216
Language is a powerful tool.

131
00:06:48,240 --> 00:06:50,240
It does not just name our society.

132
00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:52,160
It shapes it.

133
00:06:52,880 --> 00:06:56,296
I am incredibly proud
to be a little person,

134
00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:59,576
to have inherited
the condition of achondroplasia.

135
00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:01,840
But I am most proud to be Sinead.

136
00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:05,720
Achondroplasia is
the most common form of dwarfism.

137
00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:09,960
Achondroplasia translates
as "without cartilage formation."

138
00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:14,496
I have short limbs
and achondroplastic facial features,

139
00:07:14,520 --> 00:07:16,840
my forehead and my nose.

140
00:07:17,560 --> 00:07:20,176
My arms do not straighten fully,

141
00:07:20,200 --> 00:07:22,080
but I can lick my elbow.

142
00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:24,021
I'm not showing you that one.

143
00:07:25,200 --> 00:07:29,680
Achondroplasia occurs in approximately
one in every 20,000 births.

144
00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:34,200
80 percent of little people
are born to two average-height parents.

145
00:07:35,000 --> 00:07:38,920
That means that anybody in this room
could have a child with achondroplasia.

146
00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:43,480
Yet, I inherited my condition from my dad.

147
00:07:43,880 --> 00:07:46,160
I'd like to show you a photo of my family.

148
00:07:47,280 --> 00:07:49,296
My mother is average height,

149
00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:51,536
my father is a little person

150
00:07:51,560 --> 00:07:53,560
and I am the eldest of five children.

151
00:07:54,200 --> 00:07:56,720
I have three sisters and one brother.

152
00:07:57,560 --> 00:07:59,240
They are all average height.

153
00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:03,576
I am incredibly fortunate
to have been born into a family

154
00:08:03,600 --> 00:08:06,800
that cultivated
my curiosity and my tenacity,

155
00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:12,696
that protected me from the unkindness
and ignorance of strangers

156
00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:16,896
and that armed me with the resilience,
creativity and confidence

157
00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:21,560
that I needed to survive and manipulate
the physical environment and society.

158
00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:26,616
If I was to pinpoint any reason
why I am successful,

159
00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:30,760
it is because I was
and I am a loved child,

160
00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:35,456
now, a loved child
with a lot of sass and sarcasm,

161
00:08:35,480 --> 00:08:37,159
but a loved child nonetheless.

162
00:08:38,360 --> 00:08:41,320
In giving you an insight
into who I am today

163
00:08:42,280 --> 00:08:44,200
I wanted to offer you a new perspective.

164
00:08:45,200 --> 00:08:46,656
I wanted to challenge the idea

165
00:08:46,680 --> 00:08:50,240
that design is but a tool
to create function and beauty.

166
00:08:51,280 --> 00:08:54,280
Design greatly impacts
upon people's lives,

167
00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:56,680
all lives.

168
00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:01,056
Design is a way in which
we can feel included in the world,

169
00:09:01,080 --> 00:09:05,336
but it is also a way in which
we can uphold a person's dignity

170
00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:06,720
and their human rights.

171
00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:10,296
Design can also inflict vulnerability

172
00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:12,800
on a group whose needs aren't considered.

173
00:09:14,320 --> 00:09:18,160
So today, I want
your perceptions challenged.

174
00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:20,976
Who are we not designing for?

175
00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:23,816
How can we amplify their voices

176
00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:25,440
and their experiences?

177
00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:27,400
What is the next step?

178
00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:30,976
Design is an enormous privilege,

179
00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:32,960
but it is a bigger responsibility.

180
00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:36,000
I want you to open your eyes.

181
00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:37,976
Thank you so much.

182
00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:41,760
(Applause)