WEBVTT

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I want to give you a new perspective.

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That sounds grandiose, and it is.

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I left Ireland yesterday morning.

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I traveled from Dublin to New York

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independently.

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But the design of an airport,

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plane and terminal

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offers little independence when
you're 105 and a half centimeters tall.

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For Americans, that's 3' 5".

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I was whisked through the airport
by airline assistants in a wheelchair.

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Now, I don't need to use a wheelchair,

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but the design of an airport

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and its lack of accessibility

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means that it's my only way
to get through.

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With my carry-on bag between my feet,

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I was wheeled through
security, preclearance

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and I arrived at my boarding gate.

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I use the accessibility
services in the airport

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because most of the terminal
is just not designed with me in mind.

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Take security, for example.

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I'm not strong enough
to lift my carry-on bag

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from the ground to the carousel.

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I stand at eye level with it.

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And those who work in that space
for safety purposes cannot help me

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and cannot do it for me.

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Design inhibits my autonomy
and my independence.

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But traveling at this size,
it isn't all bad.

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The leg room in economy
is like business class.

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(Laughter)

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I often forget that I'm a little person.

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It's the physical environment
and society that remind me.

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Using a public bathroom
is an excruciating experience.

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I walk into the cubicle

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but I can't reach the lock on the door.

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I'm creative and resilient.

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I look around and see if there's
a bin that I can turn upside down.

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Is it safe?

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Not really.

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Is it hygienic and sanitary?

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Definitely not.

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But the alternative is much worse.

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If that doesn't work, I use my phone.

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It gives me an additional
four- to six-inch reach,

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and I try to jam the lock closed
with my iPhone.

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Now, I imagine that's not what Jony Ive
had in mind when he designed the iPhone,

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but it works.

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The alternative
is that I approach a stranger.

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I apologize profusely

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and I ask them to stand guard
outside my cubicle door.

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They do

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and I emerge grateful

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but absolutely mortified,

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and hope that they didn't notice

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that I left the bathroom
without washing my hands.

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I carry hand sanitizer with me
every single day

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because the sink, soap dispenser,
hand dryer and mirror

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are all out of my reach.

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Now, the accessible bathroom
is somewhat of an option.

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In this space, I can reach
the lock on the door,

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the sink, the soap dispenser,
the hand dryer and the mirror.

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Yet, I cannot use the toilet.

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It is deliberately designed higher

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so that wheelchair users
can transfer across with ease.

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This is a wonderful
and necessary innovation,

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but in the design world, when we describe
a new project or idea as accessible,

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what does that mean?

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Who is it accessible to?

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And whose needs
are not being accommodated for?

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Now, the bathroom is an example

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of where design impinges upon my dignity,

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but the physical environment impacts
upon me in much more casual ways too,

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something as simple
as ordering a cup of coffee.

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Now, I'll admit it.

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I drink far too much coffee.

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My order is a skinny vanilla latte,

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but I'm trying
to wean myself off the syrup.

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But the coffee shop,
it's not designed well,

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at least not for me.

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Queuing, I'm standing
beside the pastry cabinet

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and the barista calls for the next order.

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"Next, please!" they shout.

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They can't see me.

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The person next to me in the queue
points to my existence

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and everyone is embarrassed.

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I order as quick as I can
and I move along to collect my coffee.

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Now, think just for a second.

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Where do they put it?

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Up high and without a lid.

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Reaching up to collect a coffee
that I have paid for

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is an incredibly dangerous experience.

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But design also impinges
on the clothes that I want to wear.

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I want garments
that reflect my personality.

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It's difficult to find
in the childrenswear department.

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And often womenswear
requires far too many alterations.

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I want shoes that affect my maturity,
professionalism and sophistication.

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Instead, I'm offered sneakers
with Velcro straps and light-up shoes.

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Now, I'm not totally opposed
to light-up shoes.

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(Laughter)

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But design also impacts
on such simple things,

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like sitting on a chair.

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I cannot go from a standing
to a seating position with grace.

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Due to the standards
of design heights of chairs,

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I have to crawl on my hands and knees

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just to get on top of it,

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whilst also being conscious
that it might tip over at any stage.

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But whilst design impacts on me

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whether it's a chair,
a bathroom, a coffee shop, or clothes,

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I rely on and benefit

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from the kindness of strangers.

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But not everybody is so nice.

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I'm reminded that I'm a little person

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when a stranger points,

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stares,

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laughs,

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calls me a name,

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or takes a photograph of me.

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This happens almost every day.

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With the rise of social media,
it has given me an opportunity

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and a platform to have a voice
as a blogger and as an activist,

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but it has also made me nervous

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that I might become a meme

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or a viral sensation,

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all without my consent.

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So let's take a moment right now

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to make something very clear.

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The word "midget" is a slur.

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It evolved from PT Barnum's era
of circuses and freak shows.

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Society has evolved.

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So should our vocabulary.

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Language is a powerful tool.

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It does not just name our society.

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It shapes it.

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I am incredibly proud
to be a little person,

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to have inherited
the condition of achondroplasia.

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But I am most proud to be Sinead.

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Achondroplasia is
the most common form of dwarfism.

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Achondroplasia translates
as "without cartilage formation."

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I have short limbs
and achondroplastic facial features,

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my forehead and my nose.

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My arms do not straighten fully,

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but I can lick my elbow.

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I'm not showing you that one.

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Achondroplasia occurs in approximately
one in every 20,000 births.

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80 percent of little people
are born to two average-height parents.

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That means that anybody in this room
could have a child with achondroplasia.

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Yet, I inherited my condition from my dad.

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I'd like to show you a photo of my family.

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My mother is average height,

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my father is a little person

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and I am the eldest of five children.

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I have three sisters and one brother.

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They are all average height.

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I am incredibly fortunate
to have been born into a family

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that cultivated
my curiosity and my tenacity,

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that protected me from the unkindness
and ignorance of strangers

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and that armed me with the resilience,
creativity and confidence

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that I needed to survive and manipulate
the physical environment and society.

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If I was to pinpoint any reason
why I am successful,

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it is because I was
and I am a loved child,

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now, a loved child
with a lot of sass and sarcasm,

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but a loved child nonetheless.

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In giving you an insight
into who I am today

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I wanted to offer you a new perspective.

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I wanted to challenge the idea

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that design is but a tool
to create function and beauty.

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Design greatly impacts
upon people's lives,

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all lives.

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Design is a way in which
we can feel included in the world,

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but it is also a way in which
we can uphold a person's dignity

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and their human rights.

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Design can also inflict vulnerability

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on a group whose needs aren't considered.

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So today, I want
your perceptions challenged.

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Who are we not designing for?

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How can we amplify their voices

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and their experiences?

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What is the next step?

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Design is an enormous privilege,

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but it is a bigger responsibility.

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I want you to open your eyes.

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Thank you so much.

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(Applause)