Disability and work: Let’s stop wasting talent | Hannah Barham-Brown | TEDxExeter

[@popsbarham]

Thank you so much for all the lovely comments, I'm really delighted and overwhelmed with the response to this!

[@lorenasouza2886]

Hi, Hannah. I'm happy to translate your ted talks to Portuguese (Brazil). You're very magnetic, intense and has an acid sense of humor. If I was am employer, I'd definitely hire you! Keep walking.. I mean, rolling! I'm your newest fan.

[@boudraasalim1056]

thank you for your incridible hard work wish you all the best

[@TheSV99999]

Keep up the great work Hannah! so inspiring and encouraging listening to your story and your added sense of humour about it is just the cherry on top! I'm using your TED Talk for one of my papers in Canadian studies about normalcy, the different types of models, and how the world perceives and portrays disability. Hoping it goes well, and same to you! Continue changing the world one roll at a time ;) All the best!

[@mohammadidreesnaeemy4391]

"let's go beyond normalizing difference let's start celebrating it"🙏🙏💓

[@pauloburgess9575]

She’s very very pretty

[@myindigoblues5796]

"Yes, and.." Glad she made the points she did, because it is beyond ticking the diversity boxes. We need to just get to the point of being "human" and adding our collective experiences together - because we all share this planet. We all live in it. And there's work to be done. Thank you for sharing your voice

[@oliviaibarra6486]

“We are a beautiful diverse collection of differences” that phrase just got printed in my mind.

[@morganjones3349]

I also live with EDS and found this inspiring as a fellow advocate, people with disabilities need a seat at the table.

[@simpsonstephen]

Wonderful combination of bravery, humour and revolution

[@popsbarham]

Thanks Steve!

[@jessicapepperell3061]

You are one of the most funny and jolly women I have ever met. Such a wonderful and wicked personality! This talk is incredible x

[@davidrothenberg5876]

Thank you for sharing your story Hannah! In 2012 I was disabled by stroke. You've given me humor, hope, encouragement and inspiration. Once again thanks!

[@jenniferde-graftninson3220]

I am happy to have found this video as a disability empowerment advocate. I have always believed that there are a lot more that persons with disabilities can do outside the box they are put in. This video is definitely a good start for me today and every other day as I champion this course.

[@livvyjos]

Wow, I have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Hypermobility type and I turn 40 this month. I was diagnosed at 33 and was diagnosed with fibromyalgia at age 18. My body is literally falling apart. I don’t know how you manage. Well done, I know how amazing you are!! What you are doing is no small feat. I really hope you are able to bring about awareness for Connective Tissue Disorders, especially Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS). I wish you were my GP. 💜🦓

[@glenbegin9152]

I don't know how "the health care system" for the UK works? I just lost my lower right leg last year and am not even treated as human anymore by most people. I do know the UK has more technological advances when it comes to disability devices then we do. I have found more useful stuff from your country than in mine online. I am in the US and it sucks here. Actually had the idea to build an entire city just for disabled people. An entire new society just for the disabled where everything is accessible. Jobs, friends, family (if they wish to be their?) surrounded by people who actually care and just don't "pretend to care". I love your spirit and would love to meet you some day?

[@lauratunningley6111]

Thanks for sharing about what you went through. We have residents going through the same thing, and we are encouraged by your story.

[@janr.1077]

Oh Dr. Hannah Barham-Brown, I have lost so many jobs because of my epilepsy. I love working in the healthcare industry n this has given me courage to try once again. God bless you!

[@monicatorres1515]

Thank you for your encouraging words it really means a lot to me. I am taking online courses in medical administrative assistant my disability is I have hearing loss on my right side, and I didn't want to believe that I was till I took a hearing test in my early 20's. So I learned to accept who I am.

[@alicethebakingfrog2180]

A challenging talk. You put so much into it, I hope people are receptive to that.

[@TheChewyleaf]

You're doing a great job at repping the NHS and being an advocate. Keep on at it!

[@SuperHanne84]

She should have said to that patient: "My legs don't really work, just like your sense of common decency doesn't really work."

[@mc4416]

Thank you very much for this video, has made me emotional, as somebody heavily involved in projects connected to DEI in the workplace (focused on disability, mental health and neurodiversity) and this video really helped me to understand better and gave me ideas and inspiration on how to contribute and improve the inclusion of people with disability.

[@Racheleah2015]

I was recently diagnosed with EDS and am still coming to terms with being disabled but this gave me some new hope and I really appreciate it

[@TechnicallyJustin]

I have EDS type 4. I hear ya. Hope all is well

[@MJ-uk6lu]

I think , that if she wasn't disabled, she could have been an exceptional actress. There's something special about her way of communicating lively.

[@annika2272]

She still could be acctres If she wanted. Disabled people can act too! She is brilliant and beautiful!

[@hannahbee9163]

that last part really got to me, youre the best at getting your point across

[@matteagles35]

One of the most delightfully insightful Ted Talks ive ever listened too . Absolutely fantastic !

[@SassyWitch666]

Thank you for sharing your story. My oldest daughter and I both have hypermobility Ehlers Danilo's. We were diagnosed last year. I was just a few months away from 45 years old and she was 20 years old.. We felt the same way we ,thought we were really flexible but felt it was weird. And we felt weird until we were diagnosed.

[@gillifish]

Im 20 and just got diagnosed as well! My mother needs a diagnosis and my grandmother has the same issues as well. Although it’s gotten more severe through the generations lol. I can’t even stand longer than 2-5 minutes now, and wheelchairs try to dislocate my shoulders and exhaust my body. (I can’t afford a non manual chair) I wish you guys the best of luck ❤️❤️❤️

[@Eloise_Please]

EDS is not as rare as people think, it's just heavily under diagnosed because it mainly affects female patients (not always, but mostly), and their pain is dismissed. I have EDS, and have met so many people by coincidence who also have it. If you were already dislocating joints and dealing with all the complications of EDS throughout your life, but didn't need a wheelchair, you can still identify as disabled, you just had different access needs. I appreciate people sharing their experience, I'm just commenting this as EDS awareness is severely lacking and there's a lot of misinformation and misconceptions that prevent people getting correct diagnoses and treatment. I don't know anyone with EDS who wasn't always disabled, but the majority of them were gaslit to believe that they just weren't working hard enough to be "normal" and that their pain and struggle was normal, but that their character was lacking and that's why they were complaining of pain and asking for help. If we had been believed and given proper treatment, most of us wouldn't be as ill as we are now. It is okay to be "broken" and that's a beautiful sentiment ❤ It's wonderful to see a wheelchair-using doctor! I would find that so much more reassuring, knowing that they would understand some of what I'm dealing with as a patient.

[@lornahay2328]

Superb! The world needs diversity! Good talk and yes! more should be done to have more diversity. We are part of society! Any disability is not something to focus on and shouldn’t be the focus! It doesn’t define us. It’s just a small part of who we are 🙏 Bless you for sharing ❤️

[@enyab.6939]

🙏 amen🌺🍀 I really needed to hear this. Considering relocating from America to the UK for a better path of inclusion. Thank you so much for this. The world needs to hear this. 🌺🍀

[@carolinehunt6610]

She talks so much sense.

[@twigsam]

Love this talk! Especially the part where you talk about how disability changed you & the way you talk to other people but also the way people talk to you. It is so true! I was diagnosed with EDS about 5 years ago as an undergraduate. I’ve done so much to adapt and learn to advocate for myself, but ableism is so real and discouraging at times. I am curious how you managed this and the shame especially in such a high demand career? I ended up leaving school my senior year as an honor student when my school seemed to keep refusing to accommodate me (in blatant ways like not receiving handwriting services) as well as not considering how to work around and accommodate absences related to treatment and injury. It really hurt when a professor who I admired and who encouraged me to apply for medical school thought I would be unable to participate in a short study abroad trip despite doctors thinking it would be fine as long as I didn’t participate on the long hike (a ten mile one). This professor, the tour guide, and my peers (many of them young nursing professionals) walked ahead of me and another employee who relatively recently went into cancer remission after difficult rounds of chemotherapy most of the trip. This made it difficult for us to participate in the learning aspect of the trip as we could not hear the tour guide. I felt very dehumanized in academia and this has often been my experience in the exam room as well. How do we change this and show that even though we may have certain limitations that we also have certain strengths?

[@gillifish]

Eds here too and a bunch of other diagnoses’!!! MCAS, autoimmune diseases, POTS, etc. I am home bound and so broke my husband can’t support us both. I don’t know what to do anymore, I’m 20 :(

[@naked_ravens1266]

Brilliant, Hannah. Thanks for speaking up for us x

[@omi_shad]

This is absolutely everything I needed to hear today! Thank you so so much! ❤

[@madhuguru5723]

Hannah, I enjoyed your talk and can totally relate to what you are saying. I am in a totally supportive family and work as an environmental engineer who also uses a wheelchair. My sister is living with me and she also uses a wheelchair and at one point there was also my Dad in a wheelchair. Talk about traffic jam in the house!! I try to live my life as best as I can and thank the higher powers for the life I have which is fulfilling. Everyone's life is different and we all face hardship in one way or the other. Smile everyone, it makes your life worthwhile.

[@brandi_whine]

😯🤗 my hero!!! Thank you for this!

[@McPosy]

What a brilliant talk! Love this, will be sharing it around xxx

[@actionforkids]

Our amazing Ambassador!! Keep up the great work Dr Pops! 🤩

[@CarolGriffin-v9g]

Beautiful! thank you for that wonderful speech.

[@garretthuck7491]

Thank you for the wonderful TedTalk Dr. Barham-Brown, I look forward to sharing this with my students at Penn State University!

[@GENISONG]

Thank you for this, your words and attitude convey a sense of joy and hope

[@DrRedTabs]

This is truly brilliant. I hope that you do many more Ted talks

[@jessleigh6729]

Yesss!! I love the message behind this, you are so incredibly inspiring 🌼

[@naiyahp]

Ohh I love her whill powerchair it’s really cool because you can control it with it’s built in small lever or the app

[@flobba123]

She has my sympathy

[@amberlynnheitz]

Thank you for sharing your story.

[@mauricioborgonio3582]

Amazing inspirational life story! You rock!!

[@charliep87]

What a roll model! So impressive - awesome talk.

[@plabmedicinepro5166]

Thank you for being such an inspiration.. I have a disability and I am about to start work in the NHS .. this video of yours has given me a different perspective and a + outlook .. thnx

[@heathentongue]

Wise and beautiful!

[@avoiceacrosstheworld1943]

I am disabled and this really spoke to me

[@vickieowodunni6481]

This is wonderful! Thank you.

[@robbiej3177]

Fantastic talk. Thank you for sharing.

[@100musicplaylists3]

Someone should design and make a folding desk/market stall which attaches to a mobility scooter or cargo bike so the disabled can drive to the local market and trade crafts without needing a helper

[@ELECATcreations]

I am conscious of not generalising and making assumptions about people based on their most obvious visual feature. While it’s likely that the feature has meant that they’ve been moulded by societal ‘norms’ to present in a stereotyped way, in my experience that persons ‘most obvious thing’ usually turns out to also be the least interesting thing about them and doesn’t give an indication of their deep selves. I’ve had amazing experiences with different abled people that wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t make the effort to embrace the uncomfortable truth that I saw myself as ‘better’. People should not be measured on a scale of bad to good, especially when the scale was designed by a manipulative minority who’s self interests are their only objective. People’s intelligence, interests. abilities and personalities are on a spectrum and everyone has worth. …and ‘boy can I talk!’ xo

[@boudraasalim1056]

thank you for your incridible hard work wish you all the best

[@user-sz5fc3su5b]

So glad to see your rainbow NHS pin! I love the campaign :)

[@Patricia.Pangan8]

thank you so much for you and your mum, such an inspiration and gives me so much hope. God bless x

[@sarahhallett3673]

The words you are saying are amazing and all but ... that is also an excellent purple suit 👌💃

[@shaneb9224]

We could certainly use your strong voice here in Canada!

[@KamalAitsalah]

Many children have been displaced in Morocco because of the earthquake. Oh my God, it is very difficult for them. It is very cold for them. They only sleep in tents and pavements, and because they have no schools, no food, and no clothes.

[@kimbratton9620]

I love this!!

[@TechnicallyJustin]

Wow... I have Vascular Ehlers Danlos.. I thought as she was describing her condition I had an idea but I did not expect to be right. What a great video

[@matthewsnowdon8530]

Well in reality it hasn’t stopped me achieving what i want but it certainly has slowed me down ALOT Im not physically disabled but mental disabilities are equal Its unlikely ill get into any actual good work considering I can’t really even get the basic gcses but who knows i may not be academically gifted but there’s certainly something i can do I really believe I have some very useful skills I just haven’t unlocked yet

[@zanehsarabi8861]

Great job, thank you

[@nisshaadv8942]

Thank you for great talk! I just love it!

[@beaus3911]

There is a job site called Mentra trying to change that. It will place you with a neuro inclusive employer and will match you with a job best suited to your needs.

[@jerrycorbin924]

You are such a beautiful woman with a beautiful heart

[@naseebullah648]

There should be presentation in the UN to raise their voice

[@gimygaming8655]

I also have EDS! I searched "how to work with a disability" because EDS caused stage 4 pelvic organ prolapse at 15. I go to the bathroom every 30 minutes to an hour with pretty bad pelvic pain. Recently went through reconstructive surgery and it kinda failed. I worry about working someplace and not being allowed to go to the bathroom because it's during "busy hours" or worry I am not going to measure up because of how many doctors and specialists I see and how much time off work that will cause. I was kicked out of high school because I was "too disabled" so I got my GED and want to progress with life. I am just unsure how to go about it.

[@jademorley5670]

YASSSS QUEEEEN!!

[@wheeliedeaf]

Is there any possibility of this being captioned or a transcript available?

[@natalyadell5099]

The craptions aren't bad - I've just watched with CC.

[@wheeliedeaf]

@@natalyadell5099 With my dyslexia, it's really difficult to follow without punctuation/grammer to fully understand and follow even if auto-captions are good on picking up someones accent.

[@popsbarham]

I'm assured a transcription is on the way!

[@natalyadell5099]

@@wheeliedeaf You're not alone, many deaf folk struggle with reading and capitalisation and full stops massively improve readability (I hate ee cummings for this reason if nothing else).

[@popsbarham]

@@natalyadell5099 Transcript should now be attached - hit the ... below the video!

[@Oachkatzl23]

Brilliant

[@SKShlomo]

👏👏👏👏

[@popsbarham]

Aw, thanks lovely!

[@mariebisson1252]

My knees would come out of joint with winter boots when i was a kid if the boots were too heavy, i also couldnt curl, or they would pop out of joint.

[@roxasdavis9686]

one of my best friends is in a wheelchair and he works just fine

[@Shannonbarnesdr1]

most disabled people do not work, they want to, but many are not able, and even the ones that are, they cannot get hired because despite ADA and related laws, discriminating is still alive and well, it is very easy to discriminate, just simply don't hire the disabled candidate. also, many disabled people have wide gaps in their employment due to not being able to get jobs outside of little part time, or temporary gigs here and there, and its so much more difficult to get jobs when you dont have stable work history, or any work history / opportunities that reflect that persons actual skill sets they may have, because the ones who do work, most are working sub par, they are not able to get a job in the field of interest or in a job that showcases the skills they may in fact have, and no, getting a college degree is not an option for all, some folks dont have the cognitive or academic skills to achieve higher education; plus even the ones who do have degrees, only 12 percent or so of them are gainfully employed.

[@naiyahp]

She lives here in the uk like I do

[@giorgikiskeize]

100% right 👍✌

[@BenNZ-j9n]

What a story

[@willsapwell]

R.E.P.R.E.S.E.N.T.

[@factsnofeelings3623]

Was in the same class form.... Not sure if you remember me?

[@shariecebrewster5962]

I am there's to tell my story a about disability aswell

[@Logan-dn6uv]

💙

[@GAINZonWHEELS]

🙏🏻❤️🙏🏻

[@sweetstace7]

I want to help you change that.

[@johnf6687]

💕👍🌎

[@5tw3b45tcf]

10:13

[@mariebisson1252]

I would love to talk to you.

[@yeout4386]

when a normal person gets a job it is a job if a disabled person get a job its charity

[@boudraasalim1056]

thank you for your incridible hard work wish you all the best