Purposeful Steps Away From Ableism | Alyson Seale | TEDxChilliwack

Imagine a world without sexism, racism and ageism, an amazing place where we embrace each other’s gifts and proudly claim all of our identities. Ableism is a hidden ‘isms’ embedded in society—a belief in the superiority of typical able bodies/able minds over bodies/minds falling outside our definition of normal. What if we deconstruct the binary able/disabled and construct differences of body/mind as part of our beautifully diverse human continuum? How would that look? Where do we even start? Let’s not get theoretical—let’s get real. By purposefully examining ableism, we can take action improving our society. TEDxChilliwack 2018 took place on April 13, 2019 at G. W. Graham Theatre in Chilliwack, British Columbia, Canada. The theme of the event was "On Purpose". Learn more at http://tedxchilliwack.com. Alyson Seale is currently an Associate Professor at the University of the Fraser Valley instructing in the Workplace TASK program, a pre-employment program for adults with disabilities. She has worked with people with a wide variety of disabilities including in a post secondary Disability Resource Center providing supports for students with disabilities through their post secondary studies, and 10 years as an ASL/English Sign Language Interpreter. She has taught for the departments of Upgrading and University Preparation, the School of Social Work and Adult Education. Alyson is currently pursuing her doctoral degree at the University of British Columbia in the Faculty of Educational Studies, Leadership and Policy Development with her research focus on the experiences of employees with intellectual disabilities in the workplace. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx