There’s an elephant in the room and it comes with a wheelchair, a mobility aid or a staircase. We see it. But too often, we avoid it.
In this unforgettable TEDx talk, Shelley Cowan confronts the silent, systemic barriers faced by millions living with disabilities, not just in physical spaces, but in mindsets and missed opportunities. After spending 12 years paralysed and blind, Shelley brings lived insight and bold thinking to the forefront, introducing AI²: Artificial Intelligence + Accessibility and Inclusion, a powerful partnership that could redefine how we innovate, design, and include.
As life does, it threw Shelley a challenge on this very stage, her words faltered, but Shelley did something remarkable, she left, paused, gathered herself, and returned to deliver a powerful talk to a gripped live audience. See it for yourself, because this is what courage, leadership, and true inclusion look like.
“Inclusion isn’t an add-on — it’s a mindset shift.” — Shelley Cowan
Shelley Cowan is an inspirational speaker and
accessibility consultant who has lived with Severe M.E.
for nearly 30 years. After spending 12 years bedbound
and a further decade in a wheelchair, she became a
passionate advocate for disability inclusion. Shelley
founded JustUs in 2020 to create safe, inclusive spaces
for adults with disabilities and later launched Access
Avenue to help organisations unlock the power of the
Purple Pound.With an MSc in International Business, her research
highlights major accessibility failings in hospitality.
Shelley combines lived experience and academic
insight to champion inclusive, sustainable futures for
all. 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
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