Listening to people with disabilities

Throughout the course a diverse group of people with different impairments will talk about their lives and experiences being disabled. Some are invited experts. Others have agreed to tell us about their life experiences in more depth. Here we introduce you to five guest speakers who you will see many times both in this course and its partner course Working with Disability.

In the above video, Duncan, Steve, Vivienne, Jordanna and Antoni (pictured below, from left to right) share personal stories about the stereotypes and assumptions others have had about them, and how they have worked to challenge these attitudes.

A link to an audio description of this video is available in the See Also section below.

Talking points

As you watch the video, pick out key words and phrases where the speakers describe how they are affected by disabling attitudes.

• What attitudes and stereotypes were most striking to you?
• Were you surprised by any of the stories shared in the video?
• How have these speakers tried to challenge stereotypes and attitudes?
• If you have a disability yourself, or are closely connected to people who do, you might choose to share how the personal perceptions and experiences of the speakers resonate with or differ from your own.

If you would like to hear what Mel, your Learner Guide, had to say about this video, follow the link in the See Also section below.