What Stella Young Still Teaches Us About Disability, Pride, and Inclusion at Work

If you haven’t watched Stella Young’s iconic TED Talk, “I’m Not Your Inspiration, Thank You Very Much,” I’ll say this plainly: it’s required viewing — not just because Stella and I shared the same disability, Osteogenesis Imperfecta, but because it dismantles some of the most persistent and harmful narratives about disability that still show up in our workplaces today.

In just nine minutes, Stella delivers a message that is bold, funny, and deeply necessary. One line, in particular, has stayed with me for years:

“Disability doesn’t make you exceptional. Questioning what you think you know about it does.”

That sentence alone should stop us in our tracks.

Moving beyond “inspiration”

Stella challenges the idea of what she famously called “inspiration porn” — the tendency to admire people with disabilities simply for existing, for getting out of bed, for showing up. While often framed as positive, this mindset quietly reinforces low expectations and positions disabled people as objects of motivation rather than full participants in society.

In the workplace, this shows up when we praise resilience instead of removing barriers. When we applaud someone for “overcoming” instead of asking why the system was inaccessible in the first place.

Stella reminds us that respect is not the same as admiration, and inclusion isn’t about inspiration — it’s about equity.

Accessibility over pity

One of the most powerful aspects of Stella’s talk is her clarity around what people with disabilities actually need. Not pity. Not charity. Not praise.

We need accessible environments, thoughtful design, and real opportunities to contribute.

This is where inclusion either becomes performative — or transformative. When accessibility is treated as an afterthought, people are forced to adapt themselves to broken systems. When it’s designed from the start, everyone benefits.

Collaboration, not charity

Stella also challenges the idea that inclusion is something done for people with disabilities. Instead, she calls for collaboration — working with disabled colleagues as peers, professionals, and contributors.

That means listening. Designing intentionally. And recognizing expertise that comes from lived experience, not despite it.

A culture shift we still need

Perhaps what makes this talk timeless is how urgently relevant it still feels. Stella pushes us to move away from seeing disability as a deficit and toward recognizing it as a natural part of human diversity — one that brings insight, creativity, and innovation when organizations are willing to do the work.

Her humor makes the message approachable, but the implications are serious: the stories we tell about disability shape our policies, our workplaces, and our expectations of one another.

Why this talk still matters to me

This talk reminds me why I’m proud — not because I’ve “pushed through,” but because I’ve pushed back.

Pushed back on low expectations.
Pushed back on narratives that reduce people to pity or praise.
Pushed back until workplaces, policies, and mindsets shift toward real equity.

So if you watch one thing to better understand what disability pride truly means — and what inclusion should look like in practice — let it be this.

Because empathy isn’t about feeling inspired.

It’s about listening, designing better, and choosing inclusion with intention.