A Year On From My TEDx Talk: Why This Conversation Still Matters

April has a way of inviting reflection for me.

It was this time last year that my TEDx talk came out, and I’ve found myself sitting with the themes of it again, access, inclusion, and the conversations we so often avoid but so deeply need.

Because here’s the thing.

As much as I believe in positivity, in vision, in holding onto what’s possible… I also believe in truth. And truth asks us not to look away.

It asks us not to bypass reality in the name of staying “positive.”
It asks us not to soften things so much that we lose what actually needs to be said.

We cannot afford to move through life in an ableist way.
We cannot afford to avoid conversations just because they feel uncomfortable, or because we worry about sounding negative.

There are so many different narratives depending on the world you’re standing in.

And one of the most important things I’ve learned is this:
don’t root yourself too deeply in just one.

Move between them.
Stay open.
Allow yourself to see the fuller picture.

Because when it comes to diversity, access, and disability, the picture is still incomplete.

Yes, progress has been made.
But not enough.

Across the world, people are still fighting for their basic needs to be met. Not extras. Not luxuries. Basics.

And that’s why these conversations matter.
That’s why my talk matters.
That’s why so many voices speaking into this space matter.

Because no one should feel like their access needs are a favour.

No one should feel like they need to be endlessly grateful for something that should already exist.

There’s a difference between being supported… and being made to feel like you’re asking for too much just to exist in the same spaces as everyone else.

And if I’m going to be called a diva in this life, let it be for something joyful, something expressive, not for asking for what I fundamentally need.

Because there is nothing excessive about access.

What is exhausting, though, is the constant navigation of it all.

The explaining.
The repeating.
The figuring it out.
The “begging and borrowing” energy that so often comes with simply trying to make things work.

Whether it’s accessibility in travel, or the reality of being charged more for an accessible hotel room, not out of choice, but because there is no other option — these aren’t small things.

They add up.

And they matter.

But here’s another truth that feels important to say:

This conversation cannot rest solely on the shoulders of disabled people.

We all have a role to play.

It can’t just be, “I’ll care when it affects me.”

Because the reality is, it might.

Over 1 billion people worldwide live with a disability. And anyone can become disabled at any time.

There’s no exclusive pass.
No separation of “us” and “them.”

Which is why this matters to all of us.

Not from a place of fear, but from a place of shared humanity.

From understanding that advocating for someone else is contributing to something bigger than yourself.

And I know there’s a narrative out there.

That disabled people are “angry.”
That they’re “going on.”
That it’s “too much.”

But when you really look — those voices are still so small.

So many of the things people were speaking about 20 years ago are still happening now.

Yes, there has been movement.
Yes, there has been change.

But compared to what should be?
It’s minimal.

There are still moments where it feels like a game of chance, like navigating an airport and not knowing if your wheelchair will be there when you land.

Still moments where something simple becomes complicated.

Still moments where you have to ask, explain, repeat, again and again.

And so this is my gentle but honest reminder:

Please keep engaging with these conversations.

Watch my TEDx talk if you haven’t already. Share it. Talk about it.

But more than that, notice.

Notice the people around you.
Notice where things aren’t working.
Notice where someone might be struggling, even if you don’t fully understand why.

You don’t have to have all the answers.

You don’t need a perfect solution or a 12-step plan.

But you can listen.
You can learn.
You can stand alongside.

Because this isn’t about perfection.

It’s about progress.
It’s about awareness.
It’s about creating a world where people feel safe to ask for what they need, without shame, without apology, without resistance.

This isn’t about VIP experiences.

This is about basic human needs.

And while it might feel like these conversations are happening loudly, the truth is, they’re often still quiet.

Much quieter than they should be.

So let’s keep speaking.
Let’s keep opening the space.
Let’s keep choosing to care, even when it doesn’t directly affect us.

Because every voice, every action, every moment of awareness…

It all adds up.

And it all makes a difference.

Thanks for reading and coming to my TEDx talk here!

I’d love to hear from you about this.

All my love

Hannah X