Before becoming a global advocate for inclusive design, Sinéad Burke was a teacher with a challenge — she couldn't reach the blackboard, the light switch or the kettle in the staffroom. Standing at 3’5” due to achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism, Burke had to be endlessly creative to navigate schools not designed with her in mind.
“It is my great mission, both from a personal and professional perspective, to create a more equitable and accessible world by specifically designing alongside disabled people,” she said.
Burke is now the founder and CEO of Tilting the Lens; a consultancy that helps organizations integrate accessibility into their workplaces, spanning from the built environment, digital accessibility, research and product design, and the recruitment and retention of disabled people. The 34-year old who is based in Trim, Ireland has since collaborated with large global brands such as Gucci, Netflix, Pinterest and Starbucks.
“My job is to facilitate learning, innovation and education by centering it on disabled people,” she said.
Burke was a keynote speaker at Scotiabank’s International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPWD) employee-wide event in Toronto. One of the central messages of the hybrid event was that accessibility by design should be implemented from the very beginning and not seen as an afterthought. IDPWD is recognized annually on Dec. 3 by the United Nations.
In her presentation, Burke provided some ways people and organizations can be more proactive in their support of people with disabilities.
Language matters but shouldn’t be a barrier
Burke said people often want to be allies, but don’t know how to approach it or are afraid of making a mistake. “Well-intentioned non-disabled people often say to me, ‘I don't know what language to use’,” said Burke.
She told the audience that vocabulary around language and disability is often subjective, personal, and regional, but it is still better to have the conversation than not, and we should prioritize the inclusion of disabled people, rather than our own individual discomfort.
“If you are well-intentioned, if you are making attempts at being inclusive and accessible and non-insulting, the majority of disabled people will welcome that and will support the language and the learning,” she said. Interacting, learning, and having those conversations is critical.
Accessibility as an investment
Burke believes organizations need to view accessibility as an investment, particularly as the emphasis on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) grows in importance.
“We begin to think about it in terms of shareholder value, executive leadership teams, quarterly reporting to boards. We need to ask ‘how are we prioritizing accessibility? Does accessibility feed into a DEI landscape? What are the ways we're mandating the conversation of accessibility at the highest levels of the organization from an HR and people and culture perspective?’” she said.
“If you are well-intentioned, if you are making attempts at being inclusive and accessible and non-insulting, the majority of disabled people will welcome that and will support the language and the learning.”
Burke said we need to ensure Employees with Disabilities know that the accommodations are in place and can comfortably communicate their requirements. She believes the core message is that Persons with Disabilities should not be seen as a cost to the business, but instead that providing accessibility is an investment and provides benefit to the organization.
Inquiring openly about accommodation needs
Burke believes we should make a habit of inquiring about people’s needs in a natural way to lift the emotional burden from those who require accommodation. “In the same way that bringing people together over a meal we might ask them what their dietary requirements are, I think we need to get more habitual about having conversations rather than expecting disabled people to do so much emotional labour,” she said.
Ideas for consideration
Burke believes that there is a great opportunity to think about how we leverage and use artificial intelligence and assistive technologies.
“Microsoft Teams’ Co-Pilot is an AI-supported tool that gives access to so many, whether that is the availability of AI captions or a transcription that is available after the meeting,” she said.
Burke also highlighted streaming services that have made huge strides in accessibility. “Whether you use Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime... every piece of content comes by design with captions and audio description in multiple languages. We are seeing progress, but we need more,” she said.
Whether it’s rethinking fashion, architecture, or product design, Burke’s mission is clear: to create a world where no one is excluded simply because of how they interact with their environment.
When you create for people on “the margins,” you improve things for everyone. “We need to build design-thinking into our way of working, so that disabled people can thrive not just in the roles that they have today, but in the long term.”
