“Am I disabled? »: Confronting your internalized ableism Jo Copson TEDxYouth@BrayfordPool

Do you feel “lucky” not to be disabled? Do you really know that you are not disabled? Society largely views disability as a personal tragedy and considers non-disabled people lucky to not be in the same situation. Jo encourages audiences to confront their internalized ableism and challenge their perceptions of what it means to be disabled. It also looks at the most common disability faced by individuals; Company.

In 2019, Jo was diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, a chronic connective tissue disorder affecting her joints, digestion, circulation, cognition, vision and mental health. After this diagnosis, Jo was forced to question her own internalized ableism in order to adequately support herself. After better understanding her own abilities, Jo began to advocate for those in a similar situation to herself. She has spent the last year as Disability Lead for Lincoln SU, whilst completing her Masters through research at the University of Lincoln. Jo also runs an advocacy account on Instagram, inspired by Amy Lee Fisher, where she posts about her life with EDS and raises awareness about the condition. 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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