I want to give you a new perspective. That sounds grandiose, and it is. I left Ireland yesterday morning. I traveled from Dublin to New York independently. But the design of an airport, plane and terminal offers little independence when you're 105 and a half centimeters tall. For Americans, that's 3' 5". I was whisked through the airport by airline assistants in a wheelchair. Now, I don't need to use a wheelchair, but the design of an airport and its lack of accessibility means that it's my only way to get through. With my carry-on bag between my feet, I was wheeled through security, preclearance and I arrived at my boarding gate.
我想帶畀你哋一個新嘅視野 聽起來好壯觀,佢的確係 我勤日上晝離開愛爾蘭 從都柏林飛到紐約 自己一個人 但係個飛機場 飛機同機場侯機樓嘅設計 為身高只有 105.5 厘米嘅人 提供好少嘅獨立空間 對美國人嚟講,即係3英尺5英寸 我坐住輪椅,俾工作人員 推住穿過飛機場 其實,我唔使坐輪椅 但係飛機場嘅設計 加上佢冇障礙輔助功能 使到我唯有咁來過個飛機場 我嘅隨身行李放喺腳邊 我被人推過安檢,境外入境審查 之後來佐入機口
I use the accessibility services in the airport because most of the terminal is just not designed with me in mind. Take security, for example. I'm not strong enough to lift my carry-on bag from the ground to the carousel. I stand at eye level with it. And those who work in that space for safety purposes cannot help me and cannot do it for me. Design inhibits my autonomy and my independence. But traveling at this size, it isn't all bad. The leg room in economy is like business class.
我利用無障礙輔助服務 因為多數侯機設計 都無考慮到我咁嘅人 就攞安檢舉個例 我根本就唔夠大隻將我個隨身行李 從地下抬上個運輸帶 我同運輸帶差唔多高矮 係嗰個崗位嘅工作人員 因為安全性嘅緣故 唔可以幫我 設計約束到我嘅自主同獨立能力 但係我咁嘅體型去旅遊,都唔係壞事 經濟艙對我類講,就寬敞到好似商務艙
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
I often forget that I'm a little person. It's the physical environment and society that remind me. Using a public bathroom is an excruciating experience. I walk into the cubicle but I can't reach the lock on the door. I'm creative and resilient. I look around and see if there's a bin that I can turn upside down. Is it safe? Not really. Is it hygienic and sanitary? Definitely not. But the alternative is much worse. If that doesn't work, I use my phone. It gives me an additional four- to six-inch reach, and I try to jam the lock closed with my iPhone. Now, I imagine that's not what Jony Ive had in mind when he designed the iPhone, but it works. The alternative is that I approach a stranger. I apologize profusely and I ask them to stand guard outside my cubicle door. They do and I emerge grateful but absolutely mortified, and hope that they didn't notice that I left the bathroom without washing my hands. I carry hand sanitizer with me every single day because the sink, soap dispenser, hand dryer and mirror are all out of my reach.
我經常都會唔記得我係一位矮人 係物理環境同社會提醒我 去公共廁所係一個好痛苦嘅經驗 我行入去厠所間 但係我手掂唔到個門鎖 我係有創意同適應能力 我睇下有冇垃圾桶可以畀我反過做凳 安全? 唔係 乾淨同衛生? 肯定唔係 但係另外嘅選擇仲衰 如果嗰個方法行唔通,我用手機 佢將我加長四到六英寸 我試著用我嘅蘋果手機去鎖上個門鎖 我惗喬納森艾維 當初設計蘋果唔係畀我咁用嘅 但係呢招真係得 另一個辦法就係去搵生普人幫手 我會猛咁道歉 叫佢哋企喺我廁所間前邊幫我睇住 佢哋就企 之後我猛咁講多謝 又覺得好尷尬 希望佢哋當時冇睇到 我冇洗手就走咗 我日日都會隨身帶消毒洗手液 因為我都唔夠高用 洗手盤,肥皂機,烘乾機,同埋鏡
Now, the accessible bathroom is somewhat of an option. In this space, I can reach the lock on the door, the sink, the soap dispenser, the hand dryer and the mirror. Yet, I cannot use the toilet. It is deliberately designed higher so that wheelchair users can transfer across with ease. This is a wonderful and necessary innovation, but in the design world, when we describe a new project or idea as accessible, what does that mean? Who is it accessible to? And whose needs are not being accommodated for?
宜家,無障礙廁所係我另一個選擇 喺呢個空間裡邊,我可以踮到個門鎖, 洗手盤,肥皂機,烘乾機,同埋塊鏡 冇錯,我仲係用唔到個馬桶 個馬桶設計專登整高啲 咁樣坐輪椅嘅人可以 好容易咁移到馬桶上面 設計得非常之好,仲有創意 設計界裡面嘅無障礙 其實係咩意思呢? 受益者又係邊個呢? 邊啲人需要但又冇被列入考慮範圍?
Now, the bathroom is an example of where design impinges upon my dignity, but the physical environment impacts upon me in much more casual ways too, something as simple as ordering a cup of coffee. Now, I'll admit it. I drink far too much coffee. My order is a skinny vanilla latte, but I'm trying to wean myself off the syrup. But the coffee shop, it's not designed well, at least not for me. Queuing, I'm standing beside the pastry cabinet and the barista calls for the next order. "Next, please!" they shout. They can't see me. The person next to me in the queue points to my existence and everyone is embarrassed. I order as quick as I can and I move along to collect my coffee. Now, think just for a second. Where do they put it? Up high and without a lid. Reaching up to collect a coffee that I have paid for is an incredibly dangerous experience.
廁所就係一個例子 佢嘅設計對我嘅尊嚴帶嚟好大打擊 物理環境更加隨意咁影響我 啲好簡單嘅事,比如叫杯咖啡 我承認 我飲太多咖啡 我通常叫一杯脫脂雲呢嗱拿鐵 我試緊戒糖漿 個咖啡店設計得唔係幾好 至少對我來講 我企喺個甜點壁橱隔離個度排隊 咖啡師叫下一個單時 佢哋叫︰「唔該, 下一位啊。」 佢哋見唔到我 排喺我後邊嘅人會指出我嘅存在 大家都覺得好尷尬 於是我快啲落單,去旁邊等我杯咖啡 大家用幾秒去惗下 佢哋將杯咖啡放喺邊度 放喺高處,仲冇蓋 去攞我畀咗錢嘅咖啡 係好危險嘅體驗
But design also impinges on the clothes that I want to wear. I want garments that reflect my personality. It's difficult to find in the childrenswear department. And often womenswear requires far too many alterations. I want shoes that affect my maturity, professionalism and sophistication. Instead, I'm offered sneakers with Velcro straps and light-up shoes. Now, I'm not totally opposed to light-up shoes.
連服裝設計都會打擊到我 我想買啲可以突顯我嘅個性嘅服裝 只不過咁嘅樣式,喺童裝部好難搵到 好多時候女裝需要修改 我想買會顯得我 成熟,專業,同埋有教養嘅鞋 但係我得有魔術貼嘅帆布鞋 同會發光嘅鞋可以簡 我唔係完完全全唔鍾意發光鞋
(Laughter)
(笑聲)
But design also impacts on such simple things, like sitting on a chair. I cannot go from a standing to a seating position with grace. Due to the standards of design heights of chairs, I have to crawl on my hands and knees just to get on top of it, whilst also being conscious that it might tip over at any stage.
設計同樣影響到一啲好簡單嘅事 就比如坐喺個凳度 從企到坐,我都做唔到優雅 因為凳高度設計嘅標準 我要用手同膝頭哥 爬上個凳度 而個凳分分鐘跌
But whilst design impacts on me whether it's a chair, a bathroom, a coffee shop, or clothes, I rely on and benefit from the kindness of strangers. But not everybody is so nice. I'm reminded that I'm a little person when a stranger points, stares, laughs, calls me a name, or takes a photograph of me. This happens almost every day. With the rise of social media, it has given me an opportunity and a platform to have a voice as a blogger and as an activist, but it has also made me nervous that I might become a meme or a viral sensation, all without my consent.
設計影響我,無論係凳 廁所,咖啡店,亦或買衫 我依靠 生普人嘅善意 但唔係人人都係好人 生普人 指住我 望住我 笑我 同我起花名 或影我相,時時提醒我,我係侏儒 幾乎日日都有咁嘅事 隨著社交媒體變得愈嚟愈廣泛 佢畀咗我個平台做博客同行動家 佢同樣令我緊張 喺無經我同意嘅情況下 我可能變成模因 又或者突然變紅
So let's take a moment right now to make something very clear. The word "midget" is a slur. It evolved from PT Barnum's era of circuses and freak shows. Society has evolved. So should our vocabulary. Language is a powerful tool. It does not just name our society. It shapes it.
所以宜家我哋就用啲時間 講清啲事 「侏儒」係個貶義詞 佢係從巴納姆嘅馬戲團 同畸形秀時代演變出嚟 社會已經變咗 所以我咃嘅用詞要跟上 語言係一個強大嘅工具 佢唔單止畀我咃社會名義 佢仲塑造社會
I am incredibly proud to be a little person, to have inherited the condition of achondroplasia. But I am most proud to be Sinead. Achondroplasia is the most common form of dwarfism. Achondroplasia translates as "without cartilage formation." I have short limbs and achondroplastic facial features, my forehead and my nose. My arms do not straighten fully, but I can lick my elbow. I'm not showing you that one. Achondroplasia occurs in approximately one in every 20,000 births. 80 percent of little people are born to two average-height parents. That means that anybody in this room could have a child with achondroplasia. Yet, I inherited my condition from my dad. I'd like to show you a photo of my family. My mother is average height, my father is a little person and I am the eldest of five children. I have three sisters and one brother. They are all average height. I am incredibly fortunate to have been born into a family that cultivated my curiosity and my tenacity, that protected me from the unkindness and ignorance of strangers and that armed me with the resilience, creativity and confidence that I needed to survive and manipulate the physical environment and society. If I was to pinpoint any reason why I am successful, it is because I was and I am a loved child, now, a loved child with a lot of sass and sarcasm, but a loved child nonetheless.
因為軟骨發育不全症遺傳 成為矮人,我覺得好自豪 我最自豪嘅就係身為西尼德 軟骨發育不全症係最常見嘅侏儒症 又叫「冇軟骨形成」 我手短腳短 面部有軟骨發育不全嘅特徵 比如我嘅額頭同鼻 我兩隻手申唔直 但係我舔到自己嘅手肘 我係唔會秀畀你睇 每約2萬名新生嬰, 就有一名患上軟骨發育不全症 80% 矮人嘅父母都係中等身高 即係話任何人都有可能 生軟骨發育不全嘅BB 我係因為爸爸嘅遺傳 我畀你哋睇下我嘅全家福 我媽咪嘅身高中等 我爹地係矮人 我係最大嘅家庭成員 我有三個妹,一個細佬 佢哋都係中等身高 我好幸運生係一個 培養我嘅好奇心同韌力嘅家庭 喺陌生人嘅不友善對待, 同愚昧影響下保護我 令我能屈能伸, 有喺物理環境和社會生存 嘅創意同自信心 如果我講出我成功嘅一個因素 就係,我一直都係一個受寵愛嘅囡囡 一個牙尖嘴利嘅受寵愛囡囡 但無論係點,我都係被寵愛嘅
In giving you an insight into who I am today I wanted to offer you a new perspective. I wanted to challenge the idea that design is but a tool to create function and beauty. Design greatly impacts upon people's lives, all lives. Design is a way in which we can feel included in the world, but it is also a way in which we can uphold a person's dignity and their human rights. Design can also inflict vulnerability on a group whose needs aren't considered.
我畀咗你哋,一個我係邊個嘅睇法 我想畀你哋一個全新嘅視野 我想要挑戰嘅概念係 設計係一個創造功能同美麗嘅工具 設計對人嘅生活影響好大 所有人 設計係一種令我哋覺得 俾世界接納嘅方式 亦係一個維護尊嚴同人權嘅方式 設計同樣可以 傷害一個需要被忽視嘅群體
So today, I want your perceptions challenged. Who are we not designing for? How can we amplify their voices and their experiences? What is the next step? Design is an enormous privilege, but it is a bigger responsibility. I want you to open your eyes.
所以,今日我想挑戰各位嘅觀念 我哋設計冇考慮咩人? 我哋點樣可以放大 佢哋嘅聲音同經驗? 下一步係咩? 設計係個龐大嘅特權 亦係更加大嘅責任 我想你哋擘大你哋嘅眼睛
Thank you so much.
多謝大家
(Applause)
(拍手)