# Disabled Reality | Dr. Ashley Shew | TEDxBoulder

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfFgR3cq_yE
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/pfFgR3cq_yE
Generated: 2025-11-24T20:06:00.804+00:00

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## Quick Overview

Dr. Ashley Shew argues that the societal narrative surrounding disability, often framed by technologists and doctors, positions disabled people as perpetual consumers or victims needing fixing, rather than as experts of their own embodied reality, leading to technologies like AI proctoring and specialized devices that often amplify existing biases and create new barriers for disabled individuals.

**Key Points:**
- Shew identifies the prevailing narrative as one where disabled people are viewed as passive recipients of help or consumers needing to be 'fixed' by technology and medical professionals.
- She coined the term 'techno-ableism' to describe the trend where technology reinforces ableist biases, citing examples like AI proctoring services and expensive mobility aids that are often poorly designed for real-world use.
- The speaker notes that medical textbooks and behavioral techniques often focus on eradicating disability rather than accepting it as part of universal existence.
- She points out that disability visibility in media often falls into the trap of making disabled people seem inspirational solely for existing, obscuring the systemic barriers they face.
- Shew states that many technologies, like ADA-compliant designs or even new prosthetics, fail because they are created without input from the disabled community, leading to expensive, impractical solutions.
- She concludes that the future is disabled, implying that disability is a normal, inherent part of the human condition that technology should adapt to, not try to erase.

![Screenshot at 00:12: The speaker displays a customized Pokémon card titled "Lap Amputation EX" with humorous abilities like "Hulk smoosh" and "Sock Hop" to illustrate the personalization and reality of living with a disability, contrasting it with external perceptions.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/pfFgR3cq_yE/00-00-12.png)

**Context:** Dr. Ashley Shew delivers a TEDxBoulder talk titled "Dreams & Reality" focusing on the concept of techno-ableism and how technology and societal perceptions often fail the disability community. She shares personal experiences, including surviving cancer and living with an amputation, to critique the prevailing medical and technological narratives that position disabled individuals as problems to be solved rather than experts of their own lives.

## Detailed Analysis

Dr. Ashley Shew opens by acknowledging her personal history, including battling Crohn's disease and cancer, and living with an amputation for over a decade. She critiques the common societal approach to disability, which she terms 'techno-ableism,' where technology and medical practice are designed to 'fix' or eradicate disability, rather than accommodate it. She cites the example of an amputee prosthetic costing $2,000 and having year-long waiting lists, and hearing aids that are constantly being re-engineered to 'cure' deafness, suggesting these efforts often fail because they lack input from the disabled community. She references Jillian Weise's quote, "There's always someone inventing a new hell for us," to emphasize how well-intentioned but poorly executed technologies—like AI proctoring services or job application portals that screen out disabled applicants—can actively harm or exclude users. Shew argues that the media often reduces disabled people to inspirational figures, which ignores the daily reality of navigating inaccessible systems. She concludes by asserting that "The future is disabled," meaning that societal infrastructure, including technology, must adapt to the reality of human variation rather than forcing disabled people to conform or be perpetually dependent on flawed solutions.

### Introduction and Personal Context

- Speaker introduces herself as a disabled person surviving Crohn's disease, cancer, and amputation for a decade
- She references an anecdote about collecting diagnoses (amputation, chronic illness) like Pokémon cards
- She notes that being disabled is easier than becoming disabled.

### Critique of Techno-Ableism

- Shew defines techno-ableism as the bias in technology design that seeks to erase disability rather than accommodate it
- She criticizes the focus on 'curing' deafness or creating expensive, poorly designed prosthetics and wheelchairs without user input.

### Societal Narratives

- The speaker points out that disability is often portrayed in media as something to overcome inspirationally, rather than a normal part of human existence
- She cites the quote, "There's always someone inventing a new hell for us" (Jillian Weise, 2019), regarding harmful tech like AI proctoring.

### Conclusion and Call to Action

- Shew asserts that "The future is disabled," meaning systems must adapt to universal existence, not the other way around
- She stresses that disabled people are experts in their own needs and should be central to the design and execution of technology and accommodations.

![Screenshot at 00:01: The opening slide displaying the event logo: TEDxBoulder.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/pfFgR3cq_yE/00-00-01.png)
![Screenshot at 00:12: A custom Pokémon card graphic titled "Lap Amputation EX" illustrating the speaker's humorous take on collecting diagnoses.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/pfFgR3cq_yE/00-00-12.png)
![Screenshot at 00:40: Speaker referencing notes on her phone while discussing neurotoxic chemotherapy.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/pfFgR3cq_yE/00-00-40.png)
![Screenshot at 04:40: A slide displaying the quote: "There's always someone inventing a new hell for us." -The Cyborg Jillian Weise, 2019.](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/pfFgR3cq_yE/00-04-40.png)
![Screenshot at 12:22: The main takeaway slide appears: "The future is disabled."](https://ss.rapidrecap.app/screens/pfFgR3cq_yE/00-12-22.png)