logo
episode-header-image
Today
9m 2s

I can't speak. Here's how I get people t...

TED
About this episode
Jessica Irwin is many things: a photographer, artist, author, performer. She also happens to be nonverbal, born with cerebral palsy that affects the muscles she needs to talk. Speaking through a device that turns her typed words into speech, she gives a sharp, funny and urgent reminder that being unable to speak has nothing to do with intelligence — and shares a few easy ways anyone can better communicate with nonverbal people.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Yesterday
How would you design your dream city? | James Rojas
Urban planner James Rojas has led hundreds of workshops where participants creatively design their ideal communities with small objects — and he's noticed that people of every age, income and background build strikingly similar places. Through play and storytelling, he shows how ... Show More
14m 58s
Oct 20
Why the best learners talk to themselves | Tania Lombrozo
With more information at our fingertips than ever before, learning should be getting easier ... yet the opposite seems to be true, says cognitive scientist Tania Lombrozo. Drawing on her research into how our minds understand and reason, she explores why more information can actu ... Show More
18m 37s
Oct 19
What if you could read the DNA of your future child? | Noor Siddiqui
For all of human history, a baby's DNA was determined by chance at conception: the so-called genetic lottery. "That era is over," says Noor Siddiqui, whose company builds screening tools to read the whole genome of embryos in an effort to give parents more genetic information tha ... Show More
15m 29s
Recommended Episodes
Sep 2022
We Contain Multitudes
In an era dominated by labels, how can we fully embrace the nuances of being human? This hour, TED speakers share ideas for reconciling conflicting emotions and circumstances to make art and find joy. Guests include authors Gabby Rivera and Susan Cain, musician and podcast creato ... Show More
49m 38s
Apr 2017
Pod Save the People - TEASER
Organizer and activist DeRay Mckesson takes you inside conversations about culture, social justice, and politics by exploring the history, language, and people who are shaping the struggle for progress — and talking about the steps that each of us can take to make a difference. 
1m 23s
Jul 2024
How To (Realistically) Romanticise Your Life
tail spinning
27m 34s
Jul 2023
Katie Sparkes on Diversity and Creativity
tail spinning
22m 26s
Oct 2024
off the record: life-changing advice, burnout, & bucket lists
tail spinning
54m 45s
Aug 2021
Listen Again: Finding Another Way
Original Broadcast Date: September 4, 2020. Conflict is a part of life. But in a polarized world, reaching a resolution is harder than ever. This hour, TED speakers explore creative and extraordinary ways of approaching conflict. Guests on the show include authors Shaka Senghor a ... Show More
50m 26s
Sep 2021
Break out of hustle culture and find long term success
Author Dorie Clark explores how a “portfolio career” of diversified skill sets and sources of income can offer big possibilities. This talk was filmed at TEDxLugano. All TEDx events are organized independently by volunteers in the spirit of TED's mission of ideas worth spreading. ... Show More
7m 22s