As a professional speaker, Gary Karp serves a range of clientele at conferences, universities, corporations, and government agencies, Gary Karp gives us an authentic understanding of the human experience of disability.
During this compelling and insightful interview, Gary takes us inside the disability perspective, marked by a focus on possibility rather than limitation, on removing obstacles and expanding options, on self-acceptance rather than regret. He describes the recent transformations in our society that have unleashed the very real potential of great numbers of people for whom a disability no longer precludes full participation — and meaningful contribution.
Employers willing to embrace this fresh, business-savvy look at what Gary calls “Modern Disability” will be better able to tap into the growing pool of qualified talent that people with disabilities represent. Many people still face barriers to their goals in the guise of employers who incorrectly assume that disability by itself equates with a lack of skills or lowered productivity — to the detriment of workers and of organizations pursuing success.
At the age of 18, Gary fell from a tree breaking two vertebrae and injuring his spinal cord, since which time he has been a wheelchair user. He describes the process of rehabilitation, adjustment, and integration that has allowed him to move forward to a very rich and productive life, in which his disability became a “new normal” for him.
Gary has been speaking and training professionally for 16 years, on occasion beyond the shores of the U.S. He is based in Phoenix, Arizona, is the author of three books, including his definitive guide, “Life On Wheels,” and has produced a groundbreaking computer-based awareness training for the workplace called “Real People. Real Potential.”
Learn more about Gary and his offerings at www.ModernDisability.com
Andy Curry
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