How to Interact with Disabled People | Victoria Hamilton | TEDxYouth@Columbia (09:45)

At age 13, Victoria’s guidance counselor told her that her disability meant that she would never be able to attend her dream school. Such everyday interactions with individuals and institutions can be frustrating for people with disabilities and through this talk, Victoria explains how society can better relate to those whose challenges seem incomprehensible. Victoria Hamilton (College of Charleston, ‘14) is changing how the world views disabled people in higher education. Hamilton (born July 11, 1991) grew up in Roswell, Georgia and was diagnosed with cerebral palsy after her mother noticed she wasn’t hitting her developmental milestones. After not being able to speak, she was enrolled in full-time speech therapy all that lasted through secondary school. After graduating with a B.S degree in psychology, Hamilton became a childcare provider for disabled children. She works at the Medical University of South Carolina, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and Savannah Memorial Health Hospital serving the disabled community. She is the Disability Specialist at the College of Charleston’s center for disabilities services. She recently got accepted to Wheelock’s Master of Social Work program. Although it has taken years of hard work, cerebral palsy has not stopped her from overcoming these obstacles. 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