When Steve Tyler discovered that employment rates for disabled people haven't changed in six decades, he knew something had to give. The system was failing disabled people worldwide despite mountains of legislation and well-meaning initiatives. That realization led him to accept the leadership role at BillionStrong, a global organization representing disability communities across more than 100 countries.
In this candid conversation, Tyler reveals the alarming disconnect between policy discussions and real-world improvements for disabled people. Despite technological advances, 95% of websites remain inaccessible, assistive technology prices continue to soar, and finding basic accessible products remains frustratingly difficult. The problem isn't a lack of effort – it's a lack of coordination. With dozens of organizations tackling the same problems in isolation, resources are wasted and progress stalls.
Tyler shares a compelling vision for how BillionStrong will transform this landscape through the power of "convening." Drawing from past successes like the DAISY Consortium and collaborative braille display initiatives, he demonstrates how unifying fragmented efforts creates the collective influence needed to drive meaningful change. The approach is elegantly simple yet revolutionary: give disabled people a genuine voice in setting priorities, bring organizations together to solve specific problems, and leverage existing infrastructure rather than reinventing wheels.
What makes BillionStrong different is its "think global, act local" strategy – creating chapters that address local needs while connecting to a worldwide movement. With support from partners like Amazon, they're already discovering "accidental surprises of accessibility" that point to exciting possibilities ahead. Join the movement at billion-strong.org and be part of the solution that will finally break six decades of stagnation in disability rights.
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