Your disabilities do not define you. When you introduce yourself, you don’t say: Hello, my name is…and I have ovarian cancer. Or I’m autistic. Or I’m paralyzed from the waist down. No, you don’t say that, because that not all you are; in fact, it’s barely even an important part of you.

Our world is full of people, people of all ages, of all races, of all sizes and shapes and personalities.

It is full of people who can speak for themselves: self-assured, self-confidant people. But it is also full of people who can’t contribute. Can’t contribute because they can’t speak, can’t hear, or can’t see. Can’t contribute because they can’t get on their feet or they’re deathly afraid of crowds. Can’t reach out because nobody believes in them, because they’ve been pushed down all their lives. Can’t try because they’re bound by the law.

But does this mean they aren’t speaking? This world is full of people screaming! Screaming their lungs out, and we don’t hear.

Let me ask you this: What exactly would happened if we stopped our busy lives for a moment? If we leaned back, took our earbuds out, and just listened to all these voices? All these fresh voices with fresh ideas that we have never heard before?

What would happen?