Through her inspiring talk, Ms. Louis is a champion for the powerful idea that individuals with disabilities can be successful and contributing members of the workforce and society. Her talk poignantly combines the resilience of the ecosystem that she has created for a stronger society. Ms. Beverly Louis Founder, Mann & Karmann.

 

Ms. Louis began her journey 20 years ago, training individuals with disabilities, which evolved into her life's purpose. Through her efforts and those of her team, they've enabled over 500 people with disabilities to attain financial independence by providing job-specific training and placement opportunities.

 

After gaining deep insights into the lives of the intellectually challenged from low-income families, Ms. Louis and her team recognised that these young adults were inherently capable. They were quick to learn through imitation and possessed an untapped potential. The conviction that they deserved to experience all that life has to offer sparked the idea of Mann whose early mission was wanting them to experience the world just as much as we do, but this gradually evolved into a larger goal of integrating them into their families, communities, workplaces and society. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.