Dare to Disrupt Episode 11 – Rejecting the Label of Disabled with Susan Robinson

Susan Robinson is a speaker, consultant and leader making an impact on the world in a truly unique way. Through her corporate and conference keynote, commencement addresses, workshops, client initiatives and writing, she masterfully blends over 25 years of multi-sector leadership with her experiences being legally blind to shift thinking, elevate potential and inspire action. She has worked with global firms and Fortune 500 companies, top not-for-profit organizations, leading universities and the United Nations. She presented a TED Talk in 2017 entitled “How I Fail at Being Disabled,” which has over 1.5M views. 

In this episode, Robinson talks about how she adapted to her vision impairment in her day-to-day life. She also shares the inspiration behind her TED Talk, and what the experience of being a TED Resident was like.

At the end of the episode, Belle Peterson, a junior studying Biobehavioral Health with a minor in Global Health,  joins the conversation. She is the Co-Founder and Senior Health Analyst of Apoio, an Electronic Health Record platform that works to expand psychological and psychiatric care, by streamlining the diagnostic process and identifying patients with complex medical histories. Peterson talks to Robinson about the meaning of legacy, as well as how Robinson navigates negativity and inequality in her field.

Episode Chapters

0:00 – 5:50 Influence of childhood priest on life

5:50 – 17:11 Genetic vision impairment diagnosis, impact on career

17:11 – 23:02 Health policy and administration work post-college

23:02 – 33:25 TED Talk experience

33:25 – 37:58 public speaking and consulting as a career

37:58 – 54:33 Student section

About Susan Robinson

Susan Robinson is a speaker, consultant and leader. She graduated from Penn State in 1994 with a degree in health policy and administration.

Download the full episode transcript

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Dare to Disrupt is a podcast about Penn State alumni who are innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders, and the stories behind their success. Learn more.