Ingrid Palmer

Ingrid took part in Sync Ontario in 2020

She is a public speaker.

“I am still all about amplifying voices, representing intersectional leadership, and participating in work that brings about positive change for people with disabilities.”

Through my work in advocacy and education on anti-ableism, I have been able to root out my own internalized ableism as I simultaneously empower others- peers and allies alike.

Being an artistic Black woman with a disability in the ranks of senior leadership is still considered novel in many sectors although intersectionality is becoming a bigger priority.

The chainmail metaphor remains a reflective symbol of my nature, but it too has transformed. Like chainmail I have grown in a piecemeal pattern, acquiring increasing levels of confidence and self-awareness, while weaving my natural ambivert tendencies into increasingly intricate outward expressions (knowledge, skill, performance, presentation).

Chainmail is made up of tightly interconnected rings that have a space in the middle. The duality of closed but open space which is my power – building community between diverse groups, nurturing belonging and inclusion because together we are a strong, beautiful amour better able to nullify the forces of hate, discrimination and stigma. The chainmail no longer separates me from others, it’s a connector that brings us together in ways that are multifaceted and beneficial in different ways to accommodate different needs, at different times, in different spaces.

My leadership has transformed, I am more confident, bold. I am still about championing causes particularly intersectional disability. I continue to seek out personal development opportunities to continue to live uncompromised, uninhibited, embracing all of me, wielding power, and changing the world.

It’s great to not hide my disability but to flaunt it as an asset to leadership.

Ingrid Palmer

Other Leaders