Sean Gold
Sean Gold is a young, black, gay man with a disability, his desire is to enlighten, inform and support others in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, and beyond. He is an advocate for people with disabilities, an author, a public speaker, and has one Microsoft certification for web design. In 2020, Sean was elected as president of the disability-owned nonprofit organization, Coalition in Truth and Independence. In 2021, he published his debut book, “Pure Love, Or Is It?” In 2023, Gold became the Media Director of FestAbility and a board member of Saint Louis Publishers Association. He is currently attending UMSL for his bachelor’s degree in English.
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Accessibility in a Digital and Physical World
Accessibility isn’t just about ramps and elevators; it’s about creating spaces where everyone can participate fully, whether online or in person.
Sean explains why digital and physical accessibility must go hand-in-hand, sharing practical strategies to make events, websites, classrooms, and communities truly inclusive.
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Intersectionality of Disabilities
Disability intersects with every aspect of identity: race, gender, sexual orientation, and more, but is often overlooked in these conversations.
Sean explores how disability weaves into all identities and why understanding this intersectionality is essential for real equity and inclusion.
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Ableism: Recognizing and Challenging Disability Discrimination
Ableism is the everyday discrimination and systemic barriers that disabled and chronically ill people face, often invisibly. Sean breaks down the many forms of ableism takes from subtle microaggressions to outright exclusion, and reveals how it harms individuals and communities. Through personal stories and cultural examples, he equips audiences with the awareness and tools to identify ableism in their lives, workplaces, and society, and to actively challenge it to create more inclusive spaces.
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Disability History and Pride
From the “Ugly Laws” to the Americans with Disabilities Act, disability history is a story of resilience and activism. Sean takes audiences through key moments in the movement, revealing how understanding the past empowers the fight for justice and pride today.
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Black Disabled History and Culture
Living at the intersection of Blackness and disability, Sean highlights how disability often gets erased in racial justice discussions. He celebrates the contributions, resilience, and culture of Black disabled communities while advocating for centering these voices in conversations about racism, police violence, poverty, and systemic inequities.
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Disability Inclusion and Accommodations in Education
Segregating disabled students perpetuates inequality. Sean discusses why inclusive classrooms and tailored accommodations benefit all learners, helping break down barriers to education and life success.
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AI: Modern-Day Accessibility and Communication Tool
Artificial intelligence is reshaping how disabled people communicate and access the world. Sean explores how AI can function like, or even expand upon, traditional augmentative communication (AAC) devices, empowering independence, creativity, and connection. Audiences will gain a clear understanding of AI’s potential as an inclusive tool, as well as its limitations, and why embracing it can open new doors rather than create barriers.
See Sean Gold in action.
Host, Crippled By Culture
Sean Gold is a young, black, gay man with a disability, his desire is to enlighten, inform and support others in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri, and beyond. He is an advocate for people with disabilities, an author, a public speaker, and has one Microsoft certification for web design. In 2020, Sean was elected as president of the disability-owned nonprofit organization, Coalition in Truth and Independence. In 2021, he published his debut book, “Pure Love, Or Is It?” In 2023, Gold became the Media Director of FestAbility and a board member of Saint Louis Publishers Association. He is currently attending UMSL for his bachelor’s degree in English.
Gold began public speaking at the age of 16. He was flown out to Houston, Texas two years in a row to present at a Cerebral Palsy conference that his former neurologist puts on each year. Before his nineteenth birthday, Sean auditioned for a TedTalk in Saint Louis which he got to present in 2019 titled The Obstacles of Disabilities after his twentieth birthday. Since then, he’s given over fifteen talks over disability advocacy, Justice, education, and inclusion.
Sean hosts a YouTube series, Crippled by Culture, that debuted in January of 2023 where he discusses and interviews both disabled and nondisabled people on the intersections of disabilities and topics that interest each guest. He has his “voice” speak out everything that’s written in a document that he types up beforehand, and any additional comments and questions he has during the interview.
He considers his faith, family, and friends the most important things in his life. His physical disability is Cerebral Palsy, and he has had a Tracheostomy Breathing Tube since he was only one and a half years old. Even though he’s nonverbal, it doesn’t get in the way of his love of creative writing, and storytelling.
