Welcome to Life with Short Arms!

Merci beaucoup pour l’organisation de cette conférence. J’ai vraiment apprécié y assister. Ce qui m’a particulièrement marqué, c’est l’importance accordée à l’expérience vécue. Cela m’a rappelé que les personnes qui vivent avec un handicap apportent une perspective essentielle pour améliorer l’accessibilité et l’inclusion. J’ai aussi trouvé très inspirant le message sur l’importance de parler ouvertement du handicap et de

normaliser ces conversations. J’ai également aimé la façon dont l’humour et l’authenticité ont été utilisés pour aborder un sujet parfois difficile. Cela rend les discussions plus humaines et accessibles pour tout le monde. Merci encore pour cette

initiative et pour avoir créé un espace où ces échanges peuvent avoir lieu. Cela m’a vraiment fait réfléchir et apprendre.

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Thank you very much for organizing this conference. I truly appreciated the opportunity to attend.  What stood out to me the most was the importance placed on lived experience. It reminded me that people who live with disabilities bring an essential perspective when it comes to improving accessibility and inclusion. I also found the message about speaking openly about disability and normalizing these conversations very inspiring.  I also appreciated the way humour and authenticity were used to address a topic that can sometimes be difficult. It made the discussion feel more human and accessible for everyone.

Thank you again for this initiative and for creating a space where these conversations can take place. It truly gave me a lot to reflect on and learn from.

Christen is an inspiring, personable and witty speaker with an admirable ability to connect with others. Two takeaways stuck with me - the importance of community in navigating this journey as PwD, and to have the mindset of kids who can ask questions

honestly and openly (generally speaking) about disabilities and just be accepting

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Amazing talk! Perfect energy! Great message of hope and inspiration! A lot of insights for both PwD and non-PwD. I like EVERYTHING about it! We need more Christen in our day to day!

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This was one of the most inspiring, genuine speakers I’ve had the pleasure of listening to. Her approach to life is one we should all inspire to replicate. It's rare that I leave a session feeling so positive. Just AMAZING!!!!

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I appreciated how authentic, honest, raw and informal it was. She tells it like it is. I think we need more of that!

I met Christen when we both got selected to do a TEDx talk. We hit it off right away. I'm so thankful for Christen's friendship. She truly helped me through the last 5 months prepping for our talks and being my hype woman. I really couldn't have done it without her. Such a great start to a beautiful friendship! I truly look at life differently now! She helped me to always think about accessibility and the importance of advocating for those with disabilities to make life easier. She speaks about it in a way that is straightforward coupled with humor. She is an engaging speaker and I count myself lucky to witness her process and be there behind the scenes of her TEDx talk. She made me laugh and cry and definitely see the world differently. Follow her to see what it's like to live with short arms, listen to her stories, and help move the world to a more accessible culture!

- Kyla Bernardo, TEDx Speaker

If you're looking for someone who can inspire change while keeping things real, relatable, and fun, Christen is your gal! She's the kind of speaker who makes you feel like you're chatting with a good friend — and you'll leave with a whole new perspective on inclusion and resilience. Christen is a force to be reckoned with. She has an incredible ability to relate to VERY diverse audiences: from high-ranking federal government executives to everyday folks, she blends humour and heart into any event with ease. Her positivity is contagious, and her message sticks with you long after she’s left the stage. 

- Valerie Tan, Toronto, ON

Christen may have short arms, but she has a long reach that pulls you in to her world, and asks you to stay there awhile. She smashes subconscious bias, by shining a light on what every day in her life looks like. You can't help but wonder, then, seeing the world fresh through your eyes, but also with the memory of how she deftly skewers design choices that don't reflect universal design, how someone else could reach the creamer for their milk way back on that counter. That is the gift Christen gives you - the opportunity to engage with the world, armed with the insight that we can all help make it better.

- Justin Simard, singer, writer, actor, director, and disability advocate

Hearing Christen speak about her challenges with accessibility has truly been an eye-opening experience for me. It’s helped me see the world from her perspective, having to navigate it with

short arms and the unique obstacles she faces every day. Before, I didn’t fully realize just how difficult these challenges can be, and how much of the world isn’t designed with her needs, and

those of others, in mind. Listening to her share her experiences has deepened my understanding of the importance of accessibility and the changes needed to create a more inclusive, accessible environment for everyone. I’m grateful to now have this insight and for my heightened awareness of the need to consider different perspectives in our everyday lives. Christen is an amazing advocate and is working diligently to change the world for those who struggle to live their lives in it.

-Erin Ramsay