Tara Geraghty-Ellis
I was born with multiple varied visible and non-visible disabilities. I guess you would call me a thriver, because from the very beginning I wasn't supposed to live or function. My high school even shredded my university applications without my knowledge or consent because "a special education student doesn't belong in university." Despite numerous obstacles, I went on to earn three degrees including a Masters Degree in Social Work. I transitioned to entrepreneurship and kept my vision of helping myself and others with disabilities thrive as my driving force. In July 2021, I started a community on Facebook called Empowered To Thrive, to help entrepreneurs with disabilities raise their profiles and secure financial opportunities, while also helping people whose health status or inclination does not lean toward entrepreneurship an opportunity to work. I envision a future in which all nation states will provide a living allowance in keeping with the local and national current cost of living, and enhanced in proportion to the disability costs needed to live a high quality of life. In this envisioned future, people would be supported to work according to their skills, abilities and passions but not mandated to work to ease someone's "burden". We would be seen as the valuable people we are and live accordingly
