Ingrid Palmer

Powerful & Acclaimed Visually Impaired Storyteller, DEI Thought Leader, Human Rights Advocate, Author

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Ingrid Palmer

Request Ingrid

Ingrid Palmer (she, her), is an award winning speaker, bestselling author, and social justice consultant. She is the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility Leading To Belonging *(IDEAL-2B) Chief Officer at Realize Canada.

As a visually impaired former foster kid Mrs. Palmer founded Focus On Ability to combat ableism, challenge bias, promote universal belonging, drive systemic change and debunk myths and stereotypes of stigmatized identities. Ingrid’s dedication to advancing DEI principle is deeply rooted in her living experiences of early childhood trauma, foster care, disability, and gender based violence. As a human rights advocate, she has championed issues in the housing, poverty, education, disability, and child welfare sectors.

Ingrid’s powerful and acclaimed storytelling commands and captivates the audiences globally. Sharing traditionally unheard perspectives of intersectionality, marginalized leadership, and community capacity, her presentations bring the interests of voices pushed to the margins, back to the forefront with the goal of building a world where everyone feels place and belonging.

Ingrid has been featured in a variety of media outlets such as CTV, Global News, the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Breakfast Television, Toronto Life, and the Toronto Star. For over a decade she has worked to enhance the lives of marginalized people – those living in poverty, youth in and from care, persons with disabilities and speaking against gender based violence, and oppression in all its forms.

She holds two hospitality diplomas, a BA in French Studies, a certificate from Harvard Business School in Power and Influence, as well as being certified as a facilitator, in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, and Mental Health First Aid. Ingrid has participated in the creation of educational resources in collaboration with Humber College, Holland-Bloorview, and the Institute for Research and Inclusion and Society (IRIS).

Out From The Margins: An Intersectional Story of Triumph

(Ideal Audiences: Corporate, Non-profit, Government)

From obscurity to significance! This is a story of the positive impacts of focused leadership and the triumph of the human spirit.

In this talk, Ingrid Palmer shares her experiences as a visually impaired, gender non-conforming Black female in foster care. She shares how carrying that much intersectionality pushed her to the farthest regions of social precarity and how confronting adversity and inequity in every area of life has been a lifelong occurrence.

This powerful narrative unpacks layered oppression, bias, and barriers to employment for people with disabilities. Ingrid highlights how individuals and organizations can prioritize diversity and foster environments that nurture belonging and opportunity for historically equity-denied communities.

In spite of her challenges, Ingrid pushed hard and successfully graduated from college and university only to find herself chronically unemployed due to ableist attitudes in the labour force. “I felt wasted more than anything else.” After 20 years she emerged as a leader in a senior level position in a non-profit association.

Learning Objectives/Overall Audience Takeaways:
>The audience will receive insights into intersectionality, layered adversity, and bias.

>Ingrid will provide suggestions on achieving a sense of community, and belonging at your organization, how to prioritize gender equity and diversity, and shed light on what may be getting in the way.
Checking Your Ingredients: A Recipe For Allyship and Cross-Community Partnership

(Ideal Audiences: Community Organizations, Corporate, Non-profit/Associations)

Full participation in society remains an area of privilege where people with disabilities are still disproportionately left out of. In this compelling presentation, Ingrid Palmer shares her experiences with service providers in the education, health and child welfare systems to illustrate the impacts of bias vs belief and what it takes to be an ally that counts.

As an androgynous Black woman with a disability who aged out of child protective custody into an inclusive adverse world, for Ingrid it was not a question of whether she would face oppression each day, but rather a question of what form(s) would manifest on each day. But throughout her encounters with low expectations, stigma, and exclusion, there were those remarkable individuals who would stand in the gap.

In this talk, Ingrid blends personal narrative of challenging gender, racial and ableist stereotypes with insightful components on mitigating inequity, bridging gaps and building capacity in ways that do not disempower.

Learn through her journey where systems either fall apart or achieve success.

Social change doesn’t happen in a vacuum, community partnership and authentic allyship are key components in the quest for justice. Explore how your organization and staff can contribute to this common goal.

Learning Objectives/Overall Audience Takeaways:
> Everyone has the agency to self-examine and make efforts to recognize and remove bias with intention.

> How community serving organizations can nurture inclusive communities.

> Learn how allyship makes the world a better place for people with disabilities and others who do not conform to conventional expectations.

> How community organizations, government, corporations, and equity-seeking communities can build ecosystems where everyone benefits.

> Learn the models of disability (charity, social, disability justice)

> Learn the language and mindset of ableism, unpacking disability tropes, myths, and stereotypes.

> Learn how to be brave and fail forward rather than repeating old mistakes and staying stuck.
No Excuse, No Doubt: The Art of Non-Negotiable Living

(Ideal Audiences: Corporate, Non-profits/Associations, Government, Educators, College/University Students, Clubs/Community Centres/Social Services)

“When I was a teenager there was nothing I wanted more than to be ordinary. You know, just a kid living at home with a family that was actually mine, no disability and no hormonal induced facial hair. I would have been happy to be anyone except me.”

In this heartwarming presentation, Ingrid Palmer shares the challenges of growing up different and the devastating yet transformational experiences that taught her the value of self-love.

Molested as a child, diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa – a degenerative eye disorder that would slowly erase her vision, foster care, and a hormonal imbalance that led to her growing a beard as a female; Ingrid Palmer endured cruel taunts, social isolation and acts of violence that ate away at her very soul. But everytime she wanted to give up, something happened that fueled her determination to succeed.

“The days when the most extraordinary things happen, those life changing occurrences where life is irrevocably changed, tend to start out as the most mundane and routine days.”

In this raw and moving talk, Ingrid Palmer will demonstrate how even the most difficult life experiences can be transformed into building blocks for a life of fulfillment. Learn how to disconnect traumatic past events from your future and how to overcome limiting beliefs and overcome self-doubt.

Today could be the beginning of the best of life for you, your staff, and your clients.

Learning Objectives/Overall Audience Takeaways:
>The audience will gain perspective into the inherent value of all people, and feel more empowered to show up more powerfully in their own lives and in their jobs.

>When you make your goals non-negotiable and do one thing everyday towards your goal, then success is inevitable.

>Don’t let anyone take away your inherent value, downgrade it, or deny it. Your belief supersedes everyone else’s.

>When you focus on ability, on what you can do instead of what you can’t you put the spotlight on your own capacity and fuel your drive to succeed.

>You are not less than, you are made for. Diminished function of a body part doesn’t equal diminished value.

>We don’t need permission to shine so stop waiting for it.
Inspiring Inclusion and Belonging

(Ideal for International Women’s Day, Corporate, Non-profits/Associations, Government, Educators, College/University Students, Clubs/Community Centres/Social Services)

As a woman with a disability, Ingrid Palmer had to contend with sexism as well as ableism and other forms of intersectional discrimination related to experiencing childhood sexual abuse, being a foster kid and having gender non-conforming features.

As a Canadian woman living with sight loss, Ingrid works actively to promote belonging and inclusion. She has worked hard to achieve her dreams, overcoming significant challenges to make significant contributions in the child welfare, disability, gender, housing, education, and health sectors.

Ingrid not only inspires inclusion and belonging for intersectional women, and individuals who identify as trans and non-binary, she actively advocated, educates and fights for it.

“When we live authentically with pride, we elevate ourselves and all women.” – Ingrid Palmer

Out From The Margins: An Intersectional Story of Triumph

(Ideal Audiences: Corporate, Non-profit, Government)

From obscurity to significance! This is a story of the positive impacts of focused leadership and the triumph of the human spirit.

In this talk, Ingrid Palmer shares her experiences as a visually impaired, gender non-conforming Black female in foster care. She shares how carrying that much intersectionality pushed her to the farthest regions of social precarity and how confronting adversity and inequity in every area of life has been a lifelong occurrence.

This powerful narrative unpacks layered oppression, bias, and barriers to employment for people with disabilities. Ingrid highlights how individuals and organizations can prioritize diversity and foster environments that nurture belonging and opportunity for historically equity-denied communities.

In spite of her challenges, Ingrid pushed hard and successfully graduated from college and university only to find herself chronically unemployed due to ableist attitudes in the labour force. “I felt wasted more than anything else.” After 20 years she emerged as a leader in a senior level position in a non-profit association.

Learning Objectives/Overall Audience Takeaways:
>The audience will receive insights into intersectionality, layered adversity, and bias.

>Ingrid will provide suggestions on achieving a sense of community, and belonging at your organization, how to prioritize gender equity and diversity, and shed light on what may be getting in the way.

Checking Your Ingredients: A Recipe For Allyship and Cross-Community Partnership

(Ideal Audiences: Community Organizations, Corporate, Non-profit/Associations)

Full participation in society remains an area of privilege where people with disabilities are still disproportionately left out of. In this compelling presentation, Ingrid Palmer shares her experiences with service providers in the education, health and child welfare systems to illustrate the impacts of bias vs belief and what it takes to be an ally that counts.

As an androgynous Black woman with a disability who aged out of child protective custody into an inclusive adverse world, for Ingrid it was not a question of whether she would face oppression each day, but rather a question of what form(s) would manifest on each day. But throughout her encounters with low expectations, stigma, and exclusion, there were those remarkable individuals who would stand in the gap.

In this talk, Ingrid blends personal narrative of challenging gender, racial and ableist stereotypes with insightful components on mitigating inequity, bridging gaps and building capacity in ways that do not disempower.

Learn through her journey where systems either fall apart or achieve success.

Social change doesn’t happen in a vacuum, community partnership and authentic allyship are key components in the quest for justice. Explore how your organization and staff can contribute to this common goal.

Learning Objectives/Overall Audience Takeaways:
> Everyone has the agency to self-examine and make efforts to recognize and remove bias with intention.

> How community serving organizations can nurture inclusive communities.

> Learn how allyship makes the world a better place for people with disabilities and others who do not conform to conventional expectations.

> How community organizations, government, corporations, and equity-seeking communities can build ecosystems where everyone benefits.

> Learn the models of disability (charity, social, disability justice)

> Learn the language and mindset of ableism, unpacking disability tropes, myths, and stereotypes.

> Learn how to be brave and fail forward rather than repeating old mistakes and staying stuck.

No Excuse, No Doubt: The Art of Non-Negotiable Living

(Ideal Audiences: Corporate, Non-profits/Associations, Government, Educators, College/University Students, Clubs/Community Centres/Social Services)

“When I was a teenager there was nothing I wanted more than to be ordinary. You know, just a kid living at home with a family that was actually mine, no disability and no hormonal induced facial hair. I would have been happy to be anyone except me.”

In this heartwarming presentation, Ingrid Palmer shares the challenges of growing up different and the devastating yet transformational experiences that taught her the value of self-love.

Molested as a child, diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa – a degenerative eye disorder that would slowly erase her vision, foster care, and a hormonal imbalance that led to her growing a beard as a female; Ingrid Palmer endured cruel taunts, social isolation and acts of violence that ate away at her very soul. But everytime she wanted to give up, something happened that fueled her determination to succeed.

“The days when the most extraordinary things happen, those life changing occurrences where life is irrevocably changed, tend to start out as the most mundane and routine days.”

In this raw and moving talk, Ingrid Palmer will demonstrate how even the most difficult life experiences can be transformed into building blocks for a life of fulfillment. Learn how to disconnect traumatic past events from your future and how to overcome limiting beliefs and overcome self-doubt.

Today could be the beginning of the best of life for you, your staff, and your clients.

Learning Objectives/Overall Audience Takeaways:
>The audience will gain perspective into the inherent value of all people, and feel more empowered to show up more powerfully in their own lives and in their jobs.

>When you make your goals non-negotiable and do one thing everyday towards your goal, then success is inevitable.

>Don’t let anyone take away your inherent value, downgrade it, or deny it. Your belief supersedes everyone else’s.

>When you focus on ability, on what you can do instead of what you can’t you put the spotlight on your own capacity and fuel your drive to succeed.

>You are not less than, you are made for. Diminished function of a body part doesn’t equal diminished value.

>We don’t need permission to shine so stop waiting for it.

Inspiring Inclusion and Belonging

(Ideal for International Women’s Day, Corporate, Non-profits/Associations, Government, Educators, College/University Students, Clubs/Community Centres/Social Services)

As a woman with a disability, Ingrid Palmer had to contend with sexism as well as ableism and other forms of intersectional discrimination related to experiencing childhood sexual abuse, being a foster kid and having gender non-conforming features.

As a Canadian woman living with sight loss, Ingrid works actively to promote belonging and inclusion. She has worked hard to achieve her dreams, overcoming significant challenges to make significant contributions in the child welfare, disability, gender, housing, education, and health sectors.

Ingrid not only inspires inclusion and belonging for intersectional women, and individuals who identify as trans and non-binary, she actively advocated, educates and fights for it.

“When we live authentically with pride, we elevate ourselves and all women.” – Ingrid Palmer

Testimonials

As the Co-Founder of Speaker Slam and the Momentum Conference, I have had Ingrid Palmer on my stages countless times. Ingrid demonstrates the value of speaking your truth, reframing your narrative and standing up as an advocate for those who can't. I highly recommend booking Ingrid as she’s a brilliant speaker and an inspirational leader in the DEI space who will add tremendous value to your event.

Rina Rovinelli, Co-Founder Speaker Slam and Momentum Conference
In the years I spent organizing staff trainings and events at Macaulay, and the subsequent years I have spent teaching at college and university, I have never seen another speaker impact an audience like Ingrid does. She is someone who people of all walks of life want to rally around, cheer on and draw strength from. No matter the content of her speaking, the underlying message inspires. Ingrid Palmer says “Humans are powerful - no matter what it is that you are facing, you can get through. You can find a way to thrive.”

Jess Wood, Mccaulay Child Development Centre
As a school Principal, I have asked Ingrid to speak to educators, parents, and students in a variety of contexts, on a variety of topics. Ingrid is inspirational. She speaks with passion and focus, and uses personal stories to illustrate resilience in the face of challenge. Her messages are hopeful and point to possibility, while also providing authentic examples of injustice. Ingrid has a powerful presence, and creates a sense of safety when facilitating courageous conversations. She is a very skilled speaker and writer, and an exceptional human being.

Nancy Steinhauer, Award-winning Principal at The Mabin School
Ingrid Palmer is an empowering speaker who engages her audience with meaningful insight inspired by her own lived experience. I had the honour of working with Ingrid in my parent volunteer role as Co-Chair, Parent Involvement Advisory Committee (PIAC) during Toronto District School Board ‘Parents As Partners’ Conferences. I highly recommend her.

D. Williams, Co-Chair TDSB PIAC