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Disability, Accessibility, and Inclusion Keynote Speakers Worth Booking
TL;DR
National AccessAbility Week runs from May 31 to June 6, 2026. If you are planning a corporate event, conference, or DEI program focused on accessibility, the right speaker should bring more than a general message about inclusion. The speakers below bring firsthand perspective, public credibility, and clear relevance for audiences looking to better understand disability inclusion at work, in sport, and in daily life
How to Choose the Right Guest Speaker
The right speaker depends on what you want your audience to take away. Some events need a personal story that makes disability inclusion more human and immediate. Others need practical insight into workplace accessibility, inclusive leadership, representation, or organizational change.
Look for a speaker with firsthand perspective, a clear connection to your audience, and the credibility to speak beyond general awareness. A corporate event may call for someone with business or workplace experience. A leadership conference may benefit from a Paralympian who can speak about pressure and performance. A public-sector or education event may need a speaker who can connect policy, access, and lived reality. The seven speakers below each bring a different point of view.
7 Keynote Speakers on Disability and Inclusion
Rick Hansen | Inclusion, Accessibility, and the Power of Human Potential
Founder, Rick Hansen Foundation | Six-Time Paralympic Medalist | Companion of the Order of Canada
Rick Hansen is one of Canada’s most recognized advocates for inclusion and accessibility. In 1985, he set out on the Man In Motion World Tour, a 26-month, 40,000 kilometre journey around the world in his wheelchair. Rick’s goal was to create a more inclusive world where barriers are removed and people of all abilities can reach their full potential. As a result, he raised awareness and funds shaping disability policy, research, and infrastructure in Canada and globally.
As founder of the Rick Hansen Foundation, he leads work on accessibility, spinal cord injury research, and systemic change. He is a six-time Paralympic medalist and a Companion of the Order of Canada. Rick connects personal achievement with long-term accessibility work. He gives audiences both the story behind the Man In Motion World Tour and a practical view of the work still needed.
Best for: Corporate leadership conferences, accessibility and inclusion summits, government and public sector events, events marking significant organizational milestones around accessibility. Rick is fit for any audience that responds to legacy, purpose, and long-term systemic change.
Explore Rick Hansen’s speaker profile
Madison Tevlin | Inclusion, Representation, and Redefining What’s Possible
Accessibility and Inclusion Advocate | Content Creator | Actor and Host
Madison Tevlin has built one of the most distinctive careers in Canadian advocacy and entertainment. Born with Down syndrome, she has spent her life refusing to be defined by it. Madison built a successful social platform, reaching millions of people with honesty, humour, and a point of view that challenges what most audiences thought they knew about disability and potential. Her breakout campaign Assume That I Can became a global phenomenon. It won seven Cannes Lions including a Gold, a Grand Clio Award, the UN SDG Action Award, and a Webby Award People’s Voice. The campaign’s reach reflects something real about Madison’s ability to shift culture, not just comment on it. In 2025, she received additional Webby nominations, continuing to build on that recognition at the intersection of advocacy and creative media.
Her on-screen credits include the television series Mr. D, her own talk show Who Do You Think I Am, and a standout role in the feature film Champions alongside Woody Harrelson. She made history as the first person with Down syndrome to be nominated for Best Host in a Talk Show or Entertainment News category at the Canadian Screen Awards. Madison is also the host of 21 Questions, a podcast built around honest conversations about identity and belonging. With over 700,000 followers across her platforms and appearances at the Clinton Global Initiative, SXSW, and New York Fashion Week, Madison’s credibility extends well beyond the speaking circuit.
Best for: DEI and inclusion conferences, youth and education events, corporate culture and belonging programs, events focused on representation and media.
Check out Madison Tevlin’s speaker profile
Rayhan Azmat | Disability Inclusion, Resilience, and Leading Through Adversity
Vice President, Cineplex Entertainment | Disability Advocate | Board Member, Disability Screen Office
Rayhan Azmat’s story is one of the more unusual on any speaker roster. He is a senior corporate executive who has navigated one of Canada’s largest entertainment companies while living with a progressive neuromuscular condition that has, over time, resulted in him using a wheelchair. Despite living with an ultra-rare condition affecting only two people per million worldwide, Rayhan built a 20-year career beginning at PwC, leading to his current role as Vice President at Cineplex. At Cineplex, he leads Financial Planning and Analysis, Investor Relations, and Corporate Development.
Rayhan brings lived experience combined with the professional credibility of a senior executive who has operated at the highest levels of Canadian business. He is a board member of the Disability Screen Office and DEEN Support Services, a moderator at TIFF’s accessibility panels, and a keynote speaker at events ranging from the SMILE Gala to Microsoft Canada gatherings.
Best for: Corporate DEI events, financial and professional services conferences, media and entertainment industry gatherings, events focused on disability in the workplace. Rayhan is fit for organizations where a speaker with both lived experience and executive credibility will carry the most weight.
Read Rayhan Azmat’s full bio and topics
Josh Dueck | Peak Performance, Resilience, and Leadership Under Pressure
Paralympic Gold Medalist | IPC Athletes’ Council Member | First Sit-Skier to Land a Backflip
Josh Dueck was a competitive freestyle skier before an accident changed everything. Rather than stepping away from the sport, he rebuilt himself in it and became a two-time Paralympian, a gold and silver medalist at Sochi 2014, and the first sit-skier in history to land a backflip on snow in 2012. Josh demonstrates a willingness to attempt something nobody has done, in public, with no guarantee of success. He later served as Chef de Mission for Canada’s Paralympic team at Beijing 2022 and as a member of the IPC Athletes’ Council through the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games.
Josh speaks on leadership under pressure, peak performance-, and the mindset required to pursue something genuinely uncertain. His experience extends well beyond his athletic career into national team leadership and international Paralympic governance. He has a unique perspective on performance and inclusion that few speakers can credibly claim.
Best for: Leadership conferences, peak performance events, association gatherings, corporate events focused on resilience and change. Josh is fit for audiences looking for motivation to take initiative and make bold choices without fear of failure.
Explore Josh Dueck’s speaker profile
“He received a standing ovation from over 800 people and there were tears in the audience (myself included). His speech motivated and moved everyone and it was a privilege to be in the room that day and hear Josh speak.” – Vancouver Tourism Awards
Marissa Papaconstantinou | Resilience, Perseverance, and Believing in What’s Possible
Paralympic Bronze Medalist | Canadian Record Holder | Ambassador, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital
Marissa Papaconstantinou was born without a right foot and built an athletic career defined by speed, discipline, and international results. Fitted for her first running blade at 12 years old, she joined a local track club in Scarborough and became a Canadian record holder a year later. She competed in her first World Championships at 16, reaching the finals of both the 100m and 200m. At the 2017 World Championships, she tore her hamstring while sprinting toward a podium finish in the 200m final. Nevertheless, she finished the race anyway in front of 40,000 fans. The image went viral worldwide. At the Tokyo Paralympics, she won a bronze medal in the T64 100m and broke the Canadian record again with a time of 13.07 seconds.
She is studying sports media at Toronto Metropolitan University with aspirations of becoming a sports broadcaster. Marissa speaks to youth and professional audiences alike about resilience, determination, and refusing to let a single characteristic define one’s entire life.
Best for: Youth and education events, sports and performance conferences, corporate team events, accessibility and inclusion programming, and any audience that responds to athletic achievement grounded in genuine adversity.
Learn more about Marissa Papaconstantinou as a speaker
Matthew Corkum | Disability Inclusion, Accessibility, and What Organizations Get Wrong
Adventurer, Disability Advocate, and Meteorologist | PhD in Atmospheric Science | Former City of Calgary Accessibility Advisory Committee Member
Matthew Corkum lives with cerebral palsy and spent his career making the case that disability is an asset, not a burden. With a PhD in atmospheric science, he spent 13 years as head meteorologist at a leading Calgary hedge fund. There, he navigated a demanding corporate environment while managing a physical disability and speaking candidly about the exclusion, bullying, and discrimination he encountered along the way. He is a former member of the City of Calgary’s Advisory Committee on Accessibility, President of Rocky Mountain Adaptive, and a Community Advisory Member for Calgary Adapted Hub.
Matthew’s keynotes are notable for their specificity. Grounded in 13 years of corporate experience, he speaks to businesses about the tangible advantages of hiring people with disabilities. He addresses educators on how to better support students with disabilities in the classroom. For healthcare professionals, he offers practical recommendations on supporting patients with disabilities in their care. He also skis park, performs jumps and tricks, and tends to open rooms with a one-liner. The combination is more effective than it sounds.
Best for: Corporate HR and DEI events, healthcare conferences, education sector gatherings, accessibility and inclusion summits, and any organization that wants a speaker who makes the business case for disability inclusion as clearly as the human one.
Discover Matthew Corkum’s speaker profile
“With passion, humour, and raw honesty, Matt shared his personal journey of growing up with cerebral palsy, reframing exclusion into opportunity, and turning barriers into stepping stones.” – The City of Fernie
Tyler McGregor | Resilience, Adversity, and Finding Strength in Unexpected Places
Para Ice Hockey Captain, Team Canada | Cancer Survivor | Paralympic Silver and Bronze Medalist
Tyler McGregor grew up in Forest, Ontario with dreams of playing in the NHL. A leg injury during a hockey tournament led doctors to find Spindle Cell Sarcoma, and his left leg was amputated to save his life. Rather than leaving hockey behind, Tyler redirected toward Para ice hockey. He built a career that has made him one of the most recognized figures in Canadian Paralympic sport. At the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, he served as Team Canada’s Para ice hockey captain and one of Canada’s Opening Ceremony flag bearers alongside Natalie Wilkie. Canada won silver in Para ice hockey, giving Tyler his third Paralympic silver medal to go with his bronze from 2014.
Beyond competing, Tyler works directly with companies and organizations to ensure buildings and events are accessible for people with disabilities. His keynotes connect the practical reality of living with a disability to the discipline, teamwork, and leadership behind his athletic career. He speaks with the credibility of a cancer survivor, Paralympic captain, Opening Ceremony flag bearer, and four-time Paralympic medalist.
Best for: Corporate events, sports and performance conferences, accessibility and inclusion programming, youth and education events, and any organization where a speaker’s athletic accomplishment and lived disability experience can work together to carry a room.
Check out Tyler McGregor’s speaker profile
Choosing the Right Accessibility Speaker for Your Event
These disability inclusion speakers represent a wide range of what accessibility, inclusion, and disability advocacy looks like in the workplace. Rick Hansen brings four decades of systemic change. Madison Tevlin brings cultural shift and creative power. Rayhan Azmat brings corporate authority combined with lived experience. Josh Dueck brings athletic achievement and leadership depth. Marissa Papaconstantinou brings perseverance made visible. Matthew Corkum brings the practical business case. Tyler McGregor brings the intersection of sport, survival, and everyday accessibility.
No single speaker covers all of those angles — and no event needs them to. The right choice is the one whose specific experience speaks most directly to what your audience needs to hear.
Browse all DEI and inclusion speakers.
FAQs — Disability Inclusion Speakers for Corporate Events
Some of the strongest disability inclusion speakers in Canada include: Rick Hansen, Madison Tevlin, Rayhan Azmat, Josh Dueck, Marissa Papaconstantinou, Matthew Corkum, and Tyler McGregor. Each brings a different background, from Paralympic sport and accessibility advocacy to corporate leadership, media, and workplace inclusion.
Yes. Many disability inclusion speakers work well for corporate events because they can speak to workplace culture, leadership, accessibility, hiring, team performance, and belonging. Speakers like Rayhan Azmat and Matthew Corkum are strong fits for business audiences because they bring workplace and leadership context.
Start with what your audience needs to feel or understand after the keynote. Is it inspiration? A practical argument for inclusion? A shift in assumptions? A conversation opener? Each speaker leads with something different, and matching that to your event’s specific purpose will get you further than matching by topic alone. A Talent Bureau agent can help you work through that fit.
The best fit depends on the goal of the event. Rick Hansen is strong for accessibility and long-term change. Madison Tevlin is a strong choice for representation and media. Rayhan Azmat fits corporate disability inclusion. Finally, Matthew Corkum is well suited to practical workplace accessibility topics.
Yes. Para athlete speakers can connect disability inclusion with leadership, resilience, performance, and access. Speakers such as Josh Dueck, Marissa Papaconstantinou, and Tyler McGregor bring athletic achievement and firsthand disability perspective. This can work well for both corporate and community audiences.
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