Pete Horsley’s Keynote at NEXUS Summit 2025: The Future Includes All of Us
At the 2025 NEXUS Australia Summit, our founder Pete Horsley took the stage to challenge perceptions and ignite change. His message was clear: the future of tech, design, and innovation isn’t just about making things accessible - it’s about recognising that disability is part of the human experience.
Pete was joined by Dr. Sarah Everitt, CEO and Co-Founder of MediStays and Remarkable Alumni, and Xavier Vella, one of the inaugural Jessica King Fellows, to share real-world examples of how inclusive innovation is transforming lives.
Good Intentions Can Get in the Way of Real Progress
We’ve all seen well-meaning efforts that didn’t quite hit the mark - radioactive toothpaste, artificial reefs made from old tyres, and Australia’s infamous cane toad experiment. But what about disability?
Too often, disability is framed as something to be inspired by rather than understood as a critical perspective that fuels progress. It’s been over a decade since Stella Young famously called out "disability inspiration porn," yet we’re still stuck in the same loop - seeing disability as a struggle to overcome rather than an essential driver of innovation.
If we keep thinking about disability as something that affects only “some of us,” we’ll stay stuck. It’s time for a shift.
Disability Isn’t About Some of Us — It’s About All of Us
- It’s Not a Small Minority
Disability isn’t rare - it’s universal. The World Health Organization estimates that 1.3 billion people, or 1 in 6 globally, live with a disability. That’s a massive, often-overlooked market with an annual spending power of $13 trillion. In fact, there’s a $2 trillion gap in global GDP due to the exclusion of people with disabilities from the workforce.
- It’s Your Future, Too
If disability hasn’t touched your life yet, it will. Nearly half of people over 60 live with a disability, and anyone can acquire one at any time. The late disability rights advocate Judith Heumann called non-disabled people the “not-yet-disabled” to remind us that inclusion is in everyone’s best interest.
- Disability is Driving Innovation
Some of the most groundbreaking technologies we take for granted - speech-to-text, texting, and even the internet - were pioneered to support people with disabilities. Today, disability-led innovation continues to shape the future, from brain-computer interfaces to self-driving cars and robotic prosthetics.
Meet the Changemakers: Dr. Sarah Everitt And Xavier Vella
At the NEXUS Summit, Pete invited two remarkable innovators to share their impact:
- Dr. Sarah Everitt, CEO of MediStays - helping people with disabilities and medical needs find accessible accommodation.
- Xavier Vella, Free 3D Hands - creating open-source, 3D-printed prosthetics, making high-quality assistive tech affordable and available to all.
Their work proves that when accessibility is a priority, everyone benefits.
Reframing the Narrative: It’s Time for a Shift
Disability isn’t about charity - it’s about opportunity.
It’s not about pity - it’s about progress.
When we centre disability in design and innovation, we unlock new ways of thinking, working, and thriving.
As Pete closed his keynote, he reflected on his sister Jo, who is autistic, blind, and has an intellectual disability. Jo has an incredible memory, perfect pitch, and a deep love of music. Yet too often, people see only her disability, not her strengths. That’s what needs to change.
We have an opportunity to reshape the world - to build technology that serves all of us.
Not out of obligation, but because when we include, we innovate.
We grow.
We win.
So, will you join us?
