Sinéad Burke (born 1990) is an Irish
writer
A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms of writing such as novels, short sto ...
, academic and disability activist, known for her
TED talk 'Why design should include everyone'. She is the director of the consulting organisation Tilting the Lens, which works to raise the baseline standards in accessibility, towards design for an equitable and accessible world. Since 2019, she has been a member of the Irish
Council of State
A council of state is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head ...
.
Burke released her first book, ''Break the Mould'', in October 2020. It was awarded the Specsavers Children's Book of the Year award at the An Post Irish Book Awards. Sinéad appeared on the cover of the 'Forces for Change' issue of British Vogue, guest-edited by the Duchess of Sussex. She also appeared on the cover of ''The Business of Fashion'' in May 2018 alongside
Kim Kardashian
Kimberly Noel Kardashian (born October 21, 1980) is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. She first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, but received wider notice after the celebrity sex tape ...
with an interview as part of 'The Age of Influence' series.
Education
Burke trained as a primary school teacher, graduating from
Marino Institute of Education at the top of her class and winning the
Vere Foster medal and holds a Masters in Broadcast Production for TV and Radio from IADT.
Fashion and design activism
As a 16-year old, Burke often felt excluded from fashion conversations and experiences due to her limited choices available to her as someone with
achondroplasia, so she started blogging to highlight the exclusive nature of the fashion industry. "People didn't take me seriously because of my physical aesthetic, so I started blogging... and collaborating with the
ashionindustry". Burke was invited to attend the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue Northwest (Washington, D.C.), NW in Washington, D.C., it has served as the residence of every U.S. president ...
for an event titled 'Design for all' where the
Obama administration highlighted the intersection of fashion and disability. Burke actively campaigns to highlight the importance of inclusive design in all areas of life due to the practical challenges she faces in living and moving in a world that was not designed for people with disabilities. "Design is an enormous privilege, but it is a bigger responsibility".
In 2012, Burke as ''Miss Minnie Mélange'' won the final
Alternative Miss Ireland competition. In 2019, Burke became the first little person to attend the
Met Gala
The Met Gala, formally called the Costume Institute Benefit, is the annual haute couture fundraising festival held for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in Manhattan. The Met Gala was and still is popularly rega ...
. She was one of 15 women selected to appear on the cover of the September 2019 issue of ''
British Vogue'', by guest editor
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (; born Rachel Meghan Markle, August 4, 1981) is an American member of the British royal family, media personality, entrepreneur, and former actress. She is married to Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, the younger son ...
.
Burke is an ambassador for the
Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children and the
Irish Girl Guides. On 4 April 2019
Michael D. Higgins, the
President of Ireland
The president of Ireland () is the head of state of Republic of Ireland, Ireland and the supreme commander of the Defence Forces (Ireland), Irish Defence Forces. The presidency is a predominantly figurehead, ceremonial institution, serving as ...
, appointed her to his
Council of State
A council of state is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head ...
. She was a part of the ''Finding Power'' collection by
Joe Caslin displayed in the
National Gallery of Ireland.
Burke appeared on the long-running
BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...
programme ''
Desert Island Discs'' (hosted by
Lauren Laverne) on Sunday 17 May 2020. Her luxury item was the special necklace that each female member of her immediate family has. In 2023, Burke appeared on the cover of British Vogue with four other disabled activists to highlight the magazine's feature article "Reframing Fashion: Dynamic, Daring, & Disabled."
Podcast
In October 2019, Burke release
As Me with Sinéad a podcast series from the
Lemonada Media network focused on empathy, identity, and perception through in-depth interviews. Burke serves as host of the show, with
Pod Save the People's Jessica Cordova Kramer as executive producer.
Guests of As Me have included
Victoria Beckham
Victoria Caroline, Lady Beckham (; born 17 April 1974) is an English fashion designer, singer, and television personality. She rose to prominence in the 1990s as a member of the pop group the Spice Girls, in which she was nicknamed Posh Spic ...
,
Jamie Lee Curtis
Jamie Lee Curtis (born November 22, 1958) is an American actress, producer, and children's author. Known for List of Jamie Lee Curtis performances, her performances in the horror and slasher film, slasher genres, she is regarded as a scream qu ...
,
Jameela Jamil,
Hozier,
Akilah Hughes,
Riz Ahmed,
Mara Wilson,
Radhika Jones,
Tig Notaro,
Dan Levy, and
Florence Welch. Each guest was asked to elaborate on what it's like to be them, with the stated intent of challenging biases and deepening humanity.
Publication
On 28 May 2020, Burke announced her new children's book, Break The Mould, which would contain lessons, for adults as well as children, about being different. Burke wrote while in lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic. The book was released on 15 October, where pre-order sales had determined it as a best-seller. In November 2020, Break The Mould was announced as the winner of the '
Specsavers Children's Book of the Year – Senior' category at the
An Post
(; literally 'The Post') is the state-owned provider of Mail, postal services in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. An Post provides a "universal postal service" to all parts of the country as a member of the Universal Postal Union. Services provide ...
Irish Book Awards 2020.
Recognition
She was recognized as one of the BBC's 100 women of 2019.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Burke, Sinéad
1990 births
Irish women activists
Irish fashion designers
Irish women's rights activists
21st-century Irish women writers
Irish disability rights activists
Living people
Presidential appointees to the Council of State (Ireland)
People with dwarfism
Irish activists with disabilities
Irish women fashion designers
Alumni of Marino Institute of Education