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

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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

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. 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

. 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

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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