--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I do public speaking, I ask the…" description: "\"When I do public speaking, I ask the audience, \"Who has a family member, a neighbor, a friend with some form of disability?\" Every single hand goes up...." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/506/jay-ruderman-60358_asks_when-i-do-public-speaking-i-ask-the-audi_2973365.jpg" --- # When I do public speaking, I ask the audience, "Who has a… ![“When I do public speaking, I ask the audience, "Who has a family member, a neighbor, a friend with some form of disability?" Every single hand goes up. We're all connected.” quote by Jay Ruderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/506/jay-ruderman-60358_asks_when-i-do-public-speaking-i-ask-the-audi_2973365.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/506/jay-ruderman-60358_asks_when-i-do-public-speaking-i-ask-the-audi_2973365.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/506/jay-ruderman-60358_asks_when-i-do-public-speaking-i-ask-the-audi_2973365.jpg) > “When I do public speaking, I ask the audience, "Who has a family member, a neighbor, a friend with some form of disability?" Every single hand goes up. We're all connected.” [Jay Ruderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-ruderman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Public speaking can highlight shared experiences of disability, fostering empathy and connection. **In simple terms:** Shared challenges unite people. Key Takeaway Highlight common humanity in talks. Themes disability empathy public speaking Mood compassionate inspirational Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - educational workshops - community events - advocacy campaigns Key Concepts inclusion social awareness Questions to Reflect On - How can you create safe spaces for sharing? - What stories best illustrate shared humanity? A Different Perspective Audience may feel uncomfortable with personal topics. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Audience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/audience/) [Disability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/disability/) [Family](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family/) [Family members](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/family-members/) [Friendship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/friendship/) [Neighbor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neighbor/) [Public speaking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/public-speaking/) ## Related quotes > [When I go to my live shows it's often a multigenerational audience, a family bonding experience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-yankovic/when-i-go-to-my-live-shows-it-s-often-a-multigenerational-audience-a/) [Al Yankovic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-yankovic/) > [Indeed, most magicians catch the bug as kids. My first audience was my family in Long Island. My first 'assistant' was my mother, whom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-angel/indeed-most-magicians-catch-the-bug-as-kids-my-first-audience-was-my/) [Criss Angel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-angel/) > [I follow a simple formula when I compose. I ask myself, 'What would the audience want to hear?' and 'Why would they buy my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-r-rahman/i-follow-a-simple-formula-when-i-compose-i-ask-myself-what-would-the/) [A. R. Rahman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-r-rahman/) > [I'm probably harder on myself than I need to be, but it's important to me if I'm going to ask an audience for an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bryan-fuller/i-m-probably-harder-on-myself-than-i-need-to-be-but-it-s-important-to/) [Bryan Fuller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bryan-fuller/) > [Audiences are very willing to be taken somewhere, and to ask an audience beforehand what it wants is probably, I think, a mistake. Much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harold-prince/audiences-are-very-willing-to-be-taken-somewhere-and-to-ask-an/) [Harold Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harold-prince/) > [I think if you ask the audience to like you, it's all over.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-weisz/i-think-if-you-ask-the-audience-to-like-you-it-s-all-over/) [Rachel Weisz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-weisz/) > [You ask for your audience's investment in your music; you're in a relationship with them. And their relationship with the E Street Band is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/you-ask-for-your-audience-s-investment-in-your-music-you-re-in-a/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [It's insanely difficult to ask an audience to go somewhere other than YouTube to watch videos.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-helbig/it-s-insanely-difficult-to-ask-an-audience-to-go-somewhere-other-than/) [Grace Helbig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-helbig/) > [Hans Rosling typically would go into the room, and he would ask the audience questions. Often they had to answer them with clickers or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/keith-devlin/hans-rosling-typically-would-go-into-the-room-and-he-would-ask-the/) [Keith Devlin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/keith-devlin/) > [I'm sorry, but to ask an audience these days to invest three hours in a show requires your heroine be an understandable and fully…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diane-paulus/i-m-sorry-but-to-ask-an-audience-these-days-to-invest-three-hours-in/) [Diane Paulus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diane-paulus/) > [If you're not comfortable with public speaking - and nobody starts out comfortable; you have to learn how to be comfortable - practice. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/if-you-re-not-comfortable-with-public-speaking-and-nobody-starts-out/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [“Disabilities are not Liabilities but true test of abilities”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuel-ayeni/disabilities-are-not-liabilities-but-true-test-of-abilities/) Emmanuel Ayeni > [I've spent a great deal of time over the past decade as a caregiver for various family members. It gives me a perspective on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-ve-spent-a-great-deal-of-time-over-the-past-decade-as-a-caregiver/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [As people live longer, disability becomes more of an issue. And there seems to be more children born with a disability. I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-ruderman/as-people-live-longer-disability-becomes-more-of-an-issue-and-there/) [Jay Ruderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-ruderman/) > [Throughout history people with disabilities have been institutionalized and segregated, which tends to make you think that it's a group in need of charity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-ruderman/throughout-history-people-with-disabilities-have-been/) [Jay Ruderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-ruderman/) ## More by Jay Ruderman > [Throughout history people with disabilities have been institutionalized and segregated, which tends to make you think that it's a group in need of charity.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-ruderman/throughout-history-people-with-disabilities-have-been/) [Jay Ruderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-ruderman/) > [As people live longer, disability becomes more of an issue. And there seems to be more children born with a disability. I don't know…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-ruderman/as-people-live-longer-disability-becomes-more-of-an-issue-and-there/) [Jay Ruderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-ruderman/) > [People are starting to realize that the disability community has been disenfranchised and deserves to have its rights recognized, which I see as a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-ruderman/people-are-starting-to-realize-that-the-disability-community-has-been/) [Jay Ruderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-ruderman/) > [Popular culture does a lot to shape attitudes. You can't compare different communities to each other, but in my lifetime the gay and lesbian…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-ruderman/popular-culture-does-a-lot-to-shape-attitudes-you-can-t-compare/) [Jay Ruderman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-ruderman/) [Explore all 5 Jay Ruderman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-ruderman/) ## More Asks quotes > [If you ask an introvert a question, wait until she thinks about it. Introverts think before speaking, not through speaking. If you want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurie-helgoe/if-you-ask-an-introvert-a-question-wait-until-she-thinks-about-it/) [Laurie Helgoe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurie-helgoe/) > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I am a practicing Catholic, but my lineage is Jewish, so if someone asks me if I'm Jewish, I say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neve-campbell/i-am-a-practicing-catholic-but-my-lineage-is-jewish-so-if-someone/) [Neve Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neve-campbell/) > [Freedom in every sense but primarily political sense, a rise in repression that stems from a repression of sexuality. It's AIDS, it's herpes, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jack-nicholson/freedom-in-every-sense-but-primarily-political-sense-a-rise-in/) [Jack Nicholson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jack-nicholson/) > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [There is nothing more I ask of this life than this moment, exactly so. And suddenly forever seems like too short a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-andreas/there-is-nothing-more-i-ask-of-this-life-than-this-moment-exactly-so/) [Brian Andreas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-andreas/) > [Success will come when the societal attitude changes and not a single woman in America asks herself the question 'What did I do?'.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-biden/success-will-come-when-the-societal-attitude-changes-and-not-a-single/) [Joe Biden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-biden/) > [The most fundamental question we can ever ask ourselves is whether or not the universe we live in is friendly or hostile.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-most-fundamental-question-we-can-ever-ask-ourselves-is-whether-or/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [The rich people are apparently leaving America. They're giving up their citizenship. These great lovers of America who made their money in this country-when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/the-rich-people-are-apparently-leaving-america-they-re-giving-up/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [There is a way to be a woman, ask for what we deserve and be able to negotiate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tracee-ellis-ross/there-is-a-way-to-be-a-woman-ask-for-what-we-deserve-and-be-able-to/) [Tracee Ellis Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tracee-ellis-ross/) > [For someone to ask 'Who did you play for' and to be able to answer a single name 'Liverpool' that would be brilliant...I don't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-carragher/for-someone-to-ask-who-did-you-play-for-and-to-be-able-to-answer-a/) [Jamie Carragher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-carragher/) > [I have no hesitation in saying that although the American woman never leaves her domestic sphere and is in some respects very dependent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-have-no-hesitation-in-saying-that-although-the-american-woman-never/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [Ask God for temp'rance. That's th' appliance only Which your disease requires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/ask-god-for-temp-rance-that-s-th-appliance-only-which-your-disease/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I don't know how to say it exactly. Only...I want to die as myself. Does that make any sense?' he asks. I shake my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-collins/i-don-t-know-how-to-say-it-exactly-only-i-want-to-die-as-myself-does/) [Suzanne Collins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-collins/) > [Physicist Isador Isaac Rabi, who won a Nobel Prize for inventing a technique that permitted scientists to probe the structure of atoms and molecules…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-saul-wurman/physicist-isador-isaac-rabi-who-won-a-nobel-prize-for-inventing-a/) [Richard Saul Wurman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-saul-wurman/) Browse all 7,138 Asks quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I do public speaking, I ask the audience, \"Who has a family member, a neighbor, a friend with some form of disability?\" Every single hand goes up. We're all connected.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jay Ruderman" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-ruderman/when-i-do-public-speaking-i-ask-the-audience-who-has-a-family-member/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Asks" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-ruderman/when-i-do-public-speaking-i-ask-the-audience-who-has-a-family-member/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/506/jay-ruderman-60358_asks_when-i-do-public-speaking-i-ask-the-audi_2973365.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/506/jay-ruderman-60358_asks_when-i-do-public-speaking-i-ask-the-audi_2973365.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/506/jay-ruderman-60358_asks_when-i-do-public-speaking-i-ask-the-audi_2973365.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“When I do public speaking, I ask the audience, \"Who has a family member, a neighbor, a friend with some form…” — Jay Ruderman", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Jay Ruderman", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-ruderman/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "When I do public speaking, I...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-ruderman/when-i-do-public-speaking-i-ask-the-audience-who-has-a-family-member/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-ruderman/when-i-do-public-speaking-i-ask-the-audience-who-has-a-family-member/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```