Meet Debra Ruh

We recently connected with Debra Ruh and have shared our conversation below.

Debra, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?

I think my resilience comes from a mix of where I was raised and what I’ve experienced in life. Growing up in the Southern United States, I saw early on how people could hold on to old grudges — even ones that went back generations to the Civil War — and how prejudice could divide communities. Even as a child, that never made sense to me. I learned that I wanted to be part of something that healed, not something that stayed stuck in anger or fear.

That belief deepened when my first child, Sara, was born with Down syndrome. From the start, people underestimated her and saw her as “different” instead of capable. Watching her face bias and still shine with joy and determination taught me what true strength looks like. Over time, I realized that if society was going to keep people with disabilities on the fringes, then maybe it was time to change the center.

So my resilience comes from love — from wanting to build a world that sees everyone’s value. I’ve learned to turn frustration into purpose. And even though our community is over a billion strong, I still believe that one person’s determination can spark collective change.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

About Me and My Work

My journey has always been about inclusion, empathy, and building bridges where others saw walls. I’m the founder and Executive Chair of Billion Strong, a global nonprofit movement designed to unite, empower, and celebrate the more than one billion people with disabilities around the world. I’m also the CEO of Ruh Global IMPACT, a firm I created to help corporations, governments, and organizations understand that accessibility and inclusion aren’t just checkboxes — they’re catalysts for innovation, growth, and human progress.

My story really began when my daughter Sara was born with Down syndrome. Becoming her mother opened my eyes in ways I could never have imagined. I saw how often people underestimated her, how quickly they labeled her as “special” instead of seeing her as powerful. Watching her thrive despite those barriers changed me. I realized that the world didn’t need to be “fixed” — our attitudes did. And I made it my life’s mission to help create a global community where all people, with or without disabilities, can belong, lead, and succeed.

What makes my work so exciting is the intersection of humanity and technology. I’m deeply involved in what I call AI for Human Good — ensuring artificial intelligence evolves with empathy, ethics, and inclusion at its heart. I truly believe AI can help solve some of the world’s toughest challenges — from isolation and unemployment to education and health — but only if we design it to lift humanity, not replace it.

Right now, I’m focused on expanding Billion Strong’s global reach, building partnerships across continents, and amplifying the stories of people who are too often unheard. I want to show the world that disability is not a limitation — it’s a dimension of strength, creativity, and wisdom that our societies desperately need.

At the end of the day, everything I do comes back to one belief: when we honor every human voice and value every experience, we all rise together. That is one of the billion reasons we created www.Billion-Strong.org. There are over a billion people in the world living with disabilities. Let’s value and include all humans.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Looking Back – Lessons from the Journey

When I look back over my life and career, three qualities have shaped everything I’ve done: empathy, courage, and perseverance. They’ve guided me as a mother, as an advocate, and as someone determined to make technology — especially artificial intelligence — serve humanity, not the other way around.

Empathy came first. Growing up in the South, I saw both kindness and prejudice side by side, and it made me curious about people — about why we include some and exclude others. Later, when my daughter Sara was born with Down syndrome, empathy became something far more personal. It wasn’t just about understanding; it was about standing with others and making sure everyone’s humanity was seen. Today, that same empathy drives my work in AI for Human Good and AI4All. I believe technology should amplify compassion — designing systems that see every human being as valuable and worth including.
My advice: if you want to make a difference, start by listening deeply. Empathy is the foundation of both human and artificial intelligence.

Courage has been equally essential. It takes courage to speak out against systems that leave people behind, to build a global movement like Billion Strong, or to challenge the tech industry to design AI that reflects ethical and inclusive values. None of that happens in comfort zones. You have to be willing to ask the hard questions and to keep going when others don’t yet understand why it matters.
My advice: don’t wait until you feel ready — courage doesn’t come first, it comes from doing. Every bold act, every risk taken for good, expands what’s possible.

And then there’s perseverance, what I like to call “graceful stubbornness.” Change doesn’t happen overnight, whether you’re building a global nonprofit, teaching corporations to embrace accessibility, or shaping an inclusive AI future. But I’ve learned that steady, values-driven persistence can transform industries — and hearts.
My advice: don’t measure success only by speed or visibility. The real breakthroughs come from staying faithful to your purpose, even when the world isn’t watching.

These three qualities — empathy, courage, and perseverance — have guided every part of my journey. They remind me that the same values that make us better humans are the ones that must also shape the future of AI. If we can weave empathy into algorithms, courage into design, and perseverance into how we use technology, then AI truly can be for all — and for good.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

Collaboration & Partnership

Absolutely — collaboration is at the heart of everything I do. Real change never happens in isolation; it happens when passionate people and organizations come together around a shared purpose.

Through Billion Strong, we’re not only identifying and including people with disabilities — we’re convening our global community so that our voices are heard in every language, culture, and context. Billion Strong is now in 114 countries, and that diversity is our strength. Too often, the world only hears Western voices in global conversations about disability and inclusion. But lived experience looks different everywhere — and we need to learn from leaders who reflect that full spectrum of humanity.

We also have to talk honestly about intersectionality. People with disabilities are often disenfranchised, marginalized, and at higher risk of abuse — especially women, children, and people with darker skin. The layers of inequality compound each other, and the impact is devastating — not just for individuals and families, but for society as a whole. Every time someone is excluded for arbitrary or “silly” reasons — their gender, their color, their disability, or simply being different — the world loses brilliance, creativity, and innovation that could have made life better for everyone.

At Ruh Global IMPACT, we work with partners who understand that inclusion isn’t a side project; it’s the foundation of progress. Whether it’s in accessible design, employment, education, or AI for Human Good and AI4All initiatives, we’re focused on ensuring technology and systems support every stage of human life — from childhood through aging. After all, most of us will acquire disabilities as we move through life, because we are all beautiful spiritual beings having a human experience.

If you share that vision — of a world where every voice matters, every culture contributes, and innovation is built on inclusion — I’d love to connect. You can reach me through RuhGlobal.com
or BillionStrong.org
. Together, we can make sure no one is left behind and the future we build truly works for all.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

All are mine.

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