Steve Waters interviews Elly Chapple, author of "Diagnosis: Human".
Steve Waters from Teach Well Toolkit talks to Elly Chapple on 23rd February 2026. Elly Chapple is a writer, TEDx speaker, trainer, and advocate for human-first systems across education, care, business, and policy. Holding an honours degree in Human Resource Management and the Psychology of Human Communication, she initially worked in business strategy and relationship development before shifting her focus to inclusive practice and lived-experience leadership. For nearly twenty years, she has walked alongside her eldest daughter, Ella — a Deafblind young woman whose life and wisdom have profoundly shaped Elly’s purpose and voice. Through their shared journey, she has challenged narratives that continue to marginalise difference and has advocated for environments where everyone is valued and has a seat at the table. In a world growing louder and more divided, Diagnosis: Human reminds us of what we have forgotten. Through Ella, Elly Chapple reveals that difference is not a threat. It is a mirror. This book calls us to return to the one label we all share: human, which connects every one of us. It invites us to step out of fear, let go of “normal” and meet one another in the middle human space. It challenges the stories we have accepted and offers a new one shaped by courage, compassion, and possibility. Whoever you are, Diagnosis: Human will stop you, move you, and change how you see everything. These are Ella’s lessons for all of us: it is time to flip the narrative and walk each other home. Elly is the founder of the movement and platform #FlipTheNarrative, which connects families, professionals, policymakers, and communities and encourages us all to see people as they truly are: human first. This episode is also available as a video recording on Steve Waters's YouTube channel "Teach Well Voices.”
