Dr Alex Harrison is a small animal veterinarian, profoundly deaf, and the 2025 recipient of the AVA President’s Award for his leadership in challenging ableism and advancing systemic inclusion in veterinary medicine. He is the founder of Vetquity and a founding executive of The Veterinary Kaleidoscope, working to embed equity, access, and cultural safety into veterinary education, leadership, and practice. Drawing on his lived experience navigating systems not built for difference, Alex speaks with insight into the challenges and opportunities of building workplaces where everyone belongs. He has worked alongside veterinary professionals navigating identity, disability, neurodivergence and burnout in silence—and believes that inclusion isn’t a soft skill, but a structural imperative, especially in the corners of the profession where it’s least expected.