Disability in the South Asian Community

The event features one of Leonard Cheshire’s trustees, Shani Dhanda, hosting a panel discussion that seeks to explore areas such as stigma, prejudice, discrimination and how family and community support can help break down barriers and empower disabled people. 

Shani will be joined by Anil Sharma, a graduate of Leonard Cheshire’s Can Do programme and now part of the charity’s Speaker Network, Seema Flower, who runs Blind Ambition, a disability training and education consultancy and Zubayda Ahmed, from Leonard Cheshire’s ACE (Able, Capable and Employed) programme.   

Shani is looking forward to the event:

“I'm delighted to be hosting this important conversation because the needs and views of disabled people from ethnic minority communities have often fallen between the two areas of disability and race equality policy.

"I have first-hand experience of how disability faces a further sense of stigma in South Asian communities due to outdated attitudes and a lack of understanding. I hope this event is a catalyst to help challenge perceptions and change attitudes.”

Leonard Cheshire is an organisation that believes in diversity and inclusion at every level of society. It fights for a world in which everyone can live, learn, and work as independently as they choose. 

As a charity, it works with people with disabilities from all communities, including South Asian ones.  Leonard Cheshire has supported nearly 50,000 disabled children into education across Africa and Asia and works with individuals, families, community leaders and Governments to tackle discrimination and reduce stigma around disability.

In the UK, the charity runs a network of inclusive community programmes geared towards building confidence and opening doors to employment opportunities.

Media enquiries

For further information and interview opportunities please contact Jonathan Sim via Jonathan.sim@leonardcheshire.org.

    

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