Shani Dhanda is a multi-award-winning disability specialist, speaker, and a rising entrepreneur dedicated to breaking down physical and financial barriers for disabled people. Throughout her life, she has endured a multitude of challenges due to her brittle bone disease diagnosis, Asian background, and female identity. In order to help those facing similar challenges, Dhanda formed the Asian Disability Network and created the first-ever Asian Woman Festival, as a means to support and embrace intersectional communities. Dhanda offers a valuable outlook on disability rights, as she believes that “[her] condition doesn’t disable [her], [she’s] only disabled when [she] experience[s] barriers or bias.” While growing up in a society that predominantly supports the able-bodied, she has come to understand that lack of accessible mobility, financial services, overall acceptance, and all other challenges that define her as disabled are societal faults. Her contributions in reshaping our society to meet everyone’s needs have not only helped many feel recognized, but also have empowered communities enduring multiple axes of oppression to speak out and become leaders in their own fields.
