Sulaiman R. Khan: The Radical Leader Making Disability a Part of the Sustainability Narrative

The recent COP 27 event in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt, shone the spotlight on sustainability. At the event, many world leaders spoke movingly about the vulnerability of nations to loss and damage due to climate-induced disasters. One aspect that was totally ignored however, was the inclusion of disabled communities in climate action at the international level.

Sustainability is not limited to climate change alone. It also refers to maintaining a balance between economic growth, social well-being and environmental care of all human beings belonging to the present and future generations, irrespective of their race, nationality, class, caste, religion, sex, gender and physical or mental ability. This is exactly what Sulaiman R. Khan is fighting for - the cause of making disability a part of the sustainability narrative. As a person who has experienced the challenges of disability firsthand and has struggled with ableism, racism and lack of accessibility, his goal is to change the outlook for disabled people globally.

Sulaiman R. Khan is the Founder and Chief Radical Officer of ThisAbility Ltd, an organization that he set up to help brands engage with disabled consumers. This is a market that many leading brands ignore. According to the latest reports, there are more than 1 billion disabled people in the world, with the market being worth an estimated $8 trillion. This actual number is higher as many people have disabilities that are not visible externally or are not reported.

Sulaiman spent over 3 years applying for jobs after getting a degree in advertising and brand communication in 2012. He faced constant discrimination in favor of able-bodied people when looking for jobs. This made him decide that he would focus on dedicating his time and talent to empowering, uplifting and raising awareness for the global disabled community. His firm, ThisAbility, specializes in helping socially conscious organisations focused on sustainability, technology, or design to increase their revenues by engaging with the estimated $8 trillion disabled market. However Sulaiman is not keen to commoditise disability or disabled people.

Said Sulaiman R. Khan, Founder and Chief Radical Officer of This Ability Ltd, "There are many barriers to integrating disabled people. Events like COP27 are the perfect platform to promote awareness about the need for greater sensitivity to the needs of disabled people and the barriers that they face on a daily basis. There was recently an instance in which a wheelchair-using minister belonging to the Israeli delegation was unable to attend an event at the COP26 summit in Glasgow as the venue was not accessible. If this happens to ministers, we can imagine the fate of ordinary people. Many companies talk about having a DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) policy. They are actively implementing policies to favor women and people of color. The equitable focus needs to be given to the needs of disabled people. It is imperative to create more holistic, sustainable, anti-ableist,and accessible nature spaces, while working with and not just for disabled people. This needs to be in focus at the forthcoming COP 28 summit in Dubai and at all other future sustainability events."

Moreover, as an activist, his intent is to envision new futures for eco-justice that centre—all too often marginalised—Disabled lives. Critical "Cripship '' Studies, a term he coined (and platform he started), marks one such domain where scholarly and community knowledge merge to set an agenda for survival strategies in the wake of climate change. Earlier in 2021, he launched DRIIF, a grant scheme that provides funds to disabled creatives to make their radical and imaginative ideas and projects a reality. He works tirelessly to amplify the concept that disability is no barrier to creativity and in fact enhances it as disabled people are keenly aware about vulnerabilities and the need to be interdependent.

According to Sulaiman, sustainability cannot be considered to be successful unless it is inclusive. Thus, it is necessary to integrate disability and accessibility into all types of sustainability initiatives. This integration can be carried out by hiring members of the disabled community as consultants for projects so that they can be part of the solution.

Concluded Sulaiman, "When it comes to sheer numbers, disabled people form a huge community. We have been on the sidelines too long. The systematic discrimination we are facing at all levels is destroying us. We have a lot to offer the world in terms of creativity, love and happiness. Our voices need to be heard. We need more people to listen to us, support us and invest in us. I have made it my mission in life to act as a facilitator and to speak up by integrating disabled people within the workplace and within life as a whole. My journey so far has had many ups and downs, but this is definitely a cause that is worth fighting for."

About ThisAbility Ltd:

Daringly integrating Disability. ThisAbility Limited is a Disability (and POC)-led justice business. ThisAbility Limited helps socially conscious organisations focused on regeneration (beyond sustainability), technology, or design to diversify by going from ableism to Disability Liberation and integrating Disability Culture. Because of our innate sense of solidarity and desire for justice, we work tirelessly to ignite, invest in, and amplify Disabled creativity across the world for a liberated tomorrow for Disabled people.

Media Contact:

Name: Sulaiman R. Khan

Email id: sulaiman.khan@thisability.net