Being More Inclusive of People with Disabilities as a Humanitarian Leader

Aid for Aid Workers Leadership Podcast

"Society is putting the burden on people with disabilities to educate the world on being more accessible - and that is ableism." - Haben Girma, Disability Rights Advocate

Call me ignorant, but I had never looked at it this way before: that what is making people "disabled" 80% of the time is the environment they are working and living in. In other words, change the environment, and the person suddenly becomes "enabled."

This is one of the many things Samantha Sibanda pointed out in her talk at the WILD Forum 2021. I was so impressed by her perspective that I asked she share on the podcast- and she accepted! Samantha has 8 years' experience advocating for those with disabilities and is the Founder of Signs of Hope Trust Zimbabwe.

In this interview Samantha shares:

• How we as leaders can empower those with disabilities
• How to be aware of common biases against people with disabilities
• How to be more inclusive with hiring and policy making
• The importance of being intentional about engaging with people with disabilities

And more!

Resources:

WILD Forum Haben Girma's TED talk "Why I Work to Remove Access Barriers to Students with Disabilities"

Samantha's Contact Information:

• [e-mail]
• Twitter @signsofhopezim
• @sam_signsofhope on Twitter