Hi, I'm Ari. I am a disability activist
and advocate. I work primarily within
the accessibility and inclusion space. I
also model. I worked with um SG. They
did a campaign. It was just me front and
centre with my wheelchair in all of
these windows in in this mainstream
store. They weren't trying to hide my
chair. They weren't trying to hide any
aspect of me. People messaged me and
they said that was the first time they'd
ever seen anyone that looked like them
represented. I wanted to be the change
in the world that I didn't have growing
up. And I wanted to be the
representation that I never saw and I
never experienced. And I think being
able to put myself in a position to
create representation and provide hope
to the next generation is a really
important thing. as a disabled young
person from a refugee background who's
trans, non-binary, feminine presenting
and chronically ill. So, I have so many
different intersections and parts of my
identity that were just never
represented. It was important for me to
agree to be an ambassador because I felt
that it was a really great opportunity
to show the community and the world that
someone like me exists. So being able to
be that representation was an
opportunity that I couldn't decline. The
recognition and of looking beyond is is
highlighting that disability is unique.
Humans are unique and having a
disability is just one aspect of who we
are and we have so much that we can
offer and provide. And if we are
included in the conversation, if we are
included as a part of the workplace and
we're supported and valued in every
aspect of our community, then we can
contribute just as much as anyone else,
if not more.
What I want the community to know and
change is awareness, but also
open-mindedness and understanding that
disability is not one size fits all and
that people's experiences of disability
are different. Even the same disability
has different experiences. I would love
to have opportunities for disabled
people improve. I would love for our
experiences to matter and that people
recognize us and look beyond just our
disability and recognize that we just
like all of us deserve to live a
fulfilling happy life without
discrimination, without ableism and
feel supported, valued and live the life
that we all deserve to live however we
want to live it.