As a disabled South Asian woman, she experiences the challenges of ableism, racism and sexism, barriers that shape her everyday experiences, but at the same time also fuels her advocacy.
However, rather than letting these obstacles define her, she has transformed them into a driving force for change.
Born with osteogenesis imperfecta, more commonly known as brittle bone disease, Dhanda has spent her life navigating a world that “often underestimates her”.
Growing up, she was confronted with societal stigmas and low expectations, not just because of her disability but also due to the additional weight of cultural taboos surrounding disability in South Asian communities.
“In my community, disability carries an extra layer of stigma, which really frustrated me. I couldn’t understand why people assumed so much about my capabilities when I knew exactly what I was capable of,” she explains.
However, Dhanda’s fight is not just personal. She also noticed a lack of representation in disability advocacy.
“The disability space was predominantly represented by white voices, despite high rates of disability in Black and Asian communities,” she says. “I wanted to change that, to bring better representation to the disability community and be part of the change I wished to see.”
However, Disability is not a niche issue, with 83% of people acquiring their impairment during their working lives.
She says: “You don’t want that to be the moment you realise how broken society is and how much it devalues disabled people.”
According to Dhanda, empowerment is not just about personal success, it’s about pushing boundaries, both individually and on a societal level.
Her journey has required resilience and determination, often without the full support of those around her.
“When I was younger, I realised that if I wanted to achieve my goals, I’d have to work incredibly hard in a world that often doesn’t understand me,” she states. “I live with a visible disability and have a short stature, so I’ve had to prove my abilities time and time again.”
Stepping outside her comfort zone has been key to her growth.
“Looking back, I see how much those experiences shaped me, even though I didn’t realise it at the time,” she notes.
Activism being in the bloodline
Born and raised in a Sikh family in Birmingham, from a young age Dhanda remembers attending a special needs school during the week but being uprooted to numerous protests in London during the weekends.
“I was raised with the belief that if you have a voice, you should use it to uplift those who don’t,” she says.
Beyond her dad’s influence, her journey has been shaped by her faith, fellow disabled activists, and other justice advocates.
Dhanda explains: “The deep sense of injustice fuels my work. I always ask myself: What can I do to challenge the status quo and make people think differently?”
For Dhanda, there is no clear separation between her personal and professional life.
“At one point, I tried to keep them separate, but I’ve reached a place where my work is a core part of my identity. I can’t separate them because this isn’t just my lived experience, it’s also my work.”
However, according to the disability activist, one of the biggest challenges she faces is constant judgment based on her appearance.
“When people see me, they immediately recognise that I’m a visibly disabled woman.
“Each of those identities, being disabled, being a woman and my racial and cultural background, comes with its own challenges. But together, they create a unique and layered form of oppression.”
She explains the intersectional is evident even in online trolling, with people attacking her disability first, race, religion and nationality next, and if they ever get around to it, they will comment on her gender.
“If I were a white, non-disabled woman, I’d only be trolled for my gender,” she states.
“Disability can affect anyone at any time. I know I’m a ‘palatable’ disabled person, and I’ve worked hard to build this platform. If I wanted to, I wouldn’t have to do any of this. But this is exactly why I got into this work, I do it so I can take others with me,” she explains.
Her mission is clear: to ensure that disability advocacy is inclusive and accessible.
She concludes: “I never want to be the only person talking about these issues. I make sure that everything I do is accessible. There’s no point in advocating for disability rights and justice if I’m not doing it in an accessible way.”
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