Celebrating diverse disability advocates this International Women’s Day

Every time International Women’s Day comes around, I can’t help but get incredibly frustrated at the lack of disabled representation — particularly diverse disabled representation.

As an autistic, queer, curvy, chronically ill, ambulatory wheelchair user, I can’t help but feel like our stories aren’t really told — and that only becomes truer the more levels of marginalisation someone has. Even if disability is represented, it’s often the most palatable and privileged in our community. 

So that’s why I’ve compiled this list of amazing disability advocates and have asked them to share their thoughts this International Women’s Day (IWD).

Khadija Gbla (She/they)

Image source: Women's Agenda.

Khadija Gbla is a fierce autistic, disabled, Afro-Indigenous, and non-binary writer, keynote speaker and consultant who advocates for trauma-informed, neuro-affirming, trans-affirming and culturally safe care for everyone — especially for those with intersectional identities. Intersectionality is a topic close to Khadija’s heart, as it is often lacking, especially for people from culturally and racially marginalised backgrounds.

“As I got older, I became more aware that I had so many different aspects to myself: my personality, my heritage, and my abilities that crossed over to make my experience of the world around me unique and in some cases, more difficult,” Khadija said.

“Different parts of our identity do not exist in isolation. You cannot separate my blackness from my autisticness, and you cannot separate me being non-binary from being black or autistic. These aspects make me who I am. I’m not just a carer: I’m an autistic and disabled carer. I’m not just a parent: I’m an autistic parent to a child who is also autistic.”

Sara Shams (She/her)

Image source: Sara Shams website.

Sara Shams is an award-winning speaker, model, actor, creator, diversity advocate and healthcare professional. She’s a bilateral above-knee amputee, and the founder of Ethnoability, where she works to drive change through inclusion.

“As we March Forward this International Women’s Day, we must do so with intersectionality at the heart of our movement,” Sara said.

“True equity means recognising and uplifting all women — disabled women, women of colour, those from diverse backgrounds and other marginalised groups.” 

“Only when we break every barrier can we March Forward together toward a future that leaves no one behind.”

Flic Manning (She/her)

Image source: Audible.

Flic Manning is an award-winning radio host, keynote speaker and author of Living Human, a raw and motivational memoir that details what it’s like to live with pain and illness while being an entrepreneur. She’s the founder of the Manning Institute, where her mission is to help organisations cultivate healthier, more resilient workplaces.

“I believe disabled and chronically sick women are forgotten, especially during big events like International Women’s Day, which is ironic considering the statistics around chronic illness that show it's more prevalent in those who are assigned female at birth,” Flic said.

“We are the forgotten part of the community, and yet, we exist all over the planet.”

Despite this, Flic says disabled and chronically ill people are some of the fiercest advocates.

“We fight not just for us, but for other marginalised groups. And we are so often multi-marginalised. I’m bi, disabled, and chronically sick. We show up in every label and group, and that’s why we need to be represented.”

“This International Women’s Day, I want to ensure people like me know they can have a seat at the table — that they can actually build a whole new table if they want to, and that they are incredible just as they are — it's not us that needs fixing. Never doubt our contribution to the world.”

Tamsin Colley PLY (She/her)

Image source: Paramatildas.

Tamsin Colley is a celebrated autistic and disabled Paralympian and footballer living with cerebral palsy. In a world where women’s sport comes with so much stigma — let alone disabled women’s sport ��� Tamsin fights for inclusion and representation. She was the youngest athlete on the Australian team for the 2016 Rio Paralympics at just age 13, and became a ParaMatilda in 2023.

Tamsin emphasises the importance of inclusive spaces where women with disabilities can thrive and support one another.

“This International Women’s Day, let’s strive for equality for all women, including those with disability. It’s great seeing more opportunities for female athletes with disabilities, especially in team sports recently, but we still have a way to go!”

For Sydney-based people, Tamsin is running a free football program for women with disability.

Beth (She/her)

Image source: Supplied.

Beth is an iconic blind writer, foodie and beauty-lover. Beth lives with Retinitis pigmentosa and usher syndrome so a lot of her work explores experiences of being blind, and how society can be more inclusive.

“Women who are blind or vision-impaired are often left out of the conversation — particularly when it comes to fashion and beauty. This is because of the incorrect assumption that beauty is exclusively looks-based, but also not something we would dare be interested in or passionate about,” Beth said.

Alongside beauty, fashion and advocacy, Beth is also passionate about workplace inclusion for the blind community.

“Employment is another area where our skills are undervalued, and discrimination can be rife with recent research showing only 24% of blind and low vision Australians are employed full-time.”

Amber Dance (They/them)

Image source: Supplied.

Amber Dance is a disabled, chronically ill writer and artist living with borderline personality disorder, and an adorable cat named Tetley. As a non-binary artist, zine maker and mental health advocate, they are candid about their experiences with mental illness, and encourage others who are struggling to know they aren’t alone. 

“International Women’s Day is important to me specifically as a non-binary person because it is a pursuit of a world where gender doesn’t dictate opportunities or experiences,” they said.

“IWD raises awareness about the specific challenges faced by non-binary individuals, because we experience discrimination and erasure. It’s an opportunity to advocate for a broader understanding of “women” and gender — one that includes non-binary people and transgender women.”

Final thoughts

I always have mixed feelings about International Women’s Day. On one hand, I love the idea of celebrating incredible, diverse disabled women and non-binary people. On the other hand, when I look at most mainstream events and campaigns, I notice that disabled people are largely excluded — especially those with multiple levels of marginalisation. 

Given the disabled community experiences so many barriers (not to mention the compounding barriers as a result of intersectionality), it’s a shame. Especially because so many care to claim about uplifting women, but seem to forget about disabled women, LGBTQIA+ people, and people of colour. 

We deserve better. And I hope our allies will help us fight so one day, we won’t have to fight for inclusion: we’ll just be included.