“Agoro”
Donation protected
I. My goal(s)
II. My story
III. Call to Action
IV. Feasibility study
________________________________________________________________________
I. MY GOALS (In order of highest priority):
* Highlight the creative landscape and disabled people’s potential in Ghana; creativity is not just a Western ideology nor a 9-to-5 job nor an ableist concept (it lives everywhere and in everyone), and the largest proportion of disabled people are in developing countries (such as Ghana).
* Saying thank you to a trusted partner (my carer, ‘A’) / shining a light on a 12+ year relationship.
* The urgency of now – Deteriorating disability is making things tough, so I feel now is the time to visit Ghana and build those connections before it’s too late.
* Connect with the creative industries/community in Ghana to support them to make themselves a global player in creativity, and engage with creative disabled talent.
* Connecting to the disabled community and helping them tell their own stories, as well as support them in getting greater visibility and rights in Ghana.
* Train and support the Ghanaian government and creative industries/community to engage with (consult with and hire) disabled audiences and disabled talent.
* Connect with the Ghanaian government to support them to 1) make their infrastructure more accessible, 2) provide greater rights to disabled Ghanaians so they can have entirely equitable access to society, and 3) make Ghana the leader of access and disability rights in Africa.
* Having an adventure of a lifetime and challenging my ability fully to something I never thought possible or what’s expected of me.
* A step towards creating a radically more equitable world – challenging my (and others’) perceptions of me, what I am “able” to do, as well as challenging the stereotypes of Ghana, Africa, creativity, disability, community, humanity, collaboration, and entrepreneurship.
* Be the start of my personal legacy (making a positive difference in the lives of 1 billion people–disabled people–definition of “The New Billionaire ”).
* Shining a light on Ghana and learning from them / my experience there.
Is there one mega goal to rule them all?
Destabilising the accepted narratives of creativity and disability (and African and disabled Africans).
This is not an exhaustive list, and I am not fixated on achieving all of these things on this first trip. These things might change altogether as well, but I am aware that it is necessary for me to have a physical presence in Ghana to have a chance at impacting on these goals (and my own life) and be able to challenge myself further.
What is surprising or unique about this?
Me, my story, my background, my love of adventures, my (dark) sense of humour, my determination, and my sunshine and melanin magic.
What barriers are in my way?
* Financial - Cost of flights and accommodation.
* Logistical - Transport.
What are my personal considerations?
* Physical - Proving that I am tough enough for the journey and experience.
* Emotional/Mental - Knowing I am emotionally mature enough and mentally strong enough for this experience.
* Spiritual - Ensuring I am spiritually ready for this experience.
What’s in it for the audience?
Access and insight to me, a great story.
II. MY STORY
The igniter of hearts creatively, a creative collaborator and adventurer, I am the award-winning Founder and Chief Purpose Officer of ThisAbility Limited, which is a disability-led equity consultancy. I work tirelessly to destabilise the accepted narratives of creativity and disability, for disabled creatives to change the culture to make equity the default. I am relentlessly and unapologetically an active intersectional feminist-in-progress too. I am also an independent consultant, speaker, and writer on Divergent Leadership, Creativity, and Equitability (characterised by equity or fairness; just and right; fair; reasonable: equitable treatment of all citizens).
I have always been fascinated by the world around me and travelling has been a massive part of my life, but getting older, my physical disability (muscular dystrophy) has made things more challenging when trying to travel. Ghana has been a long-time place I’ve wanted to visit for so many reasons. The main reason is that a carer who was the very first carer that started working with me on 15th November 2007 (and is still working with me today) is originally from Ghana. He has been an incredible support and helped me facilitate my life rather than tell me how I should live like some carers do. I have also been intrigued by travelling to Ghana for many years as I am interested in the culture, history, and people. I’m really fascinated by different communities and getting a better understanding of how people live. I enjoy growing through discomfort and continuously unlearning and relearning, so much so, that I recently completed an 8-week course in Black Studies by A Tribe Called Progress, to learn about a community and history I knew nothing about as well as to become a better ally. This was an incredible course, and I feel enlightened after completing it, which sparked further interest to visit Ghana. Ghanaian culture and history also feature in my company branding and logo, where I have used an Adinkra* Symbol that means BOA ME NE ME MMOA WO or ‘help me and let me help you’. I have never visited Africa either, and I have decided that Ghana would be the best place to start. Despite the challenges, I am determined to make this trip happen and ask for help for the things I actually need help with - and I have recently discovered that it is ok to ask for help.
III. CALL TO ACTION
“Deal with yourself as an individual worthy of respect and make everyone else deal with you the same way.” — Nikki Giovanni
By wanting to go on this trip to Ghana, I am treating myself as an individual worthy of respect and being able to live the life I desire. I have the desire to go on meaningful holidays and regret that this is something not currently funded by my local authority. Through understanding the social model of disability, my earning potential is hugely limited - for example, I am unable to go and get a job at Starbucks as a barista tomorrow - unless I attach a wagon to my wheelchair in the warehouse! Also, as I touched upon earlier, and due to the barriers faced by society:
* Disabled people are more than twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people.
* Life costs you £583 more on average a month if you’re disabled.
* A substantially higher proportion of individuals who live in families with disabled members live in poverty, compared to individuals who live in families where no one is disabled.
I have faced all three, but I am working hard to change this for myself and others.
Travelling is something I enjoy doing, but I’m not able to do enough. Like most disabled people, for me, it is not an option just to book today and fly tomorrow anywhere whenever I like due to not only the financial barriers but also the logistical.
Anyone who knows me knows that asking for money is hard for me to do, but I want to be honest about my need for this adventure and respect myself enough to ask for help with it.
I would be forever grateful for your support in assisting me in making this trip happen.
So, I hope you can show me some love and support me on my adventure in whatever capacity, big or small.
As Maya Angelou best said: “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”
Follow along to see how you can support me on my adventure.
IV. FEASIBILITY STUDY
Looking into the financial and logistical side, this trip is going to be extremely challenging, more so having a disability. In day to day life, disabled people encounter a “disability tax”, where products and services are more costly if you have a disability. Even travelling anywhere is hugely expensive when you are disabled, particularly if you are like me and have a power wheelchair and cannot travel without carers.
Here is a great article that highlights the cost of being disabled.
The Trip
The dates are as follows:
TBD; I will confirm the travel dates once I achieve the full funding.
I’ve researched and realised that I would need the following:
People / resource
People I need to have with me on the ground to make this happen:
Personal support – At least four (4) carers. Due to my complex physical disability, I need to have 24-hour care; 2 carers in the day and 2 at night.
Transportation / Travel
Flights to & from Accra = £1,500 (2 x Econ returns) + £4,400 (2 x Biz returns) = £5,900
Due to my physical disability, I am unable to sit for long periods without being able to lay down, so I am unable to sit on long haul flights in Economy, so I have to pay for Business class for myself and a carer - which I get no help with!
Accommodation & Meals = £7100 accommodation (Self-catering)
SUBTOTAL = £13,000
“Do not follow the path. Go where there is no path to begin the trail.” — Ashanti proverb.
–––
Listening to: “Agoro ” by Juls
II. My story
III. Call to Action
IV. Feasibility study
________________________________________________________________________
I. MY GOALS (In order of highest priority):
* Highlight the creative landscape and disabled people’s potential in Ghana; creativity is not just a Western ideology nor a 9-to-5 job nor an ableist concept (it lives everywhere and in everyone), and the largest proportion of disabled people are in developing countries (such as Ghana).
* Saying thank you to a trusted partner (my carer, ‘A’) / shining a light on a 12+ year relationship.
* The urgency of now – Deteriorating disability is making things tough, so I feel now is the time to visit Ghana and build those connections before it’s too late.
* Connect with the creative industries/community in Ghana to support them to make themselves a global player in creativity, and engage with creative disabled talent.
* Connecting to the disabled community and helping them tell their own stories, as well as support them in getting greater visibility and rights in Ghana.
* Train and support the Ghanaian government and creative industries/community to engage with (consult with and hire) disabled audiences and disabled talent.
* Connect with the Ghanaian government to support them to 1) make their infrastructure more accessible, 2) provide greater rights to disabled Ghanaians so they can have entirely equitable access to society, and 3) make Ghana the leader of access and disability rights in Africa.
* Having an adventure of a lifetime and challenging my ability fully to something I never thought possible or what’s expected of me.
* A step towards creating a radically more equitable world – challenging my (and others’) perceptions of me, what I am “able” to do, as well as challenging the stereotypes of Ghana, Africa, creativity, disability, community, humanity, collaboration, and entrepreneurship.
* Be the start of my personal legacy (making a positive difference in the lives of 1 billion people–disabled people–definition of “The New Billionaire ”).
* Shining a light on Ghana and learning from them / my experience there.
Is there one mega goal to rule them all?
Destabilising the accepted narratives of creativity and disability (and African and disabled Africans).
This is not an exhaustive list, and I am not fixated on achieving all of these things on this first trip. These things might change altogether as well, but I am aware that it is necessary for me to have a physical presence in Ghana to have a chance at impacting on these goals (and my own life) and be able to challenge myself further.
What is surprising or unique about this?
Me, my story, my background, my love of adventures, my (dark) sense of humour, my determination, and my sunshine and melanin magic.
What barriers are in my way?
* Financial - Cost of flights and accommodation.
* Logistical - Transport.
What are my personal considerations?
* Physical - Proving that I am tough enough for the journey and experience.
* Emotional/Mental - Knowing I am emotionally mature enough and mentally strong enough for this experience.
* Spiritual - Ensuring I am spiritually ready for this experience.
What’s in it for the audience?
Access and insight to me, a great story.
II. MY STORY
The igniter of hearts creatively, a creative collaborator and adventurer, I am the award-winning Founder and Chief Purpose Officer of ThisAbility Limited, which is a disability-led equity consultancy. I work tirelessly to destabilise the accepted narratives of creativity and disability, for disabled creatives to change the culture to make equity the default. I am relentlessly and unapologetically an active intersectional feminist-in-progress too. I am also an independent consultant, speaker, and writer on Divergent Leadership, Creativity, and Equitability (characterised by equity or fairness; just and right; fair; reasonable: equitable treatment of all citizens).
I have always been fascinated by the world around me and travelling has been a massive part of my life, but getting older, my physical disability (muscular dystrophy) has made things more challenging when trying to travel. Ghana has been a long-time place I’ve wanted to visit for so many reasons. The main reason is that a carer who was the very first carer that started working with me on 15th November 2007 (and is still working with me today) is originally from Ghana. He has been an incredible support and helped me facilitate my life rather than tell me how I should live like some carers do. I have also been intrigued by travelling to Ghana for many years as I am interested in the culture, history, and people. I’m really fascinated by different communities and getting a better understanding of how people live. I enjoy growing through discomfort and continuously unlearning and relearning, so much so, that I recently completed an 8-week course in Black Studies by A Tribe Called Progress, to learn about a community and history I knew nothing about as well as to become a better ally. This was an incredible course, and I feel enlightened after completing it, which sparked further interest to visit Ghana. Ghanaian culture and history also feature in my company branding and logo, where I have used an Adinkra* Symbol that means BOA ME NE ME MMOA WO or ‘help me and let me help you’. I have never visited Africa either, and I have decided that Ghana would be the best place to start. Despite the challenges, I am determined to make this trip happen and ask for help for the things I actually need help with - and I have recently discovered that it is ok to ask for help.
III. CALL TO ACTION
“Deal with yourself as an individual worthy of respect and make everyone else deal with you the same way.” — Nikki Giovanni
By wanting to go on this trip to Ghana, I am treating myself as an individual worthy of respect and being able to live the life I desire. I have the desire to go on meaningful holidays and regret that this is something not currently funded by my local authority. Through understanding the social model of disability, my earning potential is hugely limited - for example, I am unable to go and get a job at Starbucks as a barista tomorrow - unless I attach a wagon to my wheelchair in the warehouse! Also, as I touched upon earlier, and due to the barriers faced by society:
* Disabled people are more than twice as likely to be unemployed as non-disabled people.
* Life costs you £583 more on average a month if you’re disabled.
* A substantially higher proportion of individuals who live in families with disabled members live in poverty, compared to individuals who live in families where no one is disabled.
I have faced all three, but I am working hard to change this for myself and others.
Travelling is something I enjoy doing, but I’m not able to do enough. Like most disabled people, for me, it is not an option just to book today and fly tomorrow anywhere whenever I like due to not only the financial barriers but also the logistical.
Anyone who knows me knows that asking for money is hard for me to do, but I want to be honest about my need for this adventure and respect myself enough to ask for help with it.
I would be forever grateful for your support in assisting me in making this trip happen.
So, I hope you can show me some love and support me on my adventure in whatever capacity, big or small.
As Maya Angelou best said: “Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.”
Follow along to see how you can support me on my adventure.
IV. FEASIBILITY STUDY
Looking into the financial and logistical side, this trip is going to be extremely challenging, more so having a disability. In day to day life, disabled people encounter a “disability tax”, where products and services are more costly if you have a disability. Even travelling anywhere is hugely expensive when you are disabled, particularly if you are like me and have a power wheelchair and cannot travel without carers.
Here is a great article that highlights the cost of being disabled.
The Trip
The dates are as follows:
TBD; I will confirm the travel dates once I achieve the full funding.
I’ve researched and realised that I would need the following:
People / resource
People I need to have with me on the ground to make this happen:
Personal support – At least four (4) carers. Due to my complex physical disability, I need to have 24-hour care; 2 carers in the day and 2 at night.
Transportation / Travel
Flights to & from Accra = £1,500 (2 x Econ returns) + £4,400 (2 x Biz returns) = £5,900
Due to my physical disability, I am unable to sit for long periods without being able to lay down, so I am unable to sit on long haul flights in Economy, so I have to pay for Business class for myself and a carer - which I get no help with!
Accommodation & Meals = £7100 accommodation (Self-catering)
SUBTOTAL = £13,000
“Do not follow the path. Go where there is no path to begin the trail.” — Ashanti proverb.
–––
Listening to: “Agoro ” by Juls
Organizer
Sulaiman R. Khan
Organizer
England