Disrupting for Disability Without Poverty
March 12, 2024Transcript (download .docx)
Transcript (PDF)
As the National Director of Disability Without Poverty, Rabia Khedr is building a vibrant intersectional movement led by people with disabilities to end disability poverty through a new federal Canada Disability Benefit. Listen to this episode to learn from Rabia about why this benefit is so necessary and what is still needed to deliver meaningful change. Jonathan Heller, a visiting scholar at the National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health, then shares practical strategies that public health can use to build community power and support movements like Disability Without Poverty.
Guests
Rabia Khedr is dedicated to equity and justice for persons with disabilities, women, and diverse communities. Rabia most recently served as a Director on the Accessibility Standards Canada board and a Commissioner on the Ontario Human Rights Commission. She sits on the Minister’s Disability Advisory Group. She is the National Director of Disability Without Poverty and CEO of DEEN Support Services. A founder of Race and Disability Canada, she is also a board member of the Muslim Council of Peel and the Federation of Muslim Women. A motivational speaker and documentary commentator, Rabia draws on her lived experience of being blind and advocating for siblings with intellectual disabilities. Rabia has received numerous awards for her humanitarian services, including a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Metal and the Daniel G. Hill human rights award. Rabia holds a Bachelor of Arts (University of Toronto) and a Master of Arts (York University).
Website
Jonathan Heller (he/him) is a Visiting Scholar at the National Collaborating Centre for Determinants of Health and a Senior Health Equity Fellow at the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. He is the co-founder and until 2020 was the co-director of Human Impact Partners, a US-based non-profit focused on bringing the power of public health to campaigns and movements for a just society.
Episode Credits
Production for this episode was led by Carolina Jimenez and Rebecca Cheff, with contributions from Pemma Muzumdar and host Bernice Yanful (NCCDH). The Mind the Disruption project team is led by Rebecca Cheff, with technical production and original music by Chris Perry. Promotion by Caralyn Vossen (NCCDH). Artwork by comet art + design
Sound credits: Clips used from Elisa, Jen Gammad, Hon. Carla Qualtrough, DWP Co-Chair Michelle Hewitt (House of Commons proceedings), and Where’s the bill?