Introducing Disability, daringly

Shared with interdependence and love in Crip Time. Writings of Sulaiman R. Khan – سلیمان راشد خان and occasionally accomplices.

Welcome, friends!

I’m delighted to announce the launch of the first-ever newsletter of my business ThisAbility® Limited: Disability, daringly.

I (re)imagining what is possible for us in 2024 and beyond.

I’m not afraid to be curious, compassionate, and courageous to help socially conscious brands divest from ableism and enact Disability liberation, by integrating Disability culture.

As Founder and Chief Radical Officer at ThisAbility® Limited, read on details about this newsletter.

I’m so excited to share details about the launch of our first-ever newsletter of my business ThisAbility® Limited. I’m ready to support every socially conscious organisation into a fully anti-ableist brand.

Image Description: Sexy, spicy, and sacred. On a green fluid abstract painting background, there’s a Black and white photo of Sulaiman (a wholeheartedly Disabled AF, British-Pakistani man with buzzcut black hair) by the legendary photographer Rankin and his team at the Art Car Boot Fair in London from September 2023. Sulaiman sits in his new black and green power wheelchair since walking and standing are SO overrated, as Sulaiman says. The last photo is with Rankin. He is wearing his pure silver chain and pendant that his late Nanaji (maternal grandfather) made for Sulaiman when he was 15 over 23 years ago and that Sulaiman rediscovered early this year. The silver pendant says “Raja Sulaiman” in Urdu, as that’s what Sulaiman’s Nanaji used to call him. Sulaiman wears this pendant to remember and honour his late Nanaji, his ancestors, and his descendants because Sulaiman understands (and respects) that he is the link from his ancestors to his descendants. And yes, he knows his pendant is facing backwards, but it’s deliberate and facing his heart. Sulaiman is also wearing his black sequin biker jacket via @phixclothing. Sulaiman smiles while feeling joyful and badass in his radically bold, wild, fearless existence. Also, although the description is of the colour look, the photo is black and white. End.

Why “Disability, daringly?”

I decided to name this newsletter Disability, daringly as our brand slogan/tagline. This is because everything we do centres Disability, daringly.

I cannot do anything other than this anymore. I cannot lead my business to do anything other than this anymore.

What we’ll be talking about?

I wish to keep things simple, clear, and focused. So, as a Disabled and Person of The Global Majority-owned Disability Justice business and a Certified B Corporation™, I decided to focus on three specific topics in all future posts in this business newsletter:

1. Mushings on (re)imagining every socially conscious organisation into a fully anti-ableist brand, all in aid of collective liberation.

2. News from ThisAbility® Limited.

3. My thoughts on Disability Justice for all of our kin (by blood or bond, our human and more-than-human kin, and our inner and outer selves).

I may feature other things within our newsletter, but the three topics above will be where I focus. This newsletter will be shared with interdependence and love in Crip Time¹, too.

Also, I am not interested in debating my lived experience as a Disabled AF, British-Pakistani entrepreneur as well, why D&I/DEIJ/Disability inclusion is unhelpful (especially for Disabled people of The Global Majority - colloquially “people of colour), and I am not interested in justifying my existence. This is how I lead my business, and we only do work that is rooted in justice and collective liberation. Without apology, without oppression.

Why now?

Why not now?

I have had enough of organisations (even most Disability-led organisations) who are only interested in so-called “Disability inclusion/representation” without having an intersectional approach that (along with anti-racism) that’s rooted in anti-ableism and Disability Justice.

I have had enough of socially conscious organisations not working towards becoming anti-ableist brands.

I have had enough of not centring Disability, daringly, in everything.

I have had enough of not fiercely wheeling away from organizations that don’t align with our values.

I have had enough of tolerating ableism and racism.

I have had enough of not trusting my wisdom, richness, and love.

I have had enough of our inaction.

Now, I move. For anti-ableism. For anti-racism. For anti-oppression. For Disability Justice. For environmental justice. For social justice. For collective liberation. For love. For Disability, daringly.

Onwards and upwards.

If you dare, do subscribe below and share!

May this new be radical, restful, regenerative, accessible, easeful, healing, nourishing, abundant, caring, liberated, interdependent, and loving for us. We love you x

---

PS: you can read and subscribe to my personal newsletter too on

Leaving Sunbeams

---

1. Through Sulaiman’s radical and badass leadership, we work, live, exist, play, and love in Crip Time. In short, Crip Time is the bending of time (and time travel) that Disabled people are experts in practising, and centres Disabled bodies and minds by and for Disabled people through interdependence and Revolutionary LOVE^®.