In 2017-18 APDA was funded by Disability Rights UK/Big Lottery to research the barriers to independence faced by disabled Asian women in the UK. Our research was part of Disability Rights UK’s DRILL project (Disability Research into Independent Living & Learning). Humare Avaaz was one of the first 10 projects to be funded.

The research questions were:

1. What are the systemic attitudinal barriers to independent living faced by disabled women in London’s Asian Community?

2. What is the relative importance of each of these barriers from the perspectives of Asian women and their communities?

3. How have women overcome these barriers?

4. What policies and support are needed to enable more disabled Asian women to overcome these barriers?

5. How best might these barriers be removed over time?

Research overview

The research focused on Asian women whose disability fell into one or more of the following broad categories: physical disability; learning disability; mental health or long-term health condition as a result of their status, for example as an unpaid and unsupported carer.

We gathered the life experiences and views of a representative population of disabled Asian women from different communities to confirm or refute common assumptions: ‘experts by lived experience’.

We documented positive outcomes and success stories where disabled Asian women had overcome barriers and whose experiential knowledge offered lessons or suggestions for changes to social policy.

Importantly, our research was co-designed and co-produced, which means that we involved disabled women in both its concept and planning and in its delivery.

None of the women involved had ever been asked for their views and experiences before. The research title – Humare Avaaz (Our Voice) – was therefore particularly apt.

Our report

Follow the links below for our Report, an Executive Summary, a presentation about our findings and three ‘Blogs’ written during the research.

If you want to find out more about the work of Disability Rights UK and its DRILL project, follow these links: