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Sat Sri Akaal everyone, thank you for joining me, my name is Monique Mehra, and I'm presenting Time For Real Action.
This month in December, many disabled people celebrate International Disabled People's Day.
This show, I'm going to be sharing my story and also two other disabled people are going to be sharing their story.
I'm pleased that I'm involved with Include Me TOO's role models and I feel that it's important to show Black and Asian communities
Because I feel that
that we haven't had the chance to speak up about our experiences.
I've been involved with Include Me TOO for 10 years
I started off helping to film a song
And then I went to all these events where we had fun days and it got other people involved as well. My parents, my family, everyone was supportive to me.
And it just built up a nice environment because there are not many black or Asian people who would speak up
about their experiences, and this charity Include Me TOO gave us the opportunity to do that.
I think it's important for me to share my experience, so that other people know that they can speak up without worrying.
When I was younger, I didn't want to be known as the Asian girl in the wheelchair, but now as I've grown older, I've come to terms with it.
And I think its easier now for me to deal with.
When I was younger, in the teenage years, I went through a phase, where I didn't want to be involved with anything to do with disabilities.
I isolated myself, but now I'm comfortable for who I am and I've realised that people not only look at your disabilities, they look at your abilities as well.
And I feel blessed and lucky about how my life is with the support of my friends and family around me.
And Include Me TOO has helped me come to terms with that, because I've seen that there are other people in my position as well, and life is not so bad after all.
As a role model for Include Me TOO, please join us to raise awareness about people with disabilities.
Because generally people stare at me, but what I find funny are the elderly people in the community.
All they have to do is look at me once and they burst into tears, and I don't want to offend them, but they don't really realise that they offend me.
But all you've got to do now is laugh about it, because there is no point in crying about it, it happens to everyone, not only me.
Before I introduce you to two other fantastic role models for Include Me TOO, I would just like to share with you one of my proudest achievements.
While I was at school, I had the opportunity to work with an artist; she did a six month project, where I was able, with four other students, to do underwater photography
And a photo shoot where I was able to wear my Asian clothes and show people what it's like to do things in my culture.
The project was called 'Unlocked' and I think, to me, it was unlocking my feelings.
That helped a lot and she inspired me, because then I thought to myself, that I can do things and there is a positive way of looking through and through this it built my confidence up.
And I was happy and proud for my work to be displayed at Wolverhampton Art Gallery.
I feel that my friends and family have supported me, and that's a big help.
My carers are with me whenever I need them
And it takes the pressure off my parents and I'm grateful to my carers for doing that.
Because I feel like I don't have to rely on anyone and that I can do things off my own back.
I'd like to introduce you to our first role model Sulaiman Khan, who's sharing his story about his education and social life.
Thanks Sulaiman that was a truly inspirational message.
And now over to Paul, a deaf political campaigner
Thank you Paul that was a brilliant message.
The main message to take away from today is that disabled people aren't limited in what they can achieve.
Please support Include Me TOO, to give disabled people a voice.
Thank you for watching, see you again soon!