Our Team

CEO, DEEN Support Services

Rabia is the CEO of our parent organization, DEEN Support Services, a disability support organization created by and created to support Muslim Canadians with disabilities. She is a consultant with diversityworX, previously served as a commissioner at the Ontario Human Rights Commission, on the board of Accessibility Standards Canada, and a member of the National Disability Advisory Group organized by the Minister of Disability Inclusion, Carla Qualtrough. Rabia was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. She is the founding member of Race and Disability Canada.

Founding Member, Organization of Canadian Tamils with Disabilities (OCTD) & Ethno-Racial People with Disabilities Coalition of Ontario (ERDCO)

Sricamalan (Sri), in his mid-50s, immigrated to Canada from Sri Lanka as a victim of the minority Tamil ethnic cleansing. After earning a Master’s degree from New Dehli and London, Sri is a Human Resources professional at Toronto Metropolitan University and a founding member of OCTD and ERDCO.

ATI Foundation

Selvamanikam (Bhrapa) was born in Jaffna, Sri Lanka with perfect eyesight. His visual impairment was caused by optic nerve and retinal issues caused by an accident while playing at a young age. He pursued his education in Colombo and obtained his Bachelor’s degree with Honours from the University of Jaffna. Due to the ongoing war in Sri Lanka, Bhrapa moved to Canada in 1997. He began working at Scotiabank, becoming the first person with vision loss in their call centre department. He has continued to work there for more than 25 years.

Focus on Ability

Ingrid (She/Her) is an award-winning speaker and bestselling author and holds the position of IDEAL (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility, Leading to belonging) Chief Officer at Realize Canada. Ingrid is committed to helping combat discrimination in all forms, driving systemic change and debunking myths and stereotypes of stigmatized identities. Her dedication is deeply rooted in her lived experiences of early childhood trauma, living in foster care, disability, and gender-based violence.

Co-Founder, Volunteer Executive Director, Islamic Social Services Association (ISSA)

Shahina is an educator, speaker, social justice activist, writer, and author. She is widely recognized for her work in anti-racism advocacy, social justice and combatting Islamophobia. For over two decades, Shaina has worked to highlight the ongoing growth of Islamophobia and its impacts through her writing, community organizing, media engagement, public speaking and offering training across various sectors.

CEO, Founder, Accessibility for All

Accessibility for All is a non-profit organization that helps other organizations make practices more accessible, with a specialized focus on youth, women, seniors, and people from racially marginalized communities. Meenu currently sits on the board of United Way GTA, the Canadian Women’s Foundation, and the Accessibility Standards Advisory Committee and has volunteered with several other organizations, including the Centre for Independent Living in Toronto (CILT) and ARCH Disability Law Centre. Meenu was inducted into the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame in 2020.

Interim Executive Director, Plan Institute

Franceska and Plan Institute lead efforts to empower individuals with disabilities to live fulfilling lives. With a focus on addressing intersectional barriers, Plan Institute provides educational material, collaborative community projects, and advocacy for policy reformation.

Ethno-Racial People with Disabilities Coalition of Ontario (ERDCO)

Leroy Ennis is a disability advocate that started working with the disability community in 2014 with ERDCO. He is currently the ERDCO board chair. Leroy has worked with numerous organizations and committees to address issues that create barriers for people with disabilities. He continues to work with and support organizations that advocate for disability rights, poverty reduction, accessibility and other barriers to people with disability.

National Director

Raihanna Hirji-Khalfan has over 15 years of experience advancing disability rights, anti-racism, equity, and anti-oppressive practice in non-profit and public sectors. Raihanna served as the Accessibility Officer at McMaster University, where she managed the University’s accessibility program and compliance obligations with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). She is a seasoned facilitator with expertise in designing and delivering training and education programs. She also has expertise in creating and managing programs for marginalized communities. Raihanna has a Master’s degree in Business and IT, a Master’s degree in Critical Disability Studies, and an LLM in Canadian Common Law.

Marketing Coordinator

Isabella has experience serving the community on issues of homelessness, social and environmental justice, and gender equality. In her work with the ASE Foundation, Isabella was the Marketing and Communications Officer and supported her colleagues in raising awareness and dismantling anti-Black racism and ableism. Isabella’s expertise lies in Graphic Design, Social Media, Sustainability, and Community Building. With a strong interest in the intersections of race and disability, Isabella is excited to apply her skills to support radicalized people with disabilities.

Community Learning Coordinator

Ameera brings expertise gained through community engagement and social justice about culture, politics, and human rights. She recently graduated from Algonquin College’s Advertising and Marketing Communications Management program and is completing her Honours Bachelor’s degree in Communications with a minor in Human Rights and Conflict Studies. Through prior collaborative experiences with community organizations like the City for All Women Initiative (CAWI) and Refugee613, she is enthused to connect organizations at national and local levels to address the intersectionality of race and disabilities for more significant community support.

Community Engagement Coordinator

Freda Uwa is a dynamic leader with a remarkable track record of guiding non-profit organizations to new heights over eight years. Her leadership prowess is particularly evident in her dedicated service to disability-serving organizations, where she has passionately advocated for inclusivity and empowerment. With a Nursing and Mental Health background, Freda is also a seasoned entrepreneur. She brings a unique blend of compassion and expertise to her ventures. Freda's journey took a deeply personal turn when she found herself caring for a family member with a disability. This experience became a catalyst for her unwavering commitment to purposeful living. Faced with the challenges and barriers encountered in caring for a loved one with unique needs, Freda emerged as a determined advocate for breaking down barriers across various intersections.

Researcher

Bounmy Inthavong (She/Her) is a devoted researcher at Race and Disability Canada. Being a racialized person with a mental health disability, her unique perspective fuels her passion for dismantling barriers and promoting inclusivity. She is deeply committed to the organization's mission, aligning her work with RDC’s advocacy for racial and disability justice. Together, she strives to create a more equitable society, ensuring that every individual, irrespective of their background, experiences the respect and opportunities they deserve.

Regional Outreach Coordinator, Toronto

Rayanne Banaga is a community counsellor and educator with a background working extensively with black and racialized communities in anti-oppression and anti-colonialism education, youth empowerment, community-oriented mental health, and community-based research. She believes in a collaborative approach to learning, healing, and caring for one another and uses transformative and restorative frameworks to reflect this in her work. Rayanne is deeply interested in imagining and building a world that centers on the self-determination and liberation of marginalized communities.

Regional Outreach Coordinator, Vancouver

Daniela Cohen is passionate about helping to bridge divides to build communities where everyone can thrive. She has a background in education, an M.A. in Conflict Analysis and Management, and extensive experience designing and delivering initiatives to foster equity, diversity and inclusion, intercultural understanding, and peacebuilding. Daniela is also a conflict transformation practitioner and has facilitated various conflict resolution processes in Canada, the U.S., and South Africa. As a journalist and writer, Daniela believes in the power of storytelling to amplify underrepresented voices and create social transformation.

Instructional Designer

Shadia Yousuf has extensive experience in educational consulting and product management and has led the development of learning initiatives for community, healthcare, management consulting and finance sectors. Shadia holds a Bachelor of Arts in Environment & Resource Management, a Bachelor of Adult Education and a Master of Educational Technology. She is passionate about building leaders through transformative learning experiences that foster empathy and courage.

Grants & Innovations Manager, DEEN Support Services

Sakina Hussain has over 20 years of experience working in regulatory policy for both the public and non-profit sectors in England and Canada. She has developed policy and regulations in compliance with provincial and federal law as well as extensive expertise researching and designing project frameworks, managing programs serving equity-demanding groups and strategic project planning. Sakina co-designed the project for Race & Disability Canada, led by Rabia Khedr and under the auspices of DEEN Support Services. She provides leadership and project management oversight for the IDEA Project.

Chief Financial Officer, DEEN Support Services

Azhar manages the finance and accounting process for the IDEA Project. He maintains all financial records and ensures the timely submission of periodical reports.