Our Vision:

Our vision is to help socially conscious brands divest from ableism and enact Disability liberation, by integrating Disability culture.

Our Mission:

Our mission is to help socially conscious brands divest from ableism and enact Disability liberation, by integrating Disability culture. We help (re)imagine them to aid collective liberation in business and society.

So, our mission is centred around Disability (and Disabled people). And our work is always connected to our values.

Our Community:

Our community is a tribe of Disabled creatives and accomplices on a mission to know ourselves, clarify the vision, and make it real.

Founded (and run) by the self-described “Disabled AF” adventurer and continual Work-In-Progress, the multiple award-winning Sulaiman R. Khan, in 2016, ThisAbility® Limited is one of the most respected Disabled and Person of The Global Majority-and owned Disability Justice business that champions, amplifies, and centres Disability, daringly.

Pledges

We transparently support and pledge to commitments that we hold ourselves accountable to in the work we carry out and how we choose to exist daily.

Our PLEDGES

We previously were aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 1, 9, 11, and 17. However, these no longer align with our values (and the values of our Founder and Chief Radical Officer, Sulaiman R. Khan). We feel that the SDGs don’t have enough space for intersectionality as defined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, accessibility (in all its forms for Disabled people), anti-ableism, and anti-racism. We also feel that working with SDGs, governments and society don’t integrate the lived experience, wisdom, and richness of People of The Global Majority and those who sit at the intersection of multiple systems of oppression, especially Disabled people People of The Global Majority.

Instead, we are more interested in becoming a regenerative organisation beyond sustainability. So we aim to be in harmony above balance with the universe, Mother Earth, our kin (by blood and bond, human and more-than-human), our ancestors, our descendants, and our inner and outer selves and systems.

That said, we know we may get things wrong and make mistakes, but we will always do our best to do (and better) tomorrow than we did today (and yesterday).

Maya Angelou said it best: “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

Our Our BUSINESS CERTIFICATIONS

FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE TEAM

ADVISORS

Mama
Sulaiman’s Mama/Everyone‘s Mama + All-round Strategic Advisor [whether by blood or bond, family is everything to us]

Cindy Gallop
Consultant + Founder/CEO, MakeLoveNotPorn

Danny Pallett
Freelance Senior Creative | Co-Founder, Badass.Gal

Rosemary Frazer
Senior Freelance Consultant

Mel Exon
CEO and Author

Joshua A. Halstead
Co-Founder, Cripjoy

Collette Philip
Founder & Managing Director, Brand By Me

Sana Khan
Freelance Accessibility and Inclusion Consultant

Kelly Gordon
Co-Founder, With Not For

Our Values

Our Seven Values

The values of ThisAbility® Limited were created in Interdependence and love, and these align with the values of our Founder and Chief Radical Officer, Sulaiman R. Khan. These values are not trendy words to us. Our values are reminders of our existence and everything we do (and every interaction we have) internally and externally.

Led by Sulaiman, in our divinity, truth, power, and creativity as whole and complete moons – craters, scars, flaws, farts, and all: We know we may not always get things right and will make mistakes, but we will always keep these values in our hearts to always do better today (and tomorrow) than we did yesterday. And we trust the universe, our ancestors, and our descendants to support us and show us on this adventure to the next (right and best) thing for us.

Radical, restful, regenerative. Always. XO

These values were ignited and influenced by the work of but not limited to (in no particular order):

• Fearless Futures

• GUAP INTERNATIONAL LTD

• Morrama Ltd.

• The Slow Factory

• Aotearoa Liberation League

• Flamingo Interpreting Inc.

• Born Equal Consults

• Farzana Khan

• Healing Justice LDN

• Kwame Lowe

• Arman Nouri

• Kin Structures

• Akil Scafe-Smith

• Seth Amani Scafe-Smith

• Melissa Haniff

• RESOLVE Collective

• Amahra Spence

• MAIA

• Imandeep Kaur

• Civic Square

• Ismail Lourido Ali JD

• Akua Ofosuhene

• Camille Sapara Barton

• Darren Springer

• Nkem Ndefo

• Lumos Transforms

• Temi Mwale

• Melz Owusu

• Alex Augustin

• Yolo Akili Robinson

• Shahmir Sanni

• Sonya Renee Taylor

• Adrienne Maree Brown

• The Nap Ministry

• Dream Rehab

• Pause and Effect (Canada)

• Sabrina Meherally

• Sahibzada Mayed (صاحبزادہ مائد)

• Moeed Majeed

• Alice Wong 王美華

• Imani Barbarin

• The Triple Cripples

• Shani Dhanda

• Sinéad Burke

• Kelly Gordon

• Nyle DiMarco

• Angela Y. Davis

• Dionne Reid

• KiD iN YOU ®

• Ibram X. Kendi

• COMUZI

• Leah Laksmi Piepzna-Samarasinha

• Lavant Consulting, INC.

• Progressive International

• Leroy F. Moore Jr.

• Mia Mingus

• Haben Girma

• Alok Vaid-Menon

• Dr. Sami Schalk

• Talila “TL” Lewis

• Sassy Wyatt

• Arlan Hamilton

• Collette Philip

• Brand By Me Limited

• Ettie Bailey-King

• Bozoma Saint John

• Luvvie Ajayi Jones

• Dr. Shola Mos-Shogbamimu

• Shereen Daniels

• Nova Reid

• Cephas Williams

• Lydia Amoah

• Sereena Abbassi

• Carson Tueller

• Remi Ray

• Madeline McQueen

• David McQueen

• Jay Asooli

• Pocc Ltd

• Kevin Morosky

• Nana Bempah

• Dr. Gabor Maté

• The Queer Muslim Project

• Inclusive Mosque Initiative

• Blair Imani Ali

• Will Oshiro de Groot

• Muna el-Kurd

• Mohammed el-Kurd

• Lana Homeri

• Sins Invalid

• Cindy Gallop

• Dr. Victor Santiago Pineda

• Aaron Rose Philip

• Khadijah Diskin

• Martha Awojobi

• JMB Consulting

• Uncharitable

• Seyi Akiwowo

• GLITCH (UK charity)

• David A. Bailey MBE

• Marai Larasi

• Project Tallawah

• Abbas Zahedi

• Gabriella Gómez-Mont

• Rosemary M. Campbell-Stephens MBE

• Dr. Sanah Ahsan

• YK Hong

• Kevin Gotkin (Who Girl)

• Bio-Leadership Project (Bio-Leadership Ecosystem Group Limited)

• Dr. Vandana Shiva

• Ahmed Sadkhan

• The Slow Factory 2023 Fellows

• Adib Dhada

• Catia Radu

• Mikaela Loach

• Kelechi Okafor

• Samirah Siddiqui

• Beatrice Ngalula Kabutakapua

• Sophia Thakur

• Alexis Nikole Nelson

• Dr. Merlin Sheldrake

• Giuliana Furci

• Fungi Foundation

• Tom Mustill

• Autonomy UK

• Anuradha Kowtha

• Moriah Helms

• Karen Larbi

• Nish Doshi

• Paul Stamets

• Leen Gorissen

• Janine Benyus

• Laura Storm

• Jen Deerinwater (and Indigenous Peoples globally)

• Syren Shveta Nagakyrie

• Kymberlee Medina

• Jessica Oddi

• Joshua A. Halstead

• Katarina Skoberne

• Matt Greenough

• Mel Exon

• Tia Denton

• TD Virtual Assistance

• Rosemary Frazer

• Isaac Harvey MBE

• Aminder Virdee

• Jennifer White-Johnson

• Matilda Feyiṣayọ Ibini

• Emma Case

• Tanvi Vyas Brady

• Michaela Hollywood

• Mehalah Beckett

• Es Devlin

• Chris Turner

• Danny Pallett

• And more

The Magnificent Seven: Our Seven Values

1) RADICAL

[OPEN QUOTE] “We are not afraid to adopt a revolutionary stance — if, indeed, we wish to be radical in our quest for change — then we must get to the root of our oppression. After all, radical simply means ‘grasping things at the root.’” [CLOSE QUOTE] – Angela Y. Davis.

• Transformative (Innovative).

• Abundant (Adventures).

• Loving.

• Liberation (justice-orientated, specifically Disability and Collective Liberation).

• Life-Affirming Infrastructures.

• Transparent and Accountable.

• Holistic.

• Self-Awareness.

• Consciousness.

• Human.

• Imaginative (creative).

• Playful.

2) Anti-ABLEIST

[OPEN QUOTE] “Disabled people know what it means to be vulnerable and interdependent. We are modern-day oracles. It’s time people listened to us…” [CLOSE QUOTE] – Alice Wong 王美華, Disabled Oracle.

• Human Dignity.

• Ambitious Expressionists.

• Anti-capitalism.

• Post-capitalism.

• Anti-ableism.

• Post-ableism (as defined by Sulaiman R. Khan).

• Humourous.

3) Anti-Racist

[OPEN QUOTE] “In a racist society it is not enough to be non-racist, we must be anti-racist.” [CLOSE QUOTE] – Angela Y. Davis.

• Decolonisation.

• Intersectionality (as defined by Professor Kimberlé W. Crenshaw).

• Anti-oppression.

• Post-oppression.

• Anti-racism.

• Post-racism.

• Curiosity, compassion, and courageousness.

4) INTERDEPENDENT

[OPEN QUOTE] “Liberation is the opportunity for every human, no matter their body, to have unobstructed access to their highest self, for every human to live in radical self-love." [CLOSE QUOTE] – Sonya Renee Taylor.

• Social Justice (including Disability Justice, Racial Justice, Media Justice, Design Justice, Transformative Justice, Health Justice, Healing Justice, Reproductive Justice, Research Justice, Indigenous Justice, Ocean Justice, Climate Justice, and Environmental Justice).

• Community.

• Holistic Learning (curious).

• Abundance and Growth Mindset.

• Storytelling.

• Holistic Teaching.

• Compassionate (beyond empathy).

5) ACCESSIBLE

[OPEN QUOTE] “All that you touch, You Change. All that you Change, Changes you...” [CLOSE QUOTE] – Octavia E. Butler.

• Access Intimacy (as defined by Mia Mingus).

• Dignity Giving.

• Life Affirming.

• Safe.

• Abundant.

• Spaciousness.

6) HEALING

[OPEN QUOTE] “There’s room for all of you, and for everything you experience—the grim and the glorious, the wounded, wounding, healing and healed.” [CLOSE QUOTE] — Hiro Boga.

• Human dignity.

• Joyful.

• Grieving.

• Radical Self-Care (as defined by Angela Y. Davis).

• Radical Self-Love (as defined by Sonya Renee Tayor).

  Radical Self-Compassion (as defined by Dr Tara Brach).

• Somatic Care and Practice.

• Abundant Pleasure Activism.

• Authentic.

• Liberatory Play.

• Hopeful.

• Community Care and Collective Healing.

7) REGENERATIVE

[OPEN QUOTE] “Liberated relationships are one of the ways we actually create abundant justice, the understanding that there is enough attention, care, resource, and connection for all of us to access belonging, to be in our dignity, and to be safe in community.” [CLOSE QUOTE] – adrienne maree brown.

• Revolutionary LOVE®

• Cyclical Amplification.

• Ancestral and Descendant Wisdom.

• Nature kinship and Systems Wisdom.

• Life Giving.

• Gentleness, cosiness, and spacious.

• Slowness, softness, tenderness.

• Rest, stillness, and sleep.

• Holistic.

Our Branding

In today’s media-savvy interconnected society, branding plays a significant role in any organisation, and ours is no different. Perhaps, it plays a more vital role in an organisation like our organisation in what we wish to do, to be. Here are the thoughts of Sulaiman – our Founder and Chief Radical Officer – about our branding and the theory behind it:

“We are now surrounded by branding in everyday life, whether you like it or not. From a company advertising its brand to sell a product or you using your personal brand to show your best self at an interview, branding has a significant part in our lives. Branding can be positive or negative. For example, the rise of Daesh (though I wholeheartedly condemn their actions and completely reject their ideology), whether you agree or not, has seen their excellent use of branding. It is up to us to create positive branding that does better as brands.

This responsibility is why I wanted the branding of ThisAbility to do better (read more about us here) through our brand and our ethos of positivity, creativity, sustainability, diversity, collaboration, playfulness and humour.

As a graduate of BA (Honours) Advertising & Brand Communication (2012) from the University for the Creative Arts (Farnham, Surrey, UK), I understand the crucial role of branding and lucidly connecting with an audience.

So, I wanted our branding to be vastly different from what I’d seen before, and I decided to start with the logo. For ThisAbility, the logo is an essential part of our brand. My inspiration for the logo was one of the most fantastic books I have ever read (that I finished in October 2016), ‘HOMEGOING’ by Yaa Gyasi. It is an epically intimate debut novel about the slave trade from the Ghanaian perspective that tells the story of two half-sisters, one whose descendants remain in Ghana and the other whose descendants became slaves in America spanning over 300-years in an enthralling way that I’ve never read before. It has been absorbing into my mind ever since. As the central part of the logo, I chose to use a Ghanaian symbol because I wanted to highlight that creativity isn’t just a Western notion and diversity in the creative industries (including from Africa) is a good thing, as well as a symbol of my ambition to build up ThisAbility to be a global network, particularly to Africa. I wanted to bring out the ‘inclusive and global’ theme of ThisAbility; essentially that we’re ‘a tribe of creative disabled talent.’ I wanted our organisation to be more like a club or family, which I wished to portray through the logo. I started by extensively researching African symbols, and I chose this:

“I then looked at types and colours, and I decided to keep the logo very simple. I first had lots of different logo versions, but they were all too complicated, so I decided to start from scratch. It was just important for me that I used the Adinkra symbol.

Once I had those two elements, I focused on the type and font for the logo.  I love its simple yet self-assured feel and how well it fits with the logo.

It was also a deliberate decision to keep the colour scheme of the logo entirely black and white because I wanted to keep it understated and I prefer the simplicity. I hope to build upon the logo through our branding and make our brand into a unique and disruptive force for good. Whether this is through the people and organisations we engage, how we behave and act in the world, the team that we employ and how we think throughout our organisation or the branded products we make for our network of creative talent.

Again, ThisAbility aims to do better through our brand and our ethos of positivity, creativity, regeneration (beyond sustainability), liberation, collaboration, compassion, playfulness, and humour. Though we’re taking it one step at a time and we will be working hard to ensure this becomes a regenerative reality.

I love the logo, as I created it myself and there’s so much meaning behind it all to me. I might amend this logo in the future, but for now, it’s a keeper. I love the analogue look, the imperfections, the tribe-like feel, and the simplicity.

And I decided to just use the Adinkra symbol as the social profile photos, as there’s not much space and I wish ThisAbility to be known by its symbol:

Then, I worked the branding for use everywhere and used the logo in white within it to stand out. Here it is:

Watch this space.

A big thank you to the wonderful Kerry Roper too for assisting create such awesome branding and logo for ThisAbility.

From here, it’s time to build upon ThisAbility branding with logo and start making the world a better place for all through the creative industries. There will be more exciting updates soon.

As Rumi best wrote: ‘You have escaped the cage. Your wings are stretched out. Now fly.’



So, join #ThisAbility and connect with us to be a part of our adventure!”

Our Golden Spiral

"The service you do for others is the rent you pay for your room here on Earth." – Muhammad Ali

Below is more about our purpose and this is defined as our "Golden Spiral". It encompasses our values, how we work, who we work with, the employees we retain, and the projects we work on together. This is our "Golden Spiral":

Our Who

ThisAbility® Limited, a Disabled and Person of The Global Majority-owned Disability Justice business, empowers socially conscious brands to divest from ableism and enact Disability liberation. By integrating Disability culture, we (re)imagine these brands, fostering collective liberation in business and society.

We’re the type of people who believe in, first and foremost, the wisdom, richness, global family, culture, radicalness, worldbuilding, imagination, interdependence, grief, joy, and love of Disability and Disabled people. We’re the type of people who believe in humanity, in human connection, and that, in unison, we can improve the world for Disabled people. We’re the type of people who believe in supporting the (re)imagining of every socially conscious brand into a fully anti-ableist organisation, all in aid of collective liberation in business and society. We’re the type of people who believe in the potential and the magic we have within Disabled people (especially Disabled People of The Global Majority; colloquially “people of colour”) to thrive, not merely survive. We’re the type of people who believe in doing what makes us feel alive and finding ourselves where we never thought, getting our hearts beating faster and building socially conscious businesses (and the world) into a better place for Disabled people. We’re the type of people who believe in always centring Disability in everything. We’re the type of people who believe in consistent ethical and conscious growth through discomfort, continuously taking action, even when it’s scary.

We’re the type of people who believe in equity first, over equality. We’re the type of people who believe in using equity as our tool to achieve our mission to (re)imagine every socially conscious brand becomes a fully anti-ableist organisation and to create Disability Liberation in business and society at its core. We’re the type of people who believe in equity as a foundation to lead towards justice and collective liberation. We’re the type of people who believe in being a Disabled and Person of The Global Majority-owned business and working with other Disabled and Person of The Global Majority-owned businesses. We’re the type of people who believe in always putting Disability and Disabled people at the heart of everything we do. We’re the type of people who believe in changing the culture to make equity the default via Disabled Creativity. We’re the type of people who believe in going beyond sustainability into systems thinking and regeneration. We’re the type of people who believe in creating Regenerative Leadership, Regenerative Design, and Regenerative Culture. We’re the type of people who believe there is a better way to do business: Business built on Disability, creativity, resonance, collaboration, adaptability, systems thinking, regeneration, conversation, interdependence, and love.

We’re the type of people who believe that Disabled people are experts in practising infinite imagination within limitations, and we have the power to enrich the creative industries, socially conscious businesses, and the world.

Working with ThisAbility® Limited means that socially conscious brands can evolve and progress together to centre Disability, daringly.

[Open Quote] “Do not follow the path. Go where there is no path to begin the trail.” [Close Quote] — Ashanti proverb (Ghana).

Our Why

With our innate sense of solidarity and desire for justice and collective liberation, we work tirelessly to ignite, amplify, and invest in Disabled creativity across the globe for a liberated future for Disabled people. In everything, we always centre Disability, daringly.

Our business may be Limited in name, but we are unlimited in imagination.

Our mission is to shift the culture, making equity the norm and paving the way for justice and Collective Liberation. We embrace boldness, wildness, and fearlessness to integrate Disability through innovative collaborations and shared adventures.

At ThisAbility® Limited®, we don’t shy away from Disability. It's the very reason we exist. We're not erasing Disability and Disabled people; we're embracing them. Since our inception, we've been on a journey of growth, authenticity, and wholeheartedness, striving to live our best lives, not despite Disability, but because of it.

We at ThisAbility® Limited are at the forefront of centring Disability within socially conscious brands.

 With the leadership of our badass Founder and Chief Radical Officer Sulaiman R. Khan, we are making ourselves into the go-to business for bold, wild, and fearless ethical and conscious work. So together, we will rearrange culture and behaviours to develop socially conscious brands (and the world) into a more radical, accessible, just, liberated, regenerative, kinder, vulnerable, curious, compassionate, courageous (that’s open-to-failure), supportive, healthier place of Disability.

[Open Quote] “Shared Values + Shared Action = Shared Profit.” [Close Quote] – Cindy Gallop

Our How

We are NOT a recruiter nor a business that gets every Disabled person into work or a charity, as many nice organisations do that already. We are a Disabled and Person of The Global Majority-and owned Disability Justice business driven by bold, wild, and fearless Disability, building upon regenerative and mutual relationships between socially conscious brands and Disabled creativity to generate respective value, joint (ethical and conscious) growth, and to invest and enable Disabled creativity to future-proof their socially conscious brands. Enriching, interdependent, loving.

Our What

We help socially conscious brands divest from ableism and enact Disability liberation, by integrating Disability culture. Our mission is to support the (re)imagining of every socially conscious brand into a fully anti-ableist organisation, all in aid of collective liberation in business and society.

SULAIMAN R. KHAN – سلیمان راشد خان

“Be brave and driven by purpose. Don't be a DICK.” (on creative work and environment) – Laura Jordan Bambach

So, who is Sulaiman, our Founder & Chief Radical Officer?

Read more about Sulaiman here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/18rkezI2oQvxXOH-qGvDwjH6pPULnPxED_CdyzYi0aZk/edit?usp=sharing

He’s ignited by creativity, technology, regeneration (beyond sustainability), design, justice and liberation, collective/community care, activism (even before it became a hashtag, primarily Disability Justice and Environmental Justice), storytelling, rest, interdependence, love, and Collective Liberation.

Here's Sulaiman's story in his own words:

"As a Disabled AF, British Pakistani man, creative, active (non-optical) intersectional accomplice-in-progress, socially conscious entrepreneur, continual work-in-progress, I struggled to break into the “wonderful world of communication” (particularly in the advertising industry) despite having intense passion and relentless energy. Although, I no longer believe that creativity only lives in the advertising industry and now aim to work with the broader creative industries and beyond. I am frustrated by the lack of support for me and others (who are more talented than me) in the same situation to participate in the creative industries.

I am tired of waiting for change and feeling alone.

So, what public problem am I working to solve and why?

PROBLEM: In part due to the accepted narratives around creativity and disability, there is a severe lack of disabled creatives in the creative industries.

WHY: I’m part of what the UN calls the ‘world’s largest minority,’ a group currently at 1.4 billion people, an emerging market greater than China. This market, according to Return on Disability Group’s “Design Delight from Disability” report from September 2020… Yet, ye’re one of the world’s most marginalised communities. Our needs have consistently failed to be addressed, even though anyone could join this ‘minority’ at any point in their lives. I’m no longer interested in commoditising Disability and Disabled people.

ThisAbility Limited was born out of frustration at lack of representation of disabled creatives in the creative industries. At best, we are treated as Stella Young famously coined as ‘inspiration porn’ – that’s not good enough.

We’re life hackers by nature – because we have to overcome physical, social, attitudinal, economic and daily barriers.

On a personal level, I will be who I needed when I was youngster, and I have decided to be that brave change and lead this meaningful and purposeful rebellion positively by being a socially conscious entrepreneur.

I will do as the (Founder and) Chief Radical Officer: Read more about my thoughts on updating my title to Chief Radical Officer in November 2022 here. I’ll be radical with a sense of “who” and “why”. My ambition is to build, take ownership and have a real impact through my activities. I will act as a mentor to my team and our community; and they will be given the opportunity to build a shared sense of alignment, investment, and community care through interdependence and love.

Started in November 2016 in the UK (but with global efforts to connect with Disabled creatives from across the world), this is why I felt compelled to start this adventure after writing a blog post about Disability and the media in 2015. I don't know what lies ahead, but I am ready and not afraid to embrace any challenge that I may face. So, join ThisAbility Limited – Disability, daringly, with me, and see where this adventure leads us.

Welcome to a new era of visibility.

Cindy Gallop says it best: 'You will never own the future if you care what people think.'

Stay tuned for further updates."