Dr. Kush Kanodia is a passionate advocate for disability rights and a true champion for change. His groundbreaking campaign, ‘Eco Ableism’, tackled the discriminatory impact of London’s Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) on disabled people. The campaign not only secured vital exemptions and support for disabled Londoners, but is now a model for ensuring Clean Air initiatives are inclusive for all. In recognition of his outstanding work, Dr. Kanodia was awarded this year’s prestigious Campaigner of the Year Award.
Our Editor-at-large, Natasha Randhawa, chats directly with Dr. Kanodia about social entrepreneurship and his remarkable achievements advocating for disability rights.
Dr. Kanodia, welcome. Firstly, huge congratulations on the award. Before we get into the campaign, I’d love to hear more about your own journey. You describe yourself as a ‘social entrepreneur’ — what does this mean to you, and how did your life experiences inspire the leap from banking to advocacy?
Thank you! As a child, I was diagnosed with Multiple Epiphyseal Dysplasia; a rare genetic condition that caused significant joint pain, leading to me having both hips replaced in 2002 and with the prospect of future knee and shoulder surgeries. Initially, I saw my disability as a curse due to the pain, weakness, and societal stigma. Becoming a Torch Bearer for the London 2012 Paralympics changed my perspective. I realised my disability had instilled in me valuable qualities: humility, compassion, determination, and problem-solving skills. I learned that I could choose the labels associated with my disability. By reframing it from a curse to a blessing, I saw it as a source of strength and purpose. This shift transformed my relationship with my disability and fuelled my passion for being a change-maker and social entrepreneur. Embracing my disability empowered me to focus my energy on making meaningful contributions to society, enriching my life and the lives of others. This helped me transition from an investment banker focused on creating shareholder value and making millionaires billionaires, to a social entrepreneur, focused on creating value for humanity and supporting many millions of disabled people in our society.
The Eco Ableism campaign highlights a critical disconnect between environmental policy and disability inclusion. Climate and social justice issues cannot be solved in silos; what actionable advice can companies take to ensure their sustainability efforts are truly inclusive?
A great rule of thumb to follow are the 3 pillars of the Disability Rights movement:
Disability Mantra — ‘Nothing about us, without us.’
This emphasises including disabled people in decisions affecting their lives, ensuring that our voices, needs, and rights are respected for true inclusivity.
Social model of disability
This is a tool for the emancipation of disabled people and views disability as a result of societal barriers and attitudes, rather than an individual’s medical condition. It emphasises that people are disabled by inaccessible environments, discriminatory practices, and negative attitudes and focuses on removing these barriers, to create a more inclusive and equitable society.
Equality Act and reasonable adjustments
I’m continually surprised by the number of professionals in the UK who still don’t understand UK law and the Equality Act. Many believe that ‘treating everyone equally, means treating everyone fairly’.
While this holds true for most protected characteristics, it overlooks disability and the legal duty of making reasonable adjustments. For instance, if a public building is not accessible, there’s a legal duty to install a ramp and a lift. These adjustments create an equitable environment, ensuring everyone has an equal opportunity to participate.
When discussing the impact of this campaign, you said: ‘No person can transform a system by themselves, it has to be from a “Me” to a “We”’. In April, Ipsos reported that only 27% of the general public are satisfied with democracy in the UK. What role can and should business leaders and brands play in reigniting citizen interest and engagement, especially when faith in the current political system is low?
There are an estimated 16 million disabled people in the UK or approximately 24% of the total UK population. However, there is still a serious lack of representation of disabled people from business to politics.
In the last UK parliament, just six out of 650 MPs were on record as being a disabled person. If disabled people were represented in politics according to their proportion in the UK population, there would be approximately 156 MPs! Until we have proportional representation in politics, I believe faith in the system will remain low. Business leaders and brands can look internally at their own structures. What percentage of disabled people are in your organisations and on your executive boards? The Valuable 500’s Disability 100 Findings report revealed that there are no executives or senior managers within the FTSE 100 that have disclosed a disability.
It is time we reframe the discussion on disability from just CSR & ESG, to also looking at the business case. According to The Return on Disability Report the disability market is larger than China — 1.85 billion people with over $13 trillion in annual disposable income. Is this a market you can afford not to engage with?
Technology plays a growing role in all aspects of society. It’s an area I hear much of your work touches on, too. How can tech companies collaborate with the disability rights movement to leverage technological advancements in further inclusion efforts and to empower disabled people?
Technology is a key enabler for the disability rights movement, with big tech companies leading the way in designing innovative products and services that incorporate universal design principles.
Last year, Google opened its first Accessibility Discovery Centre outside the US in London. This centre fosters collaboration between the tech and disability communities, showcasing the latest hardware and software innovations for disability inclusion. As a trustee for AbilityNet, a charity dedicated to creating ‘A digital world accessible to all’, AbilityNet hosts the Tech4Good Awards, celebrating organizations and individuals who use digital technology to improve lives, and TechSharePro, Europe’s largest accessibility and digital inclusion gathering. Despite their substantial lobbying power, global tech companies often prioritize self-interest, like antitrust regulations and data privacy.
It’s time for these companies to leverage their influence to foster a more inclusive and accessible society. For example, the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations mandate that public sector websites and apps be accessible. However, the Central Digital and Data Office found accessibility issues on nearly all tested websites, largely due to inadequate enforcement.
Tech companies can play a pivotal role in advocating for stronger enforcement and better compliance with accessibility standards, ensuring a more equitable digital environment for all.
You were a Torch Bearer for the 2012 Paralympic Games. In 2022, you helped 2.5 million disabled people access critical healthcare during the pandemic through the #NoWheelChairTax campaign. Looking ahead to 2032, what are some of the biggest challenges and opportunities you see for disability inclusion over the next eight years?
Firstly, we must acknowledge the disproportionate impact of austerity, the pandemic, and the cost of living crisis on the UK’s disabled people.
In 2024, the United Nations reported no progress since 2016 on ‘grave and systemic’ violations of disabled people’s rights in the UK. The Office for National Statistics previously noted that approximately 60% of Covid-19 deaths were among disabled people.
Additionally, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s report on destitution highlighted that nearly two-thirds (62%) of the 4 million people experiencing destitution in 2022 had a chronic health problem or disability. In 2022, I received an Honorary Doctorate from Kent University for leading a campaign that abolished disabled car parking charges at all NHS hospitals in England, described as ‘the single largest and most impactful change in the treatment of disabled people in NHS history’.
During the pandemic and the cost of living crisis, the most significant disability inclusion policy changes were driven by disabled people, not the UK Government or its public bodies. My hope for the next eight years is that future UK governments and stakeholders focus on poverty alleviation and embedding the three pillars of the disability rights movement. When we design for disability, we design for us all.
Featured image: Dr Kush Kanodia