There is an estimated one billion people living with disabilities worldwide. They face many barriers to inclusion in many key aspects of society. As a result, people with disabilities do not enjoy access to society on an equal basis with others, which includes areas of transportation, employment, and education.
International Day of Persons with Disabilities has the aim of promoting empowerment and helping to create equal opportunities for people with disabilities.
There are specific health conditions that are more prevalent in Black and Asian ethnic communities. As the EmbRace network, we feel that it is important to highlight intersectionality and the further issues that we can endure due to being Black and disabled in our society.
We will focus on the condition Lupus which predominately affects Black and Asian communities. Also, we will concentrate on two Black celebrities who live with a disability- Kelle Bryan and Ade Adepitan.
Lupus
Lupus has long been recognised as a disease with less favourable outcome amongst non-Caucasian populations. It is also a disease significantly more common in Asian and Afro-Caribbean ethnic communities.
Surveys in the UK, for example, suggest that the prevalence of lupus - 1 in 750 Caucasian women - rises to a striking 1 in 250 Asian/Afro-Caribbean women. As many cases remain undiagnosed, lupus must rank as one of the major diseases of the Asian population.
What is Lupus?
Lupus is a long term condition that causes joint pain, skin rashes and tiredness. There is no cure but symptoms improve if treatment starts early. Lupus is an autoimmune disease. This means the body’s natural defence system attacks healthy parts of your body.
Lupus often flares up (relapses) and symptoms can become worse for a few weeks, sometimes longer. Some people do not notice any difference and their symptoms are constant.
Causes of Lupus
• Viral Infection
• Certain Medicines
• Sunlight
• Puberty
• Childbirth
• Menopause
Learning Resources
Lupus Trust - You're Not Alone. Online resource and charity.
Black History Month Focus on Health: Lupus | Buckinghamshire Council
How Do Racial Issues Play a Role in Lupus Severity?
Kelle Bryan
The singer and actress, 46, was diagnosed with the autoimmune condition, which causes the body to attack its own healthy cells, in 1998.
Bryan recalled how she was admitted to intensive care after catching a cold from her daughter Kayori.
“I’m hypersensitive to infection and Kayori came home one day with a cold and gave it to me, and 48 hours later I was in intensive care and I had pneumonia.”
Bryan said: “It has been a difficult journey. It’s not just me going through it. There are so many people out there struggling with lupus. Lupus is often difficult to diagnose due to its wide range of symptoms.
“For me it’s about raising awareness of the disease and helping others to understand it more. There’s not very much tolerance or understanding for the disease.”
Bryan said following her diagnosis she had to learn to speak and walk again.
She added: “I had cerebral lupus which meant a swelling of my brain. I had a seizure, I lost about three days of my life that I don’t remember at all.
“Going through that rehabilitation stage of my life, learning to speak and the struggle of trying to communicate something and not being able to, wanting to have normal conversations with somebody and not being able to get the words from your head to your mouth.”
“The doctors explained there was no cure, but that steroids and medication would help. They told me lack of mobility, the rash and stress on major organs were common and because it had taken so long to diagnose there was already some damage to my kidneys and liver. They said I might never get back to full strength and I could be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life.”
Ade Adepitan MBE
For International Day of Persons with Disabilities, EmbRace have decided to focus on Ade Adepitan who you may recognise.
This incredible individual has been on our screens for the past 2 decades; covering children’s television, BAFTA winning commentary of the Paralympics and thought-provoking documentaries.
Before TV, Ade, born in Nigeria, started competing in wheelchair basketball on an international level after surviving polio as a child. Taught to walk with iron callipers, two physiotherapists intervened when he was 12 and introduced Ade to wheelchair basketball, where he fell in love with the sport. He went on to win Olympic medals and world championships.
Following his sport career he ventured into the media-sphere and has since used his platform to be a voice for the under-represented and has campaigned relentlessly, highlighting issues such as disability and racial inequalities. In 2005 he was awarded an MBE for his charitable service towards disability in sport.
Ade highlights that an individual’s characteristics shouldn’t exclude them from achieving their dreams. He works extensively in the UK giving motivational speeches to schools, charities and businesses to deliver this message. One of his biggest challenges to date was his comic relief challenge ‘Beyond Boundaries’ where he trekked the Nicaraguan rainforest, showing that being in a wheelchair does not limit the possibilities out there for an individual with a disability.
An incredible, powerful, and influential Black-British figure– Ade is Embrace’s superstar of inclusion week and I’d encourage you to watch some of the documentaries or read further information through the links below.
Documentaries:
- Truth About Disability Benefits: Dispatches | All 4 (channel4.com)
- BBC Two - Climate Change: Ade on the Frontline
- Ade Adepitan shares his story for Children in Need 2021 launch - YouTube
Source: