Disability through a Human Rights Framework

Ena Chadha was born in New Delhi (same as me) and grew up in Brampton Ontario. She is now the Chief Commissioner of the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC).

I felt our conversation was one of the most wide-ranging I’ve had on The Pulse. We covered so much ground that even I’m genuinely left puzzled we got through so much… and delighted. I’m going to encourage you to listen to the podcast… naturally…

We discussed some updates on the Right to Read campaign which is the OHRC’s public inquiry, as well as we reflected on the death of Joyce Echaquan and how in her last days she was caught in a web of racism, sexism and ableism. It was a way to address to an extent the need to spread awareness about the intersections of indignity and disability during Indigenous Disability Awareness Month.

The one surprise of the conversation came towards the end of the interview. I asked Ena what moved her personally about the work she does. What is it that led her to commit herself to a life of doing human rights work. She talked about growing up Indo-Canadian. Then, she talked about experiencing racism and other forms of oppression herself. She then talked about conversations with her father… discussing the parallels between British colonization of India and the treatment of Canada’s indigenous communities… She said those early conversations… had around her kitchen table… shaped the rest of her life…

Talk about Kitchen Confession!