Draft:Meenu Sikand
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Meenu Sikand | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1964/65 India |
| Education | York University (MA) |
| Known for | Founding Accessibility for All |
Board member of |
|
| Honours | Canadian Disability Hall of Fame Inductee |
Meenu Sikand (1964/65 – )[1] is an executive, accessibility specialist, and the founder and CEO of Accessibility for All (AFA).[2][3] She is also the executive for diversity, equity, and inclusion at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital.[4]
Sikand was inducted into the Canadian Disability Hall of Fame in 2020.[4] She was the first South Asian woman inducted into the hall of fame.[3]
Biography
[edit]Sikand immigrated from India to Canada in 1986.[5][6] Soon after immigrating, Sikand acquired a spinal cord injury during an operation and became a wheelchair user.[2][7][1]
Sikand graduated with a Masters in Critical Disability Studies from York University.[5]
In 2001, Sikand was involved in developing the Accessibility for the Ontarians with Disabilities Act.[5]
In the early-to-mid-2010s, Sikand worked at the Region of Peel government in a variety of roles.[1][8] She worked on the Peel United Way Campaign.[5]
In 2012, Sikand was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal by Ontario Senator Nancy Ruth.[9] In 2017, she was given the Accessibility Champion Award by the Region of Peel.[2]
In 2014, she began working as a Accessibility Specialist and Disability Adviser for the International Women's Rights Project.[5]
In 2019, Sikand began working as the first executive for diversity, equity, and inclusion and member of the inclusion, equity, diversity and accessibility taskforce on anti-racism at Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. She later won Senior Executive of the Year from the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion for her work at Holland Bloorview.[10][11]
Sikand served on the Ontario Government's Accessibility Standards Advisory Council from 2020 to 2022.[11]
Sikand serves as chair of Center for the Independent Living, ARCH, and Vaughan Accessibility Advisory Committee, vice chair of Disability without Poverty, and a board member of Punjabi Community Health Services.[2] She is also an ambassador for the Rick Hanson Foundation[7][6], on the steering committee for Race and Disability Canada,[3] and on the accessibility advisory panel for Canada Post.[12]
She has also worked as a part-time instructor at Queen’s University’s International Centre for the Advancement of Community Based Rehabilitation.[11]
Sikand has written for The Province,[13] The Toronto Star,[14] and more.
Awards
[edit]| Year | Award | Awarding Body | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Together We Are Better Award | [5] | |
| 2011 | Top 25 Canadian Immigrants Shortlist | Canadian Immigrant Magazine | [1] |
| 2011 | Community Service Award | Indo-Canada Chambers of Commerce | [5][4] |
| 2012 | Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal | The Governor General of Canada | [15][9] |
| 2017 | Accessibility Champion Award | Region of Peel | [2] |
| 2020 | Senior Executive of the Year | Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion | [10] |
| 2020 | Canadian Disability Hall of Fame | Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons | [4] |
| 2021 | Accessibility Champion Award | City of Vaughn | [16] |
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 "Vaughan woman not your average advocate". YorkRegion.com. 2011-03-24. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Meenu Sikand". Disability Without Poverty. Archived from the original on 2025-01-22. Retrieved 2026-10-03.
- 1 2 3 "Our Steering Committee". Race and Disability Canada. Retrieved 2026-10-03.
- 1 2 3 4 "Previous Hall of Fame Inductees". Canadian Foundation for Physically Disabled Persons. Retrieved 2026-10-03.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Meenu Sikand has joined IWRP as our Accessibility Specialist and Disability Adviser". International Women's Rights Project. Retrieved 2026-10-03.
- 1 2 Ferguson, Elliot (2017-11-30). "Accessibility is more than removing physical barriers: advocate". Kingston Whig. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- 1 2 "Meenu Sikand". Fondation Rick Hansen (in French). Retrieved 2026-10-03.
- ↑ "Woman on wheelchair denied temple access". Brampton Guardian. 2008-10-29. Retrieved 2026-10-06.
- 1 2 "Meenu Sikand". Toronto’s Centre For Independent Living’s Chair. Retrieved 2026-10-03.
- 1 2 "Meenu Sikand named Senior Executive of the Year by the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion". Holland Bloorview. 2020-07-17. Retrieved 2026-10-03.
- 1 2 3 "Ontario Newsroom". Ontario. King's Printer for Ontario. Retrieved 2026-10-03.
- ↑ "Meet our accessibility advisory panel | Accessibility". Canada Post. Retrieved 2026-10-03.
- ↑ "Meenu Sikand: It's time national conversations on disability include race and ethnicity". The Province. Archived from the original on 2021-11-28. Retrieved 2026-10-03.
- ↑ "Opinion | Youth with disabilities must steer new accessibility act". The Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 2022-10-07. Retrieved 2026-10-03.
- ↑ "Meenu Sikand". The Governor General of Canada. Retrieved 2026-10-03.
- ↑ "Accessibility Champion Award". City of Vaugh.