Daringly integrating Disability
Image Description: Sulaiman (a wholeheartedly Disabled AF, rich-brown with black buzz cut hair and wrists tattoos) in their power wheelchair (Permobile M5 Corpus) on The Treehouses of Lanrick’s wheelchair-accessible balcony. They are amongst tremendous trees, Sulaiman’s non-human kin. A moss-covered tree grows through the deck. A forest of tender trees behind. Sulaiman wears a white t-shirt, courtesy of their dearest friend, Jen White-Johnson. A red and pink eye with a star shining in the pupil represents our demand for radical healing and dreaming. Underneath, dark red text “Calling all radical resters” is in capital letters. Sulaiman has a huge smile, feeling joyful and grateful for every radical heartbeat they take every single second of their life.
Hey, I’m Sulaiman R. Khan — سلیمان راشد خان [they/them/their]! I’m currently based in London, UK.
This is my creative space for everything I currently do in the wonderful world of creativity and beyond. Here you’ll find out about the work I do, personal projects, events I’ve gone to and what I’ve been up to – in the creative industries and life – as well everything that ignites my soul, feeds my imagination, and gets my heart beating faster.
- Multiple Award-Winning Disabled AF: Founder, Writer, and Storyliving Designer.
- Adventurer and Continual Work-In-Progress.
- A spicy Global Majority Disabled AF Oracle, I’m the anti-ableist and Disability Justice educator.
- The radical Disabled AF friend and Revolutionary Lover you wish you had.
Sulaiman is pronounced Sool-lay-maan (like wool with an s, lai as in lay, and like Naan from your favourite Pakistani Tandoori seller with an m).
There’s no “lie” in “lay” within Sulaiman either, and “Sue” is not available in Sulaiman. So the correct pronunciation is Sool-lay-maan
Also, there’s no short form or nickname for Sulaiman. Like the term “funga”, our names are sacred words from our ancestors and descendants.
R. stands for... guess what? Does the “R.” in my name stand for “Radical” or “Revolutionary”? Perhaps “Restful” or “Regenerative”? Maybe “Rocket” or “Rabbit”? Or is it “Racy” or “Raunchy”? Or all of these? You have to use your imagination; I have infinite. 😏 If you know, you know.
Khan is pronounced Kaan (like Naan from your favourite Pakistani Tandoori seller with a k).
Onwards and Upwards.
Learn More About Me
Founder
I’m the Founder and Chief Radical Officer of ThisAbility® Limited. I’m also the founder of various platforms that daringly integrate Disability. Because of my commitment to people and planet (including flora, fauna, and funga), I take this responsibility seriously, which aligns with my life’s goals and values. I trust my ancestors + descendant, Disability, the universe, Revolutionary LOVE®, and fungi to guide me.
ThisAbility® Limited
Image Description: A smiling, joyful Sulaiman (wholeheartedly Disabled AF, rich-brown person with buzz cut black hair) sits in their power wheelchair for a portrait by the Brand By Me team. They wears a rainbow mesh jacket and a black shirt with bright pink flamingos underneath, and A yellow “Black Disabled Lives Matter” badge via his dear friend Jennifer White-Johnson. They also wear a pure silver chain pendant made by their late Nanaji (maternal grandfather) when Sulaiman was 15. It says “Raja Sulaiman” in Urdu after Nanaji's name for them. Sulaiman wears this pendant to remember and honour their late Nanaji, ancestors, and descendants. Sulaiman understands (and respects) that he is the link from his ancestors to his descendants.
Storyliving Designer
In short: Storyliving means living inside a story, not just watching, hearing, or reading it. One was I do this is through public speaking. I’m a highly acclaimed, radical, sought-after speaker. I speak about three main topics: regeneration beyond sustainability, design, and sex and relationships. All my speaking daringly integrates Disability, and all my speaking engagements are rooted in an accessible, joyful, and liberated praxis through interdependence and Revolutionary LOVE®.
Book in Typeform
Image Description: Sulaiman (wholeheartedly Disabled AF and rich-brown person with black hair) sits in his power wheelchair. They’re giving a talk on their computer, with a display screen behind them. Sulaiman wears their rainbow-sequined kimono, a purple silk short-sleeved shirt with dragon and floral prints, a silver pendant that reads “Wild AF”, and their pink chino trousers.
Writer
Words are weapons. Use them wisely. From my first breath until my last breath, I’m a joyful activist. What is a joyful activist? An activist who centres joy as a form of resistance against the systems of oppression.
For me, I know that grief and joy are connected. I understand there’s no right way or binary to be an activist. We need everyone in our quest for collective liberation for all of us, including all human and more-than-human ecosystems. The Slow Factory highlights it best.
My chosen anti-oppressive tool for collective liberation is writing, as it’s a potent medium.
Revolutionary LOVE®: Disability is Pedagogy is Sulaiman’s second book out of 21 different current book ideas I have. My first book started in 2019, is currently on hold and has been put in a safe place until further notice due to personal reasons. However, I hope to share it with the world someday, even if it’s in a different format, such as a blog post or an audio recording.
Instead, I’m currently focusing on writing and publishing his second book, Disability is Nurturance: How Revolutionary LOVE® changed my Bodymind – and my life, in Crip Time. Watch this space.
Onwards and Upwards.
Image Description: Closeup of Sulaiman wearing their kūfiyyah scarf with two badges. First, a David Bowie-inspired red and blue rhinestone lightning bolt from their dear friend Juliet. The second, underneath, is a circular yellow badge with black text that reads “Black Disabled Lives Matter,” via their dear friend Jennifer White-Johnson.
Deal with yourself as an individual worthy of respect and make everyone else deal with you the same way.
— Nikki Giovanni