Why should disability be viewed from a lens of sympathy? Why should you operate on this narrative that oh if she can, why can't I? Let’s start by being imperfect allies.”
A body-positive movement where we include all irrespective of weight, body shape, size, height, physical ability, neurodiversity, skin colour, skin texture, and gender orientation. The Her Circle EveryBODY Project centres around acceptance, sisterhood, and solidarity - a step towards normalising the reality of being human in all its glorious imperfections. Our July edition features Writer, Stand-Up Comic & Disability Inclusion Enabler, Sweta Mantrii.
For most of her life, Mantrii has had to deal with the stigma and inaccessibility that comes with disability. She was born with Spina Bifida, a condition that prevents the spinal cord from fully developing. “I have always been a behind-the-scene writer, however, in 2016, I was stuck at home for a couple of months due to a fracture, and I came across a few stand-up comics online. Watching these videos, I thought to myself – I am funny and sarcastic, I can do this. This delusion is where my journey with humour began.
Since 2017, Mantrii has been using comedy as a medium to put her story out there and share her experience as a disabled individual to squash the attached stigma and stereotypes of people with disabilities. “It is very important to pass on the mic to people who have disabilities. Surround yourself with more disabled people, hire them, and talk to them. We face discrimination not because we are weak or not normal but because the world isn’t designed for people like us.”