Islam Alijaj - disability lobbyist and social entrepreneur
RESC: How do you usually introduce yourself when you meet someone new?
Islam Alijaj (IA): I introduce myself as a disability lobbyist and innovator in the disability sector. I’ve been working on one innovation after another with my team for twelve months now, and we have managed to achieve what many other organisations have failed to do in twelve years
RESC: What is your “superpower”?
IA: My superpower is my charm. Hearts just melt when I smile and flutter my eyelids. This opens a lot of important doors.
RESC: What are people without physical limitations most amazed about when they meet you?
IA: That I can provide informed answers with a severe speech impediment. And you also can’t tell right away that I’m a smart networker. It doesn’t take long to clarify this, however, and then my charm takes over.
RESC: In what situations do you feel “dis-abled”?
IA: I feel most disabled when people deny my skills and competencies due to prejudice. This hurts more than any structural obstacles, which can be quickly removed. Mental barriers are deeper and more difficult to overcome.
RESC: What is your greatest wish for the future?
IA: My greatest wish for the future is that my children don’t have to grow up in a society where their father is seen as inferior. This means we have to fundamentally improve the perception of disabled people in society.
Bio
Islam Alijaj, father, disability lobbyist, social entrepreneur and much more, has had cerebral palsy since birth. After completing his commercial training, he became politically and entrepreneurially involved in the disability sector. He and his team at the association Tatkraft have been developing one innovation after another for a more inclusive society, including establishing the Ability Center as an enabler and accelerator in the disability sector. Politically, he is responsible for revolutionary demands such as the Inclusion Initiative. He spends a lot of his free time with his two children, and enjoys drinking good wine with friends.
external pageTatkraft
external pageInclusion Initiative
external pageAbility Center
Tatkraft is a partner of the Competence Centre for Rehabiliation Engineering and Science (RESC)
Miriam Daepp of the Competence Centre for Rehabilitation Engineering and Science (RESC) spoke with Islam Alijaj in January 2021.
