Tapping into Untapped Talent
Liza Arnason, Founder of the Ase Community Foundation for Black Canadians with Disabilities
This month, we delved into a conversation with Liza Arnason, the founder of the Ase Community Foundation for Black Canadians with Disabilities, a non-profit dedicated to dismantling structural and societal inequities that perpetuate stigma against Black people with disabilities. Liza’s experiences as a business owner unfolds at the junction of a range of roles- a black woman, a grandmother, a mother, a daughter, a sister, and a self-proclaimed "disruptor." Setting her sights on disrupting the status quo of systems and structures that have traditionally excluded those who do not fit into one-size-fits-all solutions, Liza is challenging the traditional Western view of entrepreneurship and insisting that all forms of talent in the Black community have the support and opportunities needed for them to grow and thrive.
Living as a Black woman with her own unique set of challenges as a person with disabilities, Liza understands the effect of navigating a society designed without the consideration of more diverse perspectives. Economic crises, health challenges, and the absence of adequate support systems create a complex web of challenges that stifle the growth of Black entrepreneurs living with disabilities. Liza states, “Anti-black racism is not racism against black people. Anti-black racism is the systems and the structures that have been built historically through the transatlantic slave trade… If we understand that it's about systems and structures, we need to go back and figure out who's the most impacted by those systems and structures within our community.”
In recognizing and addressing these challenges, Liza formed the Ase Community Foundation for Black Canadians with Disabilities. By fostering an inclusive environment and reshaping the narrative around entrepreneurship, Liza is seeking to unlock untapped potential within the Black community. Through support, guidance, and a platform for individuals like Liza, the Ase Community Foundation is helping Black Canadians with disabilities to thrive and contribute to the broader economic landscape.
Ase Community Foundation
Ase Community Foundation's commitment to serving the Black community with disabilities is deeply rooted in their philosophy of "For Us, By Us." As a national Black-led, Black-serving, and Black-focused organization, they are dedicated to Disability Justice, Black feminism, and decolonization. Staying true to their philosophy-- for us by us-- the Ase Community Foundation demonstrates that those who experience the struggles firsthand are best equipped to understand and dismantle the structural and societal inequities that perpetuate stigmas and barriers for Black individuals with disabilities. Their proactive approach involves identifying and dismantling structural and societal inequities that perpetuate stigmas and hinder the overall well-being of Black people with disabilities.
Recognizing the invaluable insight derived from lived experiences, the Ase Community, in collaboration with the Black Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub (BEKH), embarks on groundbreaking research—"Untapped Black Talent: Examining the Systemic Gaps, Structural Barriers, and Lived Experiences of Black Entrepreneurs with Disabilities" stands as the first comprehensive study of its kind in Canada. This three-year community-based research project serves as a pioneering initiative, aiming to fill the void in understanding the intersectionality of Black entrepreneurship and disability. The significance of this research lies in its commitment to uncovering the nuances within various spaces, such as the challenges faced by entrepreneurs with seen and unseen disabilities or those managing caregiving responsibilities.
Liza emphasizes the significance of this research, noting the void in support for Black entrepreneurs with disabilities. Existing programs, even those crafted specifically for persons with disabilities, have often fallen short as they lack the cultural sensitivity needed to interact with those coming from more diverse backgrounds. Likewise, the taboo and reluctance within the Black community to address these issues means that Black entrepreneurs with disabilities often times fall through the gap between where the support for Black entrepreneurs and support for persons with disabilities fail to meet. Ase Community's research project aims to fill this gap by understanding the nuanced experiences of Black entrepreneurs with disabilities. The project seeks to gather insights directly from the community, exploring the unique challenges, such as managing ADHD while starting a business. The ultimate goal is to use these insights to develop tailored programs, initiatives, training, and accommodation tips that empower Black entrepreneurs with disabilities.
The journey toward creating a rich, thriving Black community is not just about economic prosperity but also about fostering a culture of inclusivity, understanding, and support. It is through a reevaluation of societal norms and an inclusive approach to entrepreneurship that considers the intersectionality of race, gender, and disability that all Black entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to forge a future where they can create, contribute, and thrive.