Meet a Changemaker: Sarifa Patel, Founder and Chair Newham Disabled People’s Representative Forum, COVID-19 Community Champion, National Institute for Health and Social Care Research Champion

Sarifa has lived in Newham for more than 30 years, and loves the diversity of the borough. She founded the Newham Disabled People’s Representative Forum for anyone who has a disability, as well as for their carers, finding that bringing carers and people with disabilities together could help overcome certain tensions or barriers. In doing so, she found that the disabled community are not included in research – so she works with the National Institute for Health and Social Care Research, as well as Newham’s Co-production Forum, to share expertise about how to help the disabled community, and how to address the inequality they face through the social model of disability. Her work also includes translating materials into other languages for Asian women.