Ola Abu Al Ghaib

Ola Abu Alghaib is a Disability Rights Activist focusing on guaranteeing full integration in society for women with disabilities in the Middle East . When she was 14 years old she underwent surgery, but the operation resulted in Ola losing the ability to walk or move her right hand. During college, she advocated for her right to an accessible campus and her advocacy efforts earned her a position on the campus construction committee. The administration assigned Ola to work with their engineers to adapt the university campus to meet the needs of the disabled. Ola obtained her master's degree from Birzeit University at Ramallah in 2003. In 2006, she founded Stars of Hope Society , an organization working to address the needs of women with disabilities and support them in realizing their rights. She is currently the Director of Global Influencing and Research at Leonard Cheshire , an organization supporting people with disabilities to achieve their goals and live life at their very best. Her work has included advocacy for governments to adopt the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities ( CRPD ). She has worked to mobilize women with disabilities in Palestine by providing them with necessary skills in addition to counseling, medical, and rehabilitation services. Ola developed a national advocacy campaign that highlights discrimination against disabled women and demonstrates their potential. She has held significant roles in various policy initiatives, including vice chairing the International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC) and representing IDDC on the Policy Board of the United Nations Partnership for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD); a board member at the Global Disability Innovation Hub; board member of Disability Rights Fund; and core group member at the Together 2030 agenda. Ashoka | Everyone a Changemaker .¹