Sheila’s Story

Sheila Opiyo is a disability justice leader and activist from Kenya. She is also part of the 2025 cohort of the Global Disability Leadership Academy. She is the Founder, CEO, and Podcast Host of Beyond Me Podcast, a platform dedicated to mainstreaming inclusion between persons with disabilities and those without disabilities.

Sheila shares about her advocacy work and her journey towards disability inclusion and leadership.

About the Global Disability Leadership Academy.

In April 2025 we launched the Global Disability Leadership Academy through a pilot in Nairobi, Kenya. Meet the 2025 Global Disability Leadership Academy Fellows.

The Academy exists to support the unique but largely untapped leadership potential of disability justice leaders – especially young people and women with disabilities. Many of these groups have received little or no support with their leadership journey. But their leadership would contribute to a diverse and thriving disability justice movement.

At the academy, disability justice leaders are equipped with knowledge and skills on leadership and advocacy. Sheila is using the skills acquired at the academy to amplify her podcast which is helping create awareness about disability in her community.

“Growing up as a deaf woman, I faced the heavy silence of exclusion: being underestimated, left out of conversations, and denied equal access to education and opportunities. I saw how stigma and discrimination shaped the lives of persons with disabilities, often pushing them to the margins of society. These experiences built my determination to change that narrative by promoting awareness, inclusion, and leadership.”

Sheila

Breaking barriers of stigma and silence.

Sheila has used her advocacy skills and communication platforms to promote awareness and inclusion.

“I founded and managed the Beyond Me Podcast, a safe space where stories of persons with disabilities are shared openly. Through heartfelt conversations, I tackle issues like stigma, accessibility, and mental health. Many listeners admitted they had never understood how deeply exclusion affects daily life until they heard those voices directly.”

In this short video, Sheila briefly explains what the Beyond Me podcast is about.

“Besides the podcast, I have conducted community dialogues and done sensitisation programs. I have organised awareness sessions in schools and youth groups to build understanding about inclusion. These dialogues have created new friendships, empathy, and collaboration among persons with and without disabilities.”

“I have looked for partnerships and collaboration and through working with partners such as the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, I have helped promote inclusive policies and amplify advocacy efforts. Together, we have strengthened the movement for equal rights.”

Learnings and impact in my project journey.

“The journey has not easy. I often encountered limited resources and accessibility barriers, like lack of sign language interpretation during key events or inaccessible venues. Stigma and misconceptions were also constant, sometimes people questioned whether a deaf person could lead a podcast or an awareness campaign.”

“Despite the obstacles, the project has created visible and emotional transformation in both the community and me. Some examples of the community and social impact my work has made, is shifting mindsets, supporting empowerment of young women with disabilities and positive steps towards more inclusion.”

“My Disability Justice Journey is a reflection of hope, resilience, and courage. From being silenced to amplifying others’ voices, I have witnessed what true empowerment looks like. Through advocacy, storytelling, and community action, I’ve learned that when we break barriers together, we build a world where everyone belongs.”

Sheila

In this video, Sheila hosts a guest on her podcast during Deaf Awareness Month, and they talk about creating awareness about the deaf and removing barriers.

“The Beyond Me Podcast reached hundreds of listeners who began to see disability differently. One listener messaged, “I used to think deaf people could not lead conversations now I see that they lead with heart and courage.”

“Besides, several young women with disabilities who joined my sensitisation sessions began participating in advocacy spaces, speaking publicly for the first time. One of them now runs a small peer-support group for girls in her county.”

“The initiative has increased networking and collaboration. It has brought together advocates from different counties within Kenya who continue to collaborate, share information, and support each other’s campaigns. This sense of unity has strengthened the disability movement locally.”

“This journey has reshaped my identity and made me grow. It has helped me embrace my deafness not as a limitation, but as a source of strength and authenticity.”

Hopes for the future.

“I plan to expand the Beyond Me Podcast and community dialogues to rural and hard-to-reach areas. My goal is to train and mentor more young women with disabilities in storytelling, advocacy, and leadership helping them use their voices for justice.”

“I also hope to strengthen partnerships with organisations and schools to promote inclusive education and mental health awareness.”

“I call upon communities, organisations, and leaders to amplify voices of persons with disabilities, create accessible environments, and treat inclusion as a shared responsibility.”