“As an immigrant, this recognition of my work in my adopted homeland is my proudest moment. I accept this induction on behalf of my friends, family and allies who helped me pursue my vision of inclusion and accessibility for all.” – Meenu Sikand, executive lead, EDI.

In her short time at Holland Bloorview, Meenu has made a number of significant advancements to the hospital’s EDI portfolio, including implementing an organizational EDI policy that imbeds inclusion in all of the hospital’s operations, developing and implementing an inclusive email signature across the organization, increased cultural competency with respect to Indigenous health, mentorship of employees with disabilities and championing our commitment to being an employer of choice for people living with disabilities (among many others).  Most recently, Meenu has been appointed as co-chair to the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) task force to address systemic racism at Holland Bloorview and beyond.

Meenu has been an equity, diversity, inclusion and accessibility champion for more than three decades, dedicating her professional and personal life to advocating for the rights of people living with disabilities and those in marginalized communities at the local, national and international level. As an immigrant woman with a disability, she has been pushing the boundaries within the EDI profession to ensure people living with disabilities are included in the conversation. Under her leadership, Holland Bloorview has adopted inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility to bring an authentic culture change within the organization. Her lived experiences, among other things, as a South Asian immigrant to Canada and a woman with a physical disability mean that Ms. Sikand has a critical eye on equity and intersectionality.

Meenu has also founded a number of organizations dedicated to advocating for people in marginalized communities, including the Canadian South-Asians Supporting Independent Living, Accessibility for All and the Canadian Alliance on Race and Disability. Over 25 years, she has served on the executive boards of Independent Living Canada (ILC) and the Centre for Independent Living Toronto (CILT), where she held various positions including CILT president (serving three terms) and a board director, ILC vice president, executive board member and chair of the ILC International Committee.