A UK Disability activist and inclusion specialist, Dr Shani Dhanda, has backed our campaign, Paws for a Cause.
Dr Dhanda, born with osteogenesis imperfecta, more commonly known as brittle bone disease, has become one of the UK’s most influential disabled people for her disability-rights campaigning.
She said: “Support Dogs UK transforms lives, giving people with disabilities, autism, and epilepsy greater independence and confidence.
“The growing demand for their services underlines how essential this support is, and the ‘Paws for a Cause’ campaign helps ensure they have the resources and volunteers needed to keep meeting that demand.”
Dr Dhanda founded Diversability, the Asian Woman Festival, and the Asian Disability Network, platforms focused on tackling social inequality worldwide.
As well as this, she has established Fair Dues and Access to Work Collective, initiatives that break down barriers to inclusive work.
Dr Dhanda’s impact has been widely recognised, earning her more than 30 awards and honours, including being named the UK’s Most Influential Disabled Person (Shaw Trust, 2023) and one of the Most Influential Women in the New World of Work (ICS Learn, 2022).
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Support Dogs train dogs for a range of specialist roles, including disability assistance, providing life-changing independence to people with disabilities.
Support Dogs urgently need volunteers and funding to continue their vital work.
Our campaign aims to raise £1,000 to give 10 children with autism the chance to meet their support dog for the first time, secure 15 new sponsors for autism-assistance dog Peggy, and inspire 10 people to register their interest in becoming puppy socialisers.
For more information on how to support the campaign, click here.