Meet the woman breaking barriers to disability inclusion in Hong Kong

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Sa’diyya Nesar has spent much of her life redefining what strength means.

Living with a rare congenital muscle condition that requires a wheelchair, she has endured multiple surgeries and long hospital stays. Rather than letting disability confine her, she turned to writing and found her voice.

“I started writing not only to cope with life’s difficulties but also to clear misconceptions about disability,” said Nesar, who graduated from the University of Hong Kong in 2013, majoring in English language and literature.

“Even when my body could not move the way I wanted, words became my movement.”

That creative impulse has grown into purpose. Nesar, who is in her mid-thirties, is now a published author, TEDx speaker and social justice fellow whose work explores resilience, faith and identity.