Creating inclusive and equitable spaces is central to Ayesha Ghazi Edwin’s advocacy for disability rights on campus and within the Ann Arbor community.
As an assistant clinical professor at the School of Social Work, Ghazi Edwin was honored with the 2024 James T. Neubacher Award for her dedication to social justice and policy reform in areas like education, voting rights, housing, healthcare, and labor.
A graduate of the same school, Ghazi Edwin’s activism stems from personal experiences with an autoimmune disorder and mental health challenges as a U-M student. “This experience opened my eyes to the policies that shape our systems — both those that exist and those that are missing,” she said. “Before that, I didn’t have a clear understanding of disability justice. Later in my career, I grew to realize that our society is built on a series of policy choices that enable some to thrive while leaving others behind.”
In her teaching role, Ghazi Edwin emphasizes empathy and empowerment, incorporating disability justice into her curriculum to foster an accessible learning environment. Her efforts in education led to the Provost’s Teaching Innovation Prize in 2021 and other accolades such as a Staff DEI Impact Award and a nomination for Teacher of the Year.
“I want my students to recognize that disability is a natural, beautiful part of human diversity and that struggles often arise due to inadequate systems and policies rather than individual limitations,” she explained. In 2020, she was acknowledged with a Certificate of Appreciation from the Neubacher Awards Committee after co-developing a disability justice-focused certificate program titled “Disability Inclusion and Accessible Design.”
More than 340 participants, including physicians and Paralympic athletes, have completed this program, which aims to deepen understanding of oppression and diversity.
The James T. Neubacher Award honors the legacy of Jim Neubacher, a U-M alumnus and Detroit Free Press writer who advocated for disability equity. It is awarded annually to a U-M community member demonstrating leadership in disability support.
Ghazi Edwin’s commitment extends beyond academia. As a former deputy director of Detroit Disability Power and current Ann Arbor City Council member, she has worked on accessibility initiatives. Inspired by the disability advocacy in Detroit, she helped establish Ann Arbor’s first staff position focused on accessibility and inclusion.
Her efforts also include creating Bicentennial Park, Ann Arbor’s first universally designed playground, and advocating for a ban on subminimum wages for disabled workers. She led the charge against facial-recognition technology, which often disproportionately affects marginalized groups.
She introduced Ann Arbor’s “Right to Sit” ordinance, requiring employers to allow workers to sit when their duties permit, and inspired a state bill for similar protections. Ghazi Edwin also collaborated on auditing polling locations for accessibility improvements, contributing to a report by The Carter Center on voting accessibility for individuals with disabilities.
The Neubacher Award, established in 1990, is supported by the Council for Disability Concerns, the Equity, Civil Rights and Title IX Office, University Human Resources, Michigan Medicine, and the Office of the President.
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