How Zoe succeeded in turning an unfortunate accident into an opportunity to help others
The two-year UWC experience in Duino is something that our students describe as life-changing. In Zoe Kothari’s case this is all the more valid. Just after arriving in Duino in 2019, Zoe was involved in a terrible road accident. After she recovered, she decided she wanted to return to Italy and resume her learning experience in Duino. But in adjusting to life after the accident, Zoe realised the everyday challenges people with a disability who want to be independent face – even when, as in her case, the disability is not permanent.
Becoming aware of this inspired Zoe to do something, and help others facing these issues. So last summer she created ZIAI, an online platform aiming to uphold anti-ableism and combat all forms of discrimination against people with disabilities. “The mere fact that our systems are built with the assumption that everyone is able-bodied is a form of ableism,” Zoe says as she illustrates the way in which the platform works. On ZIAI (Zoe’s Inclusive AI) one can find links to informative articles, video interviews with Zoe and experts working on inclusivity, and you can interact with an AI bot programmed by Zoe to answer all kinds of questions on ableism.
By chatting with the bot one can find out how to make an environment more inclusive and learn to be mindful of the language one uses as many commonly used expressions on closer inspection have ableist nuances. Her work on the app is very thorough and the result is quite remarkable: it is no surprise that Zoe was recently featured on the Vogue India article “13 Indian youth changemakers to know in 2021”.
As Zoe says, negative events can have positive outcomes. The accident was a turning point in Zoe’s life but she was able to react with great resilience and creativity, in part by tapping into her experience at the College. “I have always been passionate about feminism,” she explains, “but before joining UWC Adriatic I had never really had the chance to really discuss it. Living at the College has enabled me to be surrounded with so much diversity compared to the environment I grew up in. This community is immensely stimulating, there are many different forms of activism and opportunities for discussion, and everyone is committed to some cause they feel strongly about. I always thought it was right to act in accordance with one’s beliefs, but I probably would never have had the courage to do so if I hadn’t come to Duino”.
