Youth Programs and Initiatives

The Ase Community embraces the talents and passion of Black youth with disabilities, building a pipeline of success through social and economic development opportunities. Through mentorship and experiential leadership opportunities, we foster Black youth-led initiatives, events, and research.

The Ase community’s youth initiatives are informed by the voices and lived experiences of Black, disabled youth across Canada between the ages of 16-30 years old. Through Black youth leadership roles and paid and volunteer development opportunities youth, advise the Ase Community programs, services, and research projects, as well as directly contribute tour strategic priorities and growth. They specifically lead the Ase Community Youth Coalition Black Student Summit, Town halls, REAL Knowledge Series events, and Black-diabled focused research projects.

Ase Community Youth Coalition.
The Ase Community Youth Coalition (ACYC) is a national network of Black students and youth with disabilities, consciously working towards our collective advancement.
Black Student Success Summit.
The Black Student Success Summit is lead by Black student leaders in the Youth Academy.
EmpowHERed Kandake Fellowship.
Leveling Up and Career Advancement of Black women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse youth with disabilities.
Advancing Black Disabled Talent : Youth Academy.
The Ase Community champion youth leadership through meaningful employment and career development program, Youth Academy.

To particpate and join the Ase Community youth network, please contact the Director of Youth, the Ase Community Board of Directors, youth@asecommunity.com.

Find youth position at

The image is of two Black teenagers sitting on a large tree branch above a river. They are both smiling and talking to each other. The teen on the left is wearing a striped shirt, jeans, and hiking boots. The one on the right is wearing a large-brimmed red hat, jeans, and a peach-coloured shirt.
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Ase Community Youth Coalition

The Ase Community Youth Coalition (ACYC) is a national network of Black students and youth with disabilities, consciously working towards our collective advancement. This is an empowering and safe space for Black youth aged 13 to 29 to learn, discuss, negotiate, champion, and support our community. Our work is grounded in the 10 principles of Disability Justice, Black Feminist Theory, Black Feminist Disability Framework, Gender Based Analysis, and Critical Race Theory.

8 black Gender diverse students lined up at the bottom of the flyer carrying backpacks and smiling. There is a headline “ASE Community Foundation for Black Canadians with Disabilities in cream-coloured text. Followed by the title “3RD ANNUAL BLACK STUDENT SUCCESS SUMMIT | Living a soft life | September 9, 2023 | 11am - 3pm | Register today! Bottom banner with text 'www.asecommunity.com/events'
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Black Student Success Summit

The Black Student Success Summit is lead by Black student leaders in the Youth Academy. This annual event brings together Black youth with disabilities together to network and gain invaluable skills and confidence as students, community leaders, researchers, and entrepreneurs. Through Black professionals, disabled advocates, and disability and accommodation experts, they strengthen their self advocacy skills, accessible literacy, career and employment plans, academic success, and overall thrive in Black Student Life and society.

The image is of two Black women shoulder to shoulder on a beach, facing the shore. The woman on the left is wearing a grey knit sweater, a thin silver necklace, and purple lipstick. The woman on the right is wearing a black top with a loose afro. They are both smiling warmly.
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EmpowHERed Kandake Fellowship

Leveling Up and Career Advancement of Black women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse youth with disabilities

EmpowHERed Kandake is a 6 month fellowship program that unapologetically carves out intentional spaces to build an empowered community and network of Black women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse with disabilities (BWg2SGDYwD) through

Program Details

Fosters a network of fellows (BW2SGD youth with disabilities aged 16-29) and fellowship leads (community leaders and professionals who identify as BW2SGDwD)

Is a 6-month Leadership, Education, and Professional Training Program delivered to cohorts consisting of up to 10 BW2SGDwD per cohort.

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Advancing Black Disabled Talent

The Ase Community champions youth leadership through a meaningful employment and career development program, Youth Academy. We mentor and provide skills development training, accessibility literacy, and paid internships, volunteer experiential and leadership opportunities that build transferable skills, confidence, and disability-focused self advocacy.

Youth participate as board of directors, staff, student leaders, peer researchers, community animators, Web developers, marketing, and so many other critical roles to the development and sustainability of the Ase Community.

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Research and Policy Program

The Ase community conducts research and policy analysis at the intersection of race and disability. We prioritize the development and mentorship of Black youth with disabilities as leaders, researchers, and writers in this emerging field.

We endeavor to contribute to the “pipeline” of Black disabled youth researchers and policy analysts through training, coaching, and hands on experience as peer researchers and associates. We provide meaningful opportunities for youth to develop self-confidence, self-efficacy, and skills as volunteers and paid peer researchers and assistants.

To learn more about research initiatives and opportunities to participate in research, visit our Research page.

Meet our team members

We’re a dynamic group of individuals who are passionate about what we do and dedicated to delivering the best results for our clients.

  • Black woman smiling with Black hijab, round rimmed glasses, and a white-striped black sweater.

    Bahja Farah (she/her)

    Research Assistant

  • Black woman with braids and earrings standing in a hallway, with a dark maroon shirt and dress pants.

    Anuoluwa (Anu) Popoola (she/her)

    Research Assistant

  • Black man with short hair and a fade wearing a black sweater, sitting in a brightly-lit; he is looking at the camera with a huge smile on his face.

    Fuaad Shobambi (he/him)

    Software Developer | IT & Technical Coordinator

  • Black man with a beard, blue dress shirt, and baseball cap against a beige wall.

    Abdulfatah Mohammed (he/him)

    Finance & Accounting Assistant

  • Black person with short hair in a powerchair, smiling with a necklace, black sweater, and black-rimmed glasses. They are in front of a wall of bookshelves.

    Jay Baldwin (they/them)

    Youth Initiatives and Fellowships Animator

  • Black person with shoulder-length locs smiling brightly while at a table drinking a juice box, on their phone. They are wearing a yellow beanie and a knitted sweater over a white t-shirt.Oreoluwa Abikoye (they/them)

    Youth Initiatives and Fellowships Animator

  • Black man with shoulder-length locs, small earrings is seated in front of a beige background. He is wearing a black dress shirt underneath a grey jacket

    Ty Hamilton (he/him)

    Coordinator, Special Projects

  • Black woman with long, straight Black hair. Her arms are crossed, and she is wearing a black shirt under a black suit jacket.

    Debora Njilayi (she/her)

    Marketing and Social Media Animator