Gina Patel, an award-winning South Asian disabled advocate from Wednesbury in the West Midlands, recently stood as an Independent candidate in the May 2026 UK local elections.
In this personal story, Gina shares her experiences of stepping into public office while living with cerebral palsy and epilepsy, the racist attitudes she received as a South Asian woman and, despite not being voted in, her determination to keep campaigning and stand again in future elections.
Growing up between two worlds
I spent my childhood going back and forth between two distinct worlds. The mainstream world was there, I was committed to joining, and then there was the isolated world that society attempted to push me into. I quickly realised that disability involves more than just ramps and steps, it concerns attitudes and stereotypes, and the times when people make up their minds what you are capable or incapable of without you saying a word.
My family always wanted what was best for me. But I could see their anxieties, as well. In South Asian communities, people frequently avoid discussing disability. Hardly anyone knows the way. So, I discovered that maintaining that silence even though it seemed to burden me.
But I also learned how to be tough. Way before I had the advocacy words, I figured out how to speak up for myself. I learned how to outlast systems that just weren’t for me. And later, I learned how to challenge them.
So, I figured, if I didn’t start speaking up, nothing would change. And if I didn’t step forward, someone else would just keep making decisions about us without ever really knowing what our lives are like.
Read: Gina Patel: Disability And Equality Advocate Wins Rising Star For Diversity Award
Standing for public office on my own terms – the positives and the negatives
I didn’t rush into public life with a big plan, but I did decide to stand at the last minute. It happened because of the frustration that builds up after years of society overlooking you, ignoring you, or talking over you. When I started dealing with public services, I saw disabled people treated like problems, not human beings.
I tried the traditional political party route in the past, but it wasn’t accessible to me, so I thought, “So what if political parties don’t want me, I can go independent and let members of my community decide my future!” So I did, rather than letting past negative experiences stop me, and the funny thing is, it only took five seconds to decide
I knew I wasn’t doing it by the book. No political party behind me. No years of party campaigning. None of the typical ways, my neighbours or anyone across would expect from a politician.
So as part of my campaign, I began telling my story, I talked about who I was, how it felt to belong and what it’s really like being a disabled South Asian woman and why having a seat at the table mattered to me. I talked about the systems that let me down and the ones I tried to change.
Luckily, I had positive feedback as well as negative feedback. I did a letter from the heart, and I even said things unheard of by politicians, like “if you feel there’s someone better than me, then you should vote for them.” Unheard, I know, and probably looking back now, a risk, but I didn’t want to be the same as the best, and I don’t regret it.
What I did have was experience unknown to the political world and, more importantly, none that the other candidates could have replicated, over fifteen years of fighting with systems, advocating for others, and seeing firsthand how policies shape people’s real lives. My story didn’t fit the usual political mould, and that’s exactly why I wanted to tell it. I wasn’t being unrealistic about my chances either.
When Eastern Eye did a piece on my leadership and why I was standing, I finally felt seen and heard on a bigger scale. That article didn’t turn my disability didn’t try to make me out as just an inspiration as many of the non-disabled community say for simply living our lives. It saw the whole picture, the culture, the obstacles, the stubbornness, and the quiet strength it took every day to keep pushing on.
The article opened doors for me, but it also meant people started watching me more closely. Visibility can be empowering, but it’s also risky. As a South Asian woman, I was already used to people judging me. As a disabled woman, I was used to being underestimated. Being in public life brought those two together, and the wave of negativity hit fast.
People questioned my abilities and made racist comments about topics like I was going to be deported and that they only wanted “white native” people in parliament (even if this were local elections, not national), and even whether I had the right to speak out. Some people were just uncomfortable seeing someone like me step out of the box they’d put me in.
And if I’m honest, it impacted me in ways I didn’t expect, but instead of letting those people bring me down, I stayed composed, calm and true to myself, responding professionally, behaving not like your typical politician, just Gina trying to prove I belonged in that space. Even when the negativity showed up and, believe me, it did, I handled it with the honesty and dignity people later told me they respected.
Read: Being A Town Councillor With A Disability
My motivation: making space for the next generation of disabled leaders
For me, politics isn’t about career or having a title. It’s about just being visible and genuinely wanting to make our local community a better place. Making sure disabled people, especially South Asian disabled people, get heard, not just talked about. It’s about proving that leadership doesn’t have to look or sound a certain way, or come from a particular background.
I don’t see people like me in the sitting councillors across my council, I know some have one or two, but undeclared none. Maybe now there will be “another Gina” out there who will step forward, whether it’s next year, two years or ten years, who knows? I don’t for sure because I’m not a psychic.
Maybe they will see my name, hear my story, follow my journey, and realise she doesn’t have to sit back and wait for someone to let her in.
Maybe she’ll see that real leadership comes from lived experience, not privilege.
Maybe she’ll see that even when everyone expects you to stay quiet, you can decide to speak up anyway.
Read: 13 Disabled MPs Changing The Face Of British Politics
Did the experience put me off from standing in the future?
Simply no, I have already decided I’m going for round two, and if I’m not successful, then that’s fine, but I will give it at least a few attempts. If it’s not meant to be, then it’s not meant to be, and that’s ok, but at least I will be able to hold my head high.
Finally, I want to say, “World, are you ready for me?”
You can find out more about Gina Patel by visiting her website and following her on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.