How -To Guides and Resources

Welcome to our How-to Guides and Resources! Here you will find step by step resources on disability advocacy, intersectionality, gender equality and more. 

This page is your hub for resources on race , gender, equality and inclusion, disability and others.
Explore our guides, tools and tips to understand and become a better advocate or ally.

      Some Good News😊

After years of writing here at Exquisite Lady, I’ve started a podcast to carry these conversations into another medium. Each episode is a refusal of silence — speaking about race, gender, disability, belonging, and the truths we carry.

Understanding Intersectionality  

What is Intersectionality?

Intersectionality is a way of understanding how different parts of who we are like race, gender, disability, class, or sexuality can overlap and affect our lives.

  • Step 1: Know the basics — The term was introduced by Kimberlé Crenshaw (1989) to explain that people don’t experience discrimination in just one way.
  • Step 2: Think of overlap — For example, a disabled woman of colour may face both ableism and racism at the same time, in ways that are connected.
  • Step 3: Look at the bigger picture — Intersectionality shows us that no one’s identity can be reduced to just one label.
  • Step 4: Use in daily life — When you hear someone’s story or think about fairness, remember that more than one factor may be shaping their experience.

👉 Takeaway: Intersectionality helps us see the whole person and avoid ignoring key parts of their identity.

Why Intersectionality Matters in Advocacy

When we advocate for change, intersectionality helps us make sure no one is left behind.

  • Step 1: Identify gaps — Advocacy that only looks at “women” without considering race or disability may leave many women unsupported.
  • Step 2: Address real experiences — People face unique barriers. For instance, immigrant women with disabilities may have very different challenges compared to non-disabled women born locally.
  • Step 3: Build stronger movements — When advocacy includes multiple perspectives, it is fairer, more inclusive, and more powerful.
  • Step 4: Put it into practice — Ask: “Who is missing from this conversation? Whose voice isn’t being heard?”

👉 Takeaway: Intersectionality makes advocacy more just, inclusive, and effective by making sure everyone is represented.

 Disability is part of human diversity.

Inclusion is not about “helping” disabled people fit into existing structures it’s about reshaping those structures so exclusion is no longer the norm. Awareness alone is not enough; what matters is creating environments, policies, and practices that enable full participation.

This guide is for advocates, workplaces, educators, and allies who want to move from good intentions to meaningful action.

Key Takeaways

  1. Shift the lens: Disability is created by barriers, not by people. The social model of disability helps us see that inaccessible buildings, rigid policies, and ableist attitudes are what disable people.

  2. Audit your space: Look at physical, digital, and social environments. Ask: Who is excluded here?

  3. Embed accessibility: Inclusion should be proactive, not an afterthought. Design events, resources, and workplaces with access in mind from the start.

  4. Amplify voices: Nothing about us without us disabled people’s perspectives must guide decisions.

  5. Move from awareness to action: Accessibility checklists, policy advocacy, and allyship practices are concrete steps that drive change.

👉 The extended Advocacy toolkit (Dr Abbie Writes - Payhip) expands these points into step-by-step strategies, templates, checklists, and reflection exercises to help you build genuinely inclusive spaces.

Race and Gender Equality

Race and Advocacy: Key Strategies

  • Know the frameworks: Intersectionality shows how race, gender, and other identities overlap in shaping inequality.

  • Listen before acting: Let communities most affected define priorities.

  • Tackle structures, not just individuals: Discrimination is systemic, not just personal prejudice.

  • Small actions count: Challenge biased comments, advocate for fair hiring, and amplify underrepresented voices.

A Beginner’s Guide to Gender Equality

  • Equity vs Equality: Equality = same treatment. Equity = fair treatment considering different barriers.

  • Check your bias: Everyday assumptions (e.g., women doing emotional labour) reinforce inequality.

  • Act locally: From household roles to workplace pay, gender equality starts in small, everyday choices.

  • Support systemic change: Policies, pay audits, parental leave, flexible working matter as much as individual action.

( more coming soon)
Race and Advocacy: Key Strategies

A beginner's guide to Gender Equality

Disability Rights

Understanding Disabilities

How to be an ally to the Disability Community

Call -to -Action

Have a question or need help? Contact us or leave a comment below!


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