Diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at a young age, she faced a lot of pressure from her surroundings. Despite that, with her parents’ support and encouragement, she was able to overcome that pressure and started working to pursue higher education. She has a bachelor’s degree in economics and later obtained a master’s in education (Leadership and Management) from Flinders University, Adelaide, under an Australia Awards Scholarship. Her research focuses on the obstacles faced by students with disabilities due to the lack of infrastructure and inclusive education platforms. She has a lot of articles and short stories on disability issues under her name as well. Upon returning to Pakistan, she became an assistant professor at the Government Graduate College for Women in Lahore, where she started integrating inclusive teaching methods. She is a provincial coordinator for the NFWWD; she leads workshops for teachers and shares models for accessible classrooms. Saira is also part of the Australia Awards Alumni Disability Advisory Group, contributing insights to strengthen disability-inclusive development at regional and national levels.

key achievements

• Named a recipient of an Australia Awards Scholarship
• Recognized within NFWWD networks

Area of focus

• Building inclusive education systems in higher institutions
• Training educators in accessible classroom design
• Promoting policy reform grounded in lived experiences and research
• Strengthening institutional capacity for disability-inclusive development