An accident paralysed her at just 20 – and sparked her mission to create a more inclusive Singapore

Fathima Zohra, who is better known by her nickname Zoe Zora, is not afraid to stand by her beliefs on inclusivity and be the voice for people with disabilities and mental health issues.

Ever since a car accident left her paralysed from her neck down when she was 20 years old, she still has to manage recurring physical pain – and sometimes mental stress – through medication seven years later. Nevertheless, she is determined to overcome every challenge in her second chance at life. 

“Life can change in seconds. But what you make of the new life you have is what matters. And I want to speak up for those who are less heard, or desire to be heard but are not so confident to express their views,” she says.

“Everything that I do goes back to my goal of wanting to change the way people perceive those with disabilities and mental health issues.”

Wearing her heart on her sleeve

Now 27, Zora is a full-time inclusive employment recruiter for a social enterprise that empowers people with disabilities to pursue gainful employment and independence. 

“I share with employers the need for us to be hired. However, they should focus on the skill sets that suit the jobs available because hiring shouldn’t be tied to wanting to give back to society. We deserve the same opportunities as everyone else,” she says, adding that she works not to keep herself occupied, but because she has aspirations like everyone else.

She has also resumed modelling (on an ad hoc basis) which she used to do in her teens, as she feels there is inadequate representation of disabled people in the media. 

She is not always this confident go-getter though. She used to feel so insecure and ashamed of her disability that she stayed off social media for about a year after being an active user for four years, until she found empowerment through her small wins, from working out in the gym, making use of the limited function of her hands to do her makeup and taking the public transport – all on her own. 

Receiving brickbats for uploading photos of herself posing proudly in her wheelchair from haters, with some targeting her inability to walk, and her atrophied legs which she was most insecure about, affected her initially. But she chose to focus on the positive outcomes, such as inspiring others with her confidence.

“Showing up and advocating for disabled bodies was more important to me,” says Zora, who wants to support those in her community, with the hope that the able-bodied will get comfortable with seeing the disabled in the modelling space.  

As a content creator with 32,728 Instagram followers to date, she is known for her authentic online presence. She shares snippets of her life, talks openly about the reality of managing her own disability and mental health, showcases her partnerships with various organisations to speak at events, like last year’s Enabling Lives Festival, as well as with sports and beauty brands. Her online content includes her fitness workouts and makeup tutorials too. 

Zora wants to break the stereotype of how persons with disabilities should look and behave. Unfortunately, there are plenty of “haters” under the shroud of anonymity in the social media space. Some suggest that her disability is fake because she can exercise, and accuse her of being attention seeking for dressing up and using makeup to look good on Instagram. The negativity affects her sometimes, but she always bounces back.

“I know I can make a positive change using social media so the negativity should not stop me (from what I’m doing). I don’t want other people to have control over my emotions,” she says. 

Advocating for better awareness

When Zora became paralysed, it was not just the physical difficulty of going out and about with her activities that she had to cope with. Even now, she has to deal with how strangers tend to stare at her and feel pity for her.  

“They’d comfort me and tell me that I’ll walk again one day. While I understand their good intentions, being disabled is the reality of my life and I’ve come to terms with it. Although I do struggle at times, I can also be happy. So don’t feel bad for me because I sit in a wheelchair,” she says. 

Besides her desire for society to recognise that “we are more than just our disabilities”, she also hopes more people would understand that “how you look does not always reflect how you truly feel”. 

She explains that she may look confident at times, but she might actually be battling internal struggles and loneliness, even when surrounded by supportive family and friends. Many people going through mental struggles tend to feel it necessary to hide or downplay them. And this is why she feels strongly that it really is okay not to be okay, whether one suffers from mental health issues or not.

“Some people with such an ‘invisible disability’ don’t know how to share their struggles, so be kind and give them space to be themselves. I want to share my experiences with people who struggle like me because I don’t want others to feel alone [in their depression]. This is why I want to advocate for greater awareness on the importance of mental health too,” she says.  

Appreciation for life and love

The encouragement Zora gives to those in her community has given her strength to continue to make a difference for them. The private messages of gratitude and positive feedback from strangers also motivate her to continue to lift the hopes of those who feel helpless and “unseen” to take steps to empower themselves to strive for what they want.

Lending her support in this journey are her loved ones, especially her parents, five brothers and two sisters, who were her “hands and legs” and helped her build emotional strength to fight against all odds. 

When the going gets tough, the tough gets going, or in Zora’s case, accepting help is a good idea too. 

“I learnt that you can’t always do things alone, and it’s okay to get help and accept support from others. So don’t only accept what’s negative, because there’s so much good in the world and we need to stop focusing only on the bad,” she adds.

Created in partnership with DBS, “HER WORLD, HER SPARK” is a series highlighting trailblazing women in Singapore with the courage to live fully. These women believe in themselves, push boundaries, advocate for change, and prioritise what truly matters. Through each story, we hope to inspire everyone to trust the spark that resides within each of us.

PHOTOGRAPHY Shawn Paul Tan
ART DIRECTION Adeline Eng & Ray Ticsay
HAIR Angel Gwee, using Davines
MAKEUP Benedict Choo, using Cle De Peau Beaute
LOCATION ITE College Central and Anytime Fitness Woodgrove
COORDINATION Chelsia Tan