Sara Rocha

Focus Areas

Sara Rocha is the co-founder of Associacao Portuguesa Voz do Autista, an autistic-led organisation working to ensure the inclusion, autonomy and independent living of autistic people in Portugal. APVA works on topics such as gender-based violence against autistic women, forced sterilisation, sexual and reproductive rights, access to healthcare, education and employment, and many others.

Sara works for the University of Cambridge as a Data Manager, she is Vice-President of the European Council of Autistic People and Vice-chair of the European Disability Forum Women’s Committee. Her international advocacy has focused on the intersection of gender with disability, such as on sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls with disabilities, ending gender-based violence, and showing that autistic women need to be leaders within the disability movement, and beyond.

“As a visionary leader, every time I get a place at a decision-making table, I try to add a chair next to me for other disabled women.”