Nav Dhillon, the founder and creator of 1iCollective, 1icollective.com, is a testament to the power of turning adversity into a platform for positive change. Her journey into advocacy began many years ago after a tragic incident at age 20 left Nav with a lacerated eye. While standing with friends outside a venue in Canada, a bottle thrown into the crowd hit Nav in the face leaving shattered glass embedded in her eye. The damage was extensive and while doctors attempted surgery to save her vision it was sadly not possible to do so. Nav lost all vision in that eye and shortly after, due to complications from infection, it was necessary to remove the eye completely. What followed was a period of depression that lasted for many years.
For nearly a decade, she suppressed her emotions and did not speak about her accident or prosthetic eye due to the stigma associated with such a condition within her South Asian community.However,as Nav explained, her disability also showed her what she needed to overcome to become the person she is today. She turned her feelings of isolation into motivation to succeed academically, ultimately obtaining an MBA from the Rotman School of Management. These accomplishments would later translate into the start of a new and exciting career in the corporate world, where she excelled for many years.
From the outside looking in, Nav appeared to have it all. However, years of denial and suppression began to bubble to the surface and something inside her switched. She realized she had no choice but to confront the tragic circumstances of losing her eye. Nav found the courage to seek therapy, which helped her to realize that her adversities could be used to help others facing similar challenges.
Recognizing that the stigma surrounding disability prevents many people from seeking the help they need, she realized her silence was not helping herself…or anyone else. She then made a decision that would forever change her life. Nav left her job in the corporate world and founded 1iCollective – a not-for-profit organization that aims to challenge the stigma associated with disability and advocate for supportive services for people who have experienced ocular adversities. Nav knew that advocating for disability rights and promoting inclusion would not be an easy journey, but she also knew that it was the right path to take. Nav’s decision to focus on advocacy has become an essential part of her journey toward healing.
Since its launch two years ago, Nav has worked tirelessly to build 1iCollective, reaching out to local businesses and organizations for donations and support. Her Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) Ambassador has enabled her to create workshops and seminars to educate people about disability rights and inclusion with vision impairment. Her commitment to creating dialogues about prosthetic eyes and visual disabilities is inspiring. Her vulnerability in speaking publicly especially within her South Asian community about her condition is a testament to her strength and resilience.
Nav has been featured in several articles and recently participated in a podcast on the CNIB website discussing diversity, representation and visual disabilities. Understanding the power of sharing her story, she recognized a gap in the monocular community and set out to give others a voice. She now offers a monthly newsletter, highlighting eye heroes and medical professionals in the field of vision. As her vision for 1iCollective becomes even more clear she recognizes that everyone has a story to tell, and sharing these stories can create a more inclusive and accepting world.
As beautiful on the outside as she is on the inside, Nav has recently become committed to showcasing diversity and representation through modeling. She has signed on with two modeling agencies that strive to showcase people from diverse communities and disabilities. Nav is helping others feel seen and heard by challenging beauty standards and shifting ideals. The hope is that this will lead to positive change in the future where representation reflects all members of society. Nav’s dedication to promoting inclusion and representation in all areas is truly inspiring and shows that advocacy work can take many forms.
Unsurprisingly, Nav has become a valuable voice for those impacted by ocular adversities. She recently participated in “Right Between the Eyes,” an event hosted by Ocularist, Chistina King (@centerforocularprosthetics). The event featured members of the monocular community discussing life with an artificial eye while sharing creative resources and creating content together for their own platforms. Nav shared how impactful this experience was for her, and how it taught her the importance of creating safe and accepting environments where people can share their experiences and receive support. She plans to incorporate these concepts into her organization and personal life to further her platform and mission.
Working again in the world of financial services, Nav’s professional career continues to thrive as well. She embraces the balance of charging ahead in the corporate world while simultaneously working to be a voice and a guide for those still finding their way. We can’t wait to see what’s next for Nav as she continues to expand her professional career alongside her non-profit, advocacy, social media, public speaking and modeling work!
To learn more about Nav and her non-profit organization please visit her website https://1icollective.com/purpose. We look forward to watching Nav’s career and organization continue to grow and inspire others as she uses her focused monocular vision to see all the possibilities life has to offer!
