Zahra J. Brown is a Jamaican-Canadian, Black, lesbian, cisgender woman, who has two disabilities. She is hard of hearing, and she has a mild cerebral palsy. Zahra is often misgendered as a because of her gender expression.

Zahra is a York University graduate who earned a Master of Arts in Critical Disability Studies in 2020, and a Bachelor of Arts in Women’s Studies in 2014. She earned a diploma in Social Service Worker at George Brown College in 2016 and a certificate in General Arts and Science in 2004 at Seneca College.