The Summer Series ‘25

A Four-Part Mid-Season Miniseries hosted by Melanie Taddeo

1. Accessible Housing in Canada

2. Disability Pride Month

3. Grant Writing

4. Lifelong Learning

Learn more about what accessibility means in the context of Canada’s housing crisis. Discover the fact that there is a Disability Pride Month. Listen to some instructive lessons on writing and applying for grants for charities. And consider the benefits of lifelong learning.

Each of these topics is the focus of Connect4Life’s Four-Part Mid-Season Miniseries, which was produced during the summer of 2025, and is hosted by Connect4Life’s Founder and CEO, Melanie Taddeo.

Instructive. Reflective. Inspiring. And on-demand for your convenience.

Enjoy this Connect4Life miniseries.

#disbilities #nonprofits #charity #fundraising #givingback #nonprofitorganization #socialgood #makeanimpact #socialimpact #notforprofit #makeadifference #causes #supportnonprofits #dogood #inclusion #disabilityawareness #accessibility #disabilityadvocate #disabilityrights #disabilityinclusion #careerdevelopment #skilldevelopmenttraining #connect4life #lifelonglearning #everyoneincluded #internationaldisability

The Summer Series ‘25

A Four-Part Mid-Season Miniseries hosted by Melanie Taddeo

1. Accessible Housing in Canada

2. Disability Pride Month

3. Grant Writing

4. Lifelong Learning

Learn more about what accessibility means in the context of Canada’s housing crisis. Discover the fact that there is a Disability Pride Month. Listen to some instructive lessons on writing and applying for grants for charities. And consider the benefits of lifelong learning.

Each of these topics is the focus of Connect4Life’s Four-Part Mid-Season Miniseries, which was produced during the summer of 2025, and is hosted by Connect4Life’s Founder and CEO, Melanie Taddeo.

Instructive. Reflective. Inspiring. And on-demand for your convenience.

Enjoy this Connect4Life miniseries.

#disbilities #nonprofits #charity #fundraising #givingback #nonprofitorganization #socialgood #makeanimpact #socialimpact #notforprofit #makeadifference #causes #supportnonprofits #dogood #inclusion #disabilityawareness #accessibility #disabilityadvocate #disabilityrights #disabilityinclusion #careerdevelopment #skilldevelopmenttraining #connect4life #grantwriting #everyoneincluded #internationaldisability

The Summer Series ‘25

A Four-Part Mid-Season Miniseries hosted by Melanie Taddeo

1. Accessible Housing in Canada

2. Disability Pride Month

3. Grant Writing

4. Lifelong Learning

Learn more about what accessibility means in the context of Canada’s housing crisis. Discover the fact that there is a Disability Pride Month. Listen to some instructive lessons on writing and applying for grants for charities. And consider the benefits of lifelong learning.

Each of these topics is the focus of Connect4Life’s Four-Part Mid-Season Miniseries, which was produced during the summer of 2025, and is hosted by Connect4Life’s Founder and CEO, Melanie Taddeo.

Instructive. Reflective. Inspiring. And on-demand for your convenience.

Enjoy this Connect4Life miniseries.

#disbilities #nonprofits #charity #fundraising #givingback #nonprofitorganization #socialgood #makeanimpact #socialimpact #notforprofit #makeadifference #causes #supportnonprofits #dogood #inclusion #disabilityawareness #accessibility #disabilityadvocate #disabilityrights #disabilityinclusion #careerdevelopment #skilldevelopmenttraining #connect4life #everyoneincluded #internationaldisability #disabilitypridemonth

The Summer Series ‘25

A Four-Part Mid-Season Miniseries hosted by Melanie Taddeo

1. Accessible Housing in Canada

2. Disability Pride Month

3. Grant Writing

4. Lifelong Learning

Learn more about what accessibility means in the context of Canada’s housing crisis. Discover the fact that there is a Disability Pride Month. Listen to some instructive lessons on writing and applying for grants for charities. And consider the benefits of lifelong learning.

Each of these topics is the focus of Connect4Life’s Four-Part Mid-Season Miniseries, which was produced during the summer of 2025, and is hosted by Connect4Life’s Founder and CEO, Melanie Taddeo.

Instructive. Reflective. Inspiring. And on-demand for your convenience.

Enjoy this Connect4Life miniseries.

#disbilities #nonprofits #charity #fundraising #givingback #nonprofitorganization #socialgood #makeanimpact #socialimpact #notforprofit #makeadifference #causes #supportnonprofits #dogood #inclusion #disabilityawareness #accessibility #disabilityadvocate #disabilityrights #disabilityinclusion #careerdevelopment #skilldevelopmenttraining #connect4life#everyoneincluded #internationaldisability #accessiblehousing

Thanks for Listening - Season 3 Coming Soon!

June 20, 2025

This special bonus episode of Connect 4 Life: The Podcast, featuring Host and CEO Melanie Taddeo, wraps up Season 2 and provides a few teasers about what to expect in Season 3 -- including new talk formats, new guests and new conversations and topics that will take you and our team on-location to where the action is happening.

Until then, enjoy summer 2025, a season that we Canadians consider among the best.

And please reach out to us to share your feedback, your criticism and your ideas about what can help make this program more meaningful to you and the world around you.

Visit www.connect4life.ca for more information and updates about our work in Canada, South Africa and the United Nations.

Until next time ...

#melanieminute #melanietaddeo #disbilities #nonprofits #charity #fundraising #givingback #nonprofitorganization #socialgood #makeanimpact #socialimpact #notforprofit #makeadifference #causes #supportnonprofits #dogood #inclusion #disabilityawareness #accessibility #disabilityadvocate #disabilityrights #disabilityinclusion #careerdevelopment #skilldevelopmenttraining #connect4life #advocacy #disabilityadvocacy #disabilityaccessibility

Season 2, Episode 20

June 20, 2025

The United Nations Welcomes Connect 4 Life

On June 10 of this year, the 18th Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (otherwise known as the CRPD) convened at UN Headquarters in New York.

One of the final items on the first morning of the proceedings was a decision announced in the General Assembly by the President of the Conference that the applications of 10 non-governmental organizations had been approved and would become accredited members moving forward.

Connect 4 Life was one of the organizations listed – and is now an accredited member NGO of the UN’s Conference of States Parties to the CRPD.

In this episode, Connect 4 Life’s CEO, Melanie Taddeo, explains what this means and why it’s a significant step forward, as well as how the broader Connect 4 Life community can contribute to the growing global dialogue around disability, accessibility and meaningful participation in all aspects of society and the economy.

Visit www.connect4life.ca for more information about what Connect 4 Life can do for you and your organization.

#disbilities #nonprofits #charity #fundraising #givingback #nonprofitorganization #socialgood #makeanimpact #socialimpact #notforprofit #makeadifference #causes #supportnonprofits #dogood #inclusion #disabilityawareness #accessibility #disabilityadvocate #disabilityrights #disabilityinclusion #careerdevelopment #skilldevelopmenttraining #connect4life #crpd #cosp18 #everyoneincluded #internationaldisability #unitednations

Season 2, Episode 19

June 17, 2025

In Perspective: A Conversion about Living with a Disability

In this episode of Connect 4 Life: The Podcast, Host Melanie Taddeo chats with Mark Brown about what it means to live with a disability.

Mark has a physical disability, and he relies on the use of a wheelchair to get around, while Melanie is legally blind.

Despite the difference in each disability, both Mark and Melanie experience many of the same things each and every day, which range from stigmas and misconceptions about a person’s disability to an all-too-often misunderstanding about the abilities that someone might actually have – despite the disability on the surface.

You’ll also enjoy hearing about some of their pet peeves, including able-bodied people parking their cars in spots designated for someone with a disability, or simply not being able to get into an establishment.

It's a candid and enlightening conversation that helps everyone put a different perspective on disability, and just might help steer people into thinking more about ability than disability.

Visit www.connect4life.ca for more information about what Connect 4 Life can do for you, your organization and your community.

#disbilities #nonprofits #charity #fundraising #givingback #nonprofitorganization #socialgood #makeanimpact #socialimpact #notforprofit #makeadifference #causes #supportnonprofits #dogood #inclusion #disabilityawareness #accessibility #disabilityadvocate #advocacy #disabilityrights #disabilityinclusion #careerdevelopment #skilldevelopmenttraining #connect4life

Season 2, Episode 18 - June 9, 2025

A Melanie Minute: Governments Working Together for Canadians with Disabilities

Every now and then we see governments at different levels working cooperatively, harmonizing their programs and services, so that the beneficiaries of those programs are not adversely affected.

And this is the case with the most recent announcements by the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada.

With new national disability benefits coming into effect in July, the provincial government has introduced measures to ensure maximum effect and to make sure that people with disabilities are not negatively affected, if even inadvertently so.

This Melanie Minute explores the new announcements related to the ODSP, the Canada Disability Benefit, and the impacts on Canadians with disabilities. As Melanie explains, these are excellent first steps, and they exemplify the potential for working collaboratively and building better and more effective programs and services for people with disabilities.

A Melanie Minute is a special feature of Connect 4 Life: The Podcast, which we produce regularly – or, pretty much whenever Connect 4 Life’s CEO, Melanie Taddeo, has something meaningful to share with our listeners.

Similar to an audio blog, A Melanie Minute might actually be a minute in length, or it might be 8 or 10 minutes. Each segment focuses on a special message, an important issue of the day, or something Melanie feels is worth talking about and engaging listeners.

#melanieminute #melanietaddeo #disbilities #nonprofits #charity #fundraising #givingback #nonprofitorganization #socialgood #makeanimpact #socialimpact #notforprofit #makeadifference #causes #supportnonprofits #dogood #inclusion #disabilityawareness #accessibility #disabilityadvocate #disabilityrights #disabilityinclusion #careerdevelopment #skilldevelopmenttraining #connect4life #odsp #ontariogovernment #disabilityadvocacy #advocacy #disabilitybenefits #ontarioworks #governmentofcanada #governmentofontario

Season 2, Episode 17 - June 7 2025

A Melanie Minute: The King’s Speech from the Throne

On May 27, 2025, His Majesty, King Charles III, attended the Opening of the Parliament of Canada and delivered the Speech from the Throne to open the first session of the 45th Parliament and outline the government’s agenda.

The Speech from the Throne opens every new session of Parliament. The Speech introduces the government’s direction and goals, and it outlines how it will work to achieve them.

This is a very special Melanie Minute, one that features words spoken by King Charles III himself. This Melanie Minute also features Melanie Taddeo, CEO of Connect 4 Life, reflecting not only on the momentous occasion of the King’s visit to Canada, but on the some of the content in the Speech itself.

Or, rather, the absence of certain content.

In contrast to previous years, the Government of Canada’s governing agenda makes no explicit mention of disability or accessibility. In fact, the newly constituted national Cabinet features no person whose explicit responsibility it is to oversee the coordination of programs, policies and services as regards Canadians with disabilities.

What do you think? Visit www.connect4life.ca and drop us a line. Or respond in the comments for this episode.

A Melanie Minute is a special feature of Connect 4 Life: The Podcast, which we produce regularly – or, pretty much whenever Connect 4 Life’s founder and CEO, Melanie Taddeo, has something meaningful to share with our listeners.

Similar to an audio blog, A Melanie Minute might actually be a minute in length, or it might be 8 or 10 minutes. Each segment focuses on a special message, an important issue of the day, or something Melanie feels is worth talking about and engaging listeners.

#melanieminute #melanietaddeo #disbilities #nonprofits #charity #fundraising #givingback #nonprofitorganization #socialgood #makeanimpact #socialimpact #notforprofit #makeadifference #causes #supportnonprofits #dogood #inclusion #disabilityawareness #accessibility #disabilityadvocate #disabilityrights #disabilityinclusion #careerdevelopment #skilldevelopmenttraining #connect4life #kingcharlesIII #kingcharles #speechfromthethrone

Creating Opportunities and Making a Difference: Mark Brown

Season 2, Episode 16 - June 6, 2025

A young father, on a road trip with friends, was suddenly and violently thrust into a new world, all resulting from a car accident: the world of disability.

In this episode of Connect 4 Life: The Podcast, CEO Melanie Taddeo, from the national office in Mississauga, visits Mark Brown in Connect 4 Life’s Scarborough Office.

Mark shares with listeners how one single day changed his life irrevocably, how he spent half a year in rehab, and how he adapted to living life as a paraplegic. Most importantly, Mark points out that – with the right supports, and, in his experience, many of those supports came from Connect 4 Life – anyone with a disability can thrive and succeed.

Since his first experience as a student and a client, Mark Brown has gone on to serve Connect 4 Life in various capacities, including Board Member, Executive Director and Fundraising Chair.

Keep listening to enjoy what we think is among of our more compelling and inspiring episodes, one of the real-life stories of the people and the passion behind Connect 4 Life.

#disbilities #nonprofits #charity #fundraising #givingback #nonprofitorganization #socialgood #makeanimpact #socialimpact #notforprofit #makeadifference #causes #supportnonprofits #dogood #inclusion #disabilityawareness #accessibility #disabilityadvocate #disabilityrights #disabilityinclusion #careerdevelopment #skilldevelopmenttraining #anxiety #depression #connect4life