Connecting Disability

Water scares many people. Our guest, Mike Shoreman, has conquered this fear.

Many people know him as the Unbalanced Paddleboarder. In August, Mike became the first person with disabilities to paddle board across all of the Great Lakes. In this conversation, he talks about why he decided to do this, how crossing the Great Lakes resembles a mental health journey and the pros and cons of being called “inspirational.” He also tries to counsel Meagan through aquatic anxiety.

Follow Mike on Twitter @MikeShoreman

Follow Mike on Instagram @mike_shoreman

Learn about his book here: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/55240816-diaries-of-the-unbalanced-paddleboarder

Read the CBC article Meagan mentioned: https://www.cbc.ca/2017/what-moving-to-whitehorse-and-back-taught-me-about-my-disability-and-canada-1.4149676 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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On this first episode of Season 2, I am thrilled to introduce you to Heather Graham. After Heather was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at age 46, she lost much of her mobility and active lifestyle. A few years ago, she decided to gain it back. Heather joins me from her residence in Calgary to talk about her journey with MS, what living in long-term care looks like before and during a pandemic, and what it means to control your disability.

Some resources Heather mentioned in this episode:

Direct MS: www.direct-ms.org

Wahls Diet: https://terrywahls.com/

Overcoming MS: https://overcomingms.org

These links are provided for your personal research. They do not constitute endorsements or medical advice.

Meagan’s previous reporting on younger adults living in long-term care: https://broadview.org/young-people-with-disabilities-long-term-care/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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We’re ending our FIRST YEAR of podcasting on a musical note!

W. Ian Walker has spent his life in music, whether by singing with various musical groups, working in arts administration, or now as a playwright. Ian joins Meagan to talk about turning his memoir, Stirring My Soul to Sing, into a play, how music has influenced his journey with ADHD, his experiences in the church, and the value of mentorship. Meagan reveals her answers to the questions, “Where is it hard for you to connect with your disability?” and, “What has good connection looked like for you?” We also hear about what happens when boy band fans enter middle age.

Learn more about Ian’s book Stirring My Soul to Sing: https://www.amazon.ca/Stirring-My-Soul-Sing-Overcoming-ebook/dp/B07H4WYH4X

Attention Deficit Disorder Association – http://add.org

Thank you to everyone who has listened and given feedback. You are very appreciated. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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It’s hard to believe, but summer vacation is nearly half over. So, today we’re talking about the importance of getting outside.

Leona Mattice is an avid birder from Elliot Lake, Ont., who has spent years encouraging those with disabilities to explore the natural world around them. She joins us today to talk about how birding helped her through grief, brought her love and what birds can teach us about life with a disability. We also test her knowledge of bird calls. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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It’s graduation season, so we turn our focus to employment and job searching. Our guest is Jack McCormick, human resources manager at Microsoft. Jack chats about how his partial sight has impacted his job search and career, and why volunteering is so important.

And – congrats to the Class of 2022!

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People with disabilities often use the medical system, but what happens when they want to become doctors? On this episode, Quinten Clarke gives us some insight into what the medical profession looks like as a medical resident who has a disability. Quinten is the vice-president and Trainee Group Lead for the Canadian Association of Physicians with Disabilities. Through this work, he advocates for medical learners with disabilities. He’s currently a resident physician at the University of British Columbia. He talked about how he thinks the medical system views disability, and how this can be changed.  

 

You can learn more about the Canadian Association of Physicians with Disabilities here

Check out the Ostomy Canada Society here

Quinten mentions a February 2021 article by Dr. Lisa I. Iezzoni. Read more about that article here: 

The full article can be accessed here: 

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It’s been nearly two months since Russia invaded Ukraine. The ongoing war has had devastating impacts on the approximately 2.7 million Ukrainians who have disabilities. Tanya Herasymova knows this well. She’s the project manager of Fight for Right, an organization that advocates for human rights for Ukrainians with disabilities. Tanya joins us to talk about how the war has impacted her life, what it’s like being a refugee with a disability and what her biggest hopes are.

This is a very raw and honest conversation, and I’m so grateful that Tanya took the time to join us.

You can learn more about Fight for Right’s work here: https://ffr.org.ua/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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The Beijing Paralympics and Olympics have just wrapped up, and we’re taking this opportunity to reflect on disability and sport.

In this case, though, we’re looking at how disability connects with professional, able-bodied sports. Chanel Keenan is the intersectionality consultant for the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, which means she’s responsible for making sure the NHL’s newest team considers the needs of fans who are disabled.

Chanel and Meagan talk about how Chanel got her start in hockey, why professional sports organizations need to consider disability, and why Chanel thinks her disability would make her a good TV detective. This is a really fun conversation, and we hope it gives you the opportunity to think, laugh and enjoy being a fan.

You can find all the ways to connect with Chanel here: https://linktr.ee/CMoreThanSports

Learn more about one of Chanel’s hockey heroes, the late Joey Moss, here: https://www.joeymossmemorialfund.ca/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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This conversation is a vivid example of all the ways disability can bring unexpected opportunities and experiences to our lives. David Achuroa, who is from northern Ghana, contracted polio when he was two. That eventually led him to a rehabilitation centre, which then led to him beginning school. David earned a science degree in community nutrition before moving to Canada to study anthropology at the University of Calgary. He currently lives in Edmonton.

In this conversation, we talk about different cultural understandings of disability, and how being asked, “What happened to you?” can be a good thing. And, as we approach two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, we reflect on disability accessibility and handwashing. David really challenged the way I think about interactions with strangers, and I hope you learn something form this conversation, too.

David Akanpentiba Achuroa, a disability advocate, nutritionist, social anthropologist, and policy analyst, undertakes research that increases our knowledge in social and cultural issues that impact the lives and well-being of people with disabilities. Projects he currently works on empowers people with disabilities in Africa, the UK and Canada. He sits on the management committee of Disability in Wales and Africa in the UK and volunteers with Alberta Disability Pride Foundation and Edmonton Region Immigrant Employment Council. His graduate thesis explored the web of cultural practices and systems that influence parental understanding and caring of children with disabilities among the Bulsa in Northern Ghana. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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Welcome to 2022! We’re starting this year with a story of living with hope and resilience in the face of ongoing health challenges.

Clare Li has lived with various autoimmune diseases for most of her life. But it wasn’t until the Vancouver native moved to Montreal that she intently started studying her disabilities – and shortly after she made some hard decisions to increase her independence, she was diagnosed with breast cancer.

In this conversation, Clare talks about her journey of accepting what happens when an invisible disability becomes visible, and what her cancer diagnosis hasn’t changed. I hope this episode encourages you, whether you’re living with a long-term illness, or know someone who is.

Resources Clare finds helpful:

Wildfire Breast Cancer Magazine – for women “too young” for breast cancer: www.wildfirecommunity.org

Rethink Breast Cancer: https://rethinkbreastcancer.com

Personalink – helping connect breast cancer survivors who’ve had mastectomies with tattoo artists:

https://www.instagram.com/personal.ink/?utm_medium=copy_link

Clare would like to thank UNI Training Montreal for their help and support:

https://unitraining.ca/

For various reasons, Meagan often looks for good writing about living with cancer. She is especially grateful for Kate Bowler's work on this topic. You can check out Kate's work at: https://katebowler.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com

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