This conversation with Clare Li marks the final episode of Season 1. Hosts Amanda and Michelle reserved Clare's time for this season-ender so you, our listener, bask in her positivity and optimistic spirit … until you hear from us again!

Clare is the only non-dancing member of Luca Patuelli's (previous episode) crew. Clare has survived multiple health scares from a young age, from psoriatic arthritis as an 11-year-old to undergoing a double vasectomy and living with an autoimmune disease as an adult. 

"As a kid I felt I was constantly trying to keep up with everybody else," recounts Clare in this episode. Then, Clare turned to writing … and it changed everything. 

By enrolling into workshops and surrounding herself with supportive writers, Clare felt empowered as she navigated one health challenge after another. 

In this interview, she talks about how her cancer diagnosis brought her from behind the scenes, right to the front. Even her Instagram feed started to tell a different, bolder story. 

If there's one thing this chat will inspire you to do, it is to take action. To say "yes" more often. To not give in to "what ifs" and "maybe later", and to follow your heart and your passions when you're in the pink of health—or not!

If you haven't already, tell your family and friends about Disability With Possibility. And to learn about a movement led by people with disabilities, visit: https://www.disabilitywithoutpoverty.ca/.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we have Luca Patuelli - a Canadian breakdancer who goes by the stage name 'Bboy Lazylegz'. He's also the Vice Chair of Disability Without Poverty.

Luca was born with Arthrogryposis, a condition that limits the use of joints and growth of muscles in his legs and causes stiffness in his shoulders. 

At the age of 15, prevented from skating on his knees after an alignment surgery, Luca took to breakdancing and started using his crutches as part of his dance movements. Soon, Luca became popular, viral—in fact— in a time before YouTube and social media. 

He exemplifies 'Possibility' through and through. Today, Luca is a father, motivational speaker, a breakdance judge for both able-bodied and disabled dance contestants, and a touring artist having performed in 41 countries till date. 

Luca's personal stories and infectious positivity will inspire you to overcome odds, and find a passion or activity that will distract you from your self-doubts and insecurities.

Watch a TEDx talk by Luca titled 'No Excuses, No Limits'. And to learn about a movement led by people with disabilities, visit: https://www.disabilitywithoutpoverty.ca/.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosts Michelle and Amanda sit-down with the multimedia artist and photographer Marie LeBlanc for a conversation filled with stories of adventure, activism and action.

Marie lives with Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS) and Lyme disease. Her MCS renders her sensitive to a host of exposure risks: from cleaning products and perfumes to electrical devices, and the most crippling - mold.

Today, her disability has forced her to live a nomadic life in a camper van to prevent the risk of exposure to chemicals found in conventional housing.  

Despite the disability, Marie's story—explored by Michelle and Amanda in this episode—is truly an inspiration. She is extremely resourceful around her constraints, has the uncanny ability to connect and collaborate with people and groups to raise awareness about MCS, create art and fearlessly venture into the unknown. 

A true testament to her creativity is her photography exhibition: Overdressed. In this exhibit, Marie shows how doing the most ordinary tasks as a person with disability can feel overburdening and fatiguing. 

Join this conversation to learn more about Marie's life and her work in raising awareness on MCS and advocating for people with disabilities to get more access to nature and the outdoors. 

And to learn about a movement led by people with disabilities, visit: https://www.disabilitywithoutpoverty.ca/. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosts Amanda and Michelle follow the journey of Sandra Pronteau, an inspiring and resilient Indigenous woman from the Cree-Metis community. Sandra lives in Vancouver with a congenital birth defect that's rendered her with disabilities, that include weak hearing. 

But perhaps the challenge that's most defined her life, and her inspiring story, is that she's a survivor of the Sixties Scoop. This refers to the racist policy enacted by Canada's colonial machinery that removed, or “scooped,” Indigenous children out of their homes, communities and families of birth through the 1960s. They were then forced into predominantly non-Indigenous families across the United States and Canada—leading to trauma, as well as loss of language and culture caused by the rupture from their Indigenous families and communities at an early age. "Indigenous children were seen as commodity and government property," says Sandra. 

In this episode, Sandra offers a glimpse of her journey toward resilience. She talks about reuniting with her mum as a teenager, and how understanding her family tree, her roots and culture as well as 'beading' forged a path towards healing. 

"Every bead I put on is like a prayer for that child," describes Sandra, referring to the children of the Sixties Scoop, many of whom have been missing, or found to be deceased. 

Click the play button to learn about Sandra's story, and how she's empowering the next generation of Indigenous children to stand up for themselves. And to learn about a movement led by people with disabilities, visit: https://www.disabilitywithoutpoverty.ca/. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today's guest is Amy Amantea, a writer, comedian, radio playwright, a advocate and much more. Put simply, she's a powerhouse that embodies 'Disability With Possibility.'

Type-1 diabetes pushed Amy into a comma. And after she emerged from it, she was diagnosed with diabetic retinopathy that rendered her legally blind. And that wasn't the only disability she had to navigate. Amy also lives with Gastroparesis—nerve damage in the stomach—and a host of other disabilities that gives her a unique vantage point in advocating for the disabled community and their rights in society. 

In this episode, Amy takes the host Amanda on her journey with theater, writing and acting. She talks about her role as a founding board member and Associate Director of Vocal Eye, a not-for-profit that does live audio description for blind and partially-blind audiences at live cultural events and theater productions. She also talks about her solo show: Through My Lens, an incredibly creative project comprising photographs that Amy has clicked—without actually seeing the subject of the photos. 

Amy and Amanda also discuss the all important Canada Disability Benefit—what's worth celebrating, what's not, and how impending elections next year could derail some of the work. But overall - this is a conversation infused with love, inspiration and hope. 

To learn about a movement led by people with disabilities, visit: https://www.disabilitywithoutpoverty.ca/. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"The journey isn't about what you leave behind, but what you're willing to walk through to get to the other side." These are the words that this episode's guest lives by. And today we hope you, the listener, feels empowered to do the same.

Sheldon Crocker is a Newfoundlander, motivational speaker and author of the book "Road to Resilience," in which he talks about his journey with Arthrogryposis. 

Arthrogryposis is a condition in which a person has multiple joint contractures (in other words: stiffness), and where the range of motion of a joint is limited. But as Sheldon describes in this episode, he did not allow the disability to limit his own potential. As a child, Sheldon was told he would be unable to walk. Today, he's a finisher at a 10-mile race in Newfoundland. 

In this conversation with Michelle and Amanda, he imparts valuable knowledge on how to build mental fortitude to overcome stigmas associated with disability. Sheldon also talks about adversity from his life — childhood abuse, addiction and disability — and how he used setbacks as a fuel to propel forward. 

The episode is akin to a motivational pep talk to take on whatever life throws at you, and to use the same hurdles to become the best version of yourself. 

To learn about like-minded people championing the cause of people with disabilities, visit https://www.disabilitywithoutpoverty.ca/.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, hosts Amanda and Michelle interview filmmaker Andy Fiore. Based in Vancouver, Andy uses the power of his art and advocacy to amplify the voices of the disabled community. 

For the Disability With Possibility, Andy swaps out the camera lens for a microphone to tell deeply personal and emotional stories that lie at the intersection of disability and substance use. 

Andy also talks about his letter exchanges with inmates, and his most famous documentary project—Invisible No More—where he explores the link between brain injuries and the criminal justice system. 

To learn about a movement led by people with disabilities, visit: https://www.disabilitywithoutpoverty.ca/.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosts Amanda and Michelle sit down with Quebec-based Elizabeth Lowe. Liz is a writer, a poet, a lover of languages and a board member of Disability Without Poverty, the creators of this podcast. 

Liz lives with cerebral palsy, a condition that resulted from her premature birth. However, in this episode, Liz spotlights the challenges of living with another, 'hidden' disability: dyspraxia. It's a condition that leads to a dramatic deficiency in energy and makes simple tasks time-consuming and fatiguing.

This episode is an honest look at the struggles of some disabled folks whose disability cannot be detected at the outset, maybe because they don't use a wheelchair all the time or because they don't fall under ill-informed stereotypes or categories. 

They also discuss Quebec's basic income program for people with disabilities, and how it ushers in more complications rather than a helping hand. But for all the difficult topics that the hosts and the guest cover, this conversation is far from gloomy. You can learn about Elizabeth's favourite ice cream, the languages she wants to learn and her upcoming trip to Vancouver to spend time with the Disability without Poverty team.

To learn about a movement led by people with disabilities, visit: https://www.disabilitywithoutpoverty.ca/. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, hosts Amanda Lockitch and Michelle Hewitt speak with Shelley Petit, Chair of the New Brunswick Coalition of Persons With Disabilities (NBCPD). Shelley lives with Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS), a condition in which any exposure to chemicals results in a negative reaction on her body. It's a disability that can be so debilitating, that some have opted for medical assistance in dying (MAID)

As host Michelle says, "We live in a world where people don't understand disability … and MCS is the least understood." But this episode with Shelly aims to change that — and do much more. 

Shelly provides a raw, honest look at a slate of topics: inaccessible building codes and New Brunswick's lagging social assistance, to working with special needs kids and sounding the alarm on chemical use to protect our figure generations. 

In spite of living with a disability that confines her indoors, there are moments when Shelley leaves the safety of her home and risks her life to advocate for change on behalf of the disabled community. This episode will leave you inspired to tread her path and inspire change for your own local community—wherever you are. 

To learn about a movement led by people with disabilities, visit: https://www.disabilitywithoutpoverty.ca/.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the debut episode of Disability with Possibility, hosts Amanda Lockitch and Michelle Hewitt talk to two men—and friends—who transcended their disabilities through sports and athletic excellence. Rick Hansen is fondly remembered for his Man In Motion Tour, where for two months in 1987, he and his team travelled through 40,000 km and 43 countries ... on a wheelchair. Paul Clark, on the other hand, is Canada's first wheelchair-using optometrist who was one of Canada's fastest wheelchair racers. Rick and Paul talk about how they turned doubts, hurdles and challenges into a resolve to becoming decorated Paralympians for Canada. This is a chat filled with inspiration and information with a healthy sprinkle of fun and laughter.

To read the transcript of this episode in English, click here. To learn about a movement led by people with disabilities, visit: https://www.disabilitywithoutpoverty.ca/.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.