Send us a Text Message.Jerusha Mather is a Neuroscientist and disability advocate with cerebral palsy.In this episode we talk to Jerusha about her campaign to be the first disabled Australian Bachelorette, why the producers turned her down, as well as the work that she is doing with dating apps like Tinder to make them more safe and inclusive spaces for people with disability. We also discuss Jerusha's long-held dream to become a Doctor, and the barriers that she faces in that quest that have...

Send us a Text Message.Barbie has been a much beloved and popular doll since her creation, and has spawned many offshoots, including the current Barbie movie, which is hugely popular and making cinema history. But is Barbie good for us? Or are there mental health impacts to Barbie that we should think about?In this episode Colin and Kirsty discuss this very question. Kirsty explains why she does not let her kids play with Barbie, as well as the impact that unrealistic beauty standards have ha...

Send us a Text Message.In Part Two of our chat with Dawn Bayly, we talk education, homeschooling, and flexible learning. Dawn was a teacher for over 20 years, and is a Mum to seven children, including two children on the autism spectrum. In this episode Dawn talks us through why she pulled her children out of mainstream schooling after COVID lockdowns, and left her job as an employed teacher to homeschool her children. We also talk about when and how some of her children returned to...

Send us a Text Message.Meet Port Mac local Jasmine Ferguson (Jas), future ParaMatilda. When she was born, Doctors said that Jas would never walk or talk. Now she's training with the CommBank ParaMatildas, the national women's football team for athletes with cerebral palsy, acquired brain injury, or symptoms resulting from stroke. She's also a role model for girls in sport, people with disability, and indigenous athletes. In today's episode we talk about cerebral palsy, low vision, f...

Send us a Text Message.Imagine going through life not wanting children, and then ending up with seven? That's Dawn Bayly's story. As a result of her own challenging upbringing, Dawn did not want to have any children, or to even get married. Now she has been married for over 20 years, and has seven children through a mix of biology, kinship and fostering. Two of her children are neurodiverse, with autism spectrum disorder and ADHD. In this episode we talk what it takes to break a cyc...

Send us a Text Message.In the episode Kirsty would prefer you to skip (or only listen to the first 4 minutes!), hear about the pattern of media coverage for autism, and Kirsty's concerns about the future of supports for autistic Australians under the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). Tune in as Kirsty discusses why it's unhelpful for autism to be consistently linked to the apparent "unsustainability" of the NDIS, and whether the benefit of the NDIS actually outweighs the cost (spoi...

Send us a Text Message.In this episode we interview Bron Lowe, the force behind Ability Advocators. Get some raw insight into her back story, as we discuss the importance of names, sexism in the workplace, single parenting, and her unlikely love story. This is part one, of a two-part feature with Bron. Join us for part two as we discuss Bron's experience with toxic relationships, and the unexpected impact that this had on Bron's mental health. Read the transcript here:http...

Send us a Text Message.Join us for part two of our interview with Bron Lowe, as we talk toxic relationships, narcissistic abuse, and the toll this takes on mental health. Dr Ramani - leading expert on narcissistic abuse https://doctor-ramani.com/Taming Toxic People, by David Gillespie https://davidgillespie.org/portfolio/taming-toxic-people-2/Ability Advocators website https://www.advocators.com.auIf you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, abusive relationships, o...

Send us a Text Message.Get to know Kirsty and Colin, in this introductory episode of Enabled. Find out whether Colin is a fan of The Bachelor, the gelato controversy, and whether or not they should even be hosting this podcast. Listen in as Kirsty and Colin discuss the discomfort in the able-bodied community around disability - and why it's important to talk about it - and hear from surprise guest Dennis Owen (Mid North Coast Community College) about opportunities for Port Macquarie...