Labelling The Disabling

By Edward Birt

Labelling the Disabling is a podcast hosted by Edward Birt, Chief Operating Officer from The Disability Trust and sociologist and comedian Carol Heijo.

Join Ed and Carol as they meet super interesti... more

· Society & Culture

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FAQs about Labelling The Disabling:

How many episodes does Labelling The Disabling have?

The podcast currently has 27 episodes available.

Labelling The Disabling episodes:

November 03, 2023 Episode 27 – Jerome Etteridge – Mr E – becoming the “face of autism” in Australia!
On this episode Carol and Ed meet the incredible Jerome Etteridge. Jerome is a vibrant young man on a mission to succeed at whatever he turns his mind to. At a young age he already has an impressive resume in education, sports, work and entrepreneurial pursuits. Jerome has a goal to become the “face of autism” in Australia by normalising autism and the experience of being on the spectrum. Through lots of deeply personal anecdotes we hear how Jerome uses an open approach and sense of humour to break down the barriers to inclusion. Jerome now works in the school system supporting students with autism.
Jerome welcomes interactions and conversation about disability and uses his lived experience to support others with and without disability to develop and evolve their understanding of the benefits of diversity and inclusion.
Check out Jerome’s website: Motivational Talk - JeromeEtteridge
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34min
June 08, 2023Nick Taylor – Never make assumptions about people with disability!
In this episode Carol and Ed talk with the talented and accomplished Nick Taylor. Nick is an athlete (in basketball and golf), Executive at the Yajillara Trust, Chair of Wheelchair Sports NSW & ACT and now Director at The Disability Trust. Nick represented South Africa and Australia at the Paralympics and World Championships in basketball.
A serious car accident at the age of 18 resulted in spinal injury and paraplegia and lead Nick to re-evaluate his life and career trajectories. Nick takes us through the experience of adapting to his life post injury and his move to Australia from South Africa. Nick talks to us about his views across a range of life areas (including an interesting assessment of how the handicap scoring system in golf lends itself to inclusion through leveling the playing
field in that game).
Nick talks about the need for continued innovations in housing for people with disability and an evolution in models of support to improve outcomes for people with disability and society. Nick talks about the strengths of the NDIS as well as how it needs to continue to improve with his hopes for the outcomes of the NDIS Review to bring us to a self-directed funding model that encourages, supports and incentivises people to use their funding to achieve outcomes.
Nick on Wikipedia: Nick Taylor (basketball) - Wikipedia

NDIS Review Website: Working together to deliver the NDIS | NDIS Review
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52min
December 14, 2022 Dr Ben Gauntlett: Shaping the disability landscape
In this episode Carol and Ed meet with the Australian Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Dr Ben Gauntlett. Ben talks about his life journey having experienced a spinal cord injury as a teenager and how that shaped who he is and informed his life choices and decisions (including his decision to swim 22km from Perth to Rottnest Island!). Ben has had a huge impact on human rights for people with disability in Australia and in his current role has a strong focus on housing and employment. Ben stresses the importance of a culture that supports an appetite for inclusion and articulates the benefit of good inclusive employment practices creating workplaces are dynamic where employees thrive and do their best work. Ben explains how “Employment [for people with disability] is the by-product of a disability policy system that works well” and as a result needs to be a strong focus for any successful disability policy. The benefits of policy settings such as a mandated accessibility requirement for the national construction code in Australia are discussed combined with the need for a more sophisticated approach to measuring the benefits of investing in good disability policy.
· Link to the AHRC IncludeAbility website: https://includeability.gov.au/
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35min
June 02, 2022 Matt McMaugh - "Wherever I like, I go!" (life is like riding a bicycle)
In this episode we meet Wollongong resident and avid cyclist Matt McMaugh. We speak to Matt and his mother and father, Tessa and Ian, and hear about how cycling has literally opened a world of opportunity to Matt. As his father Ian says:
"Learning to ride a bike is the single most important thing for Matty's independence and since he's been able to ride independently the whole world has opened up to him."
Matt explains that he can go wherever he wants, whenever he wants with his bicycle connecting him with work, friends, family and the community and realizing great health and well-being benefits. Matt and his parents share the wonderful story of learning to ride at the age of 14 and the way his family supported him is full of useful tips and techniques for anyone who is wanting to take on the challenge to learn to ride and some of the important safety and risk management techniques Matt has employed in his life on the bike. Matt's passion for riding has also opened up all sorts of travel opportunities riding rail trails and scenic locations in Australia and New Zealand allowing him to have a fantastic quality of life. Matt now also generously volunteers his time every month to support other people who want to learn to ride at The Disability Trust's CycleAbility program.
Matt is living proof of the Albert Einstein saying "Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving."
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32min
February 08, 2022 Dr Siobhan O'Sullivan - on the disabling nature of bureaucracy
In this episode Siobhan tells us her story of acquiring disability - vision loss and mobility impairment - as a result of having ovarian cancer. She explains the impact of navigating the changes that came about because of her disability and complex health challenges and how these were amplified by the added challenges of ascertaining who may be able to help her with her new support needs. The often confusing bureaucracy of the NDIS and uncertainty about who will pay for disability or health related supports is vividly brought into focus as Siobhan tells her story. Siobhan's experience articulates how bureaucratic systems can be inaccessible and obstructive to people getting their needs met in the simplest way possible resulting in greater costs in administration and gate keeping. Siobhan's concern about people missing out on the supports they need lead her to write an opinion piece that was recently published by the ABC - link below.
Siobhan's article - social benefit of NDIS being undermined by bureaucratic hair splitting
Guide Dogs Australia - link
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36min
October 15, 2021 Dr Max Bergmann - camel farmer, athlete, researcher, entrepreneur!
In this episode Carol and Ed meet with the amazingly interesting and entrepreneurial Max Bergmann. Max, a former Paralympic athlete, is a German Australian who is now living outside of Perth and founding operator of an ethical camel dairy farm, the DromeDairy, producing skin care products and taking care of hundreds of camels!
Max tells us about his fascinating life as a Paralympic athlete, becoming a doctor of Agricultural Science and how he got started on his surprising career as a camel farmer.
Max has a vision impairment and is legally blind and this has meant he has had to adapt his camel dairy with fascinating innovations that enable him to manage his farm and will have flow on benefits for other businesses around the country. For example he has come up with the world's first decentralized mobile camel dairy farm where he takes the dairy to the camels to milk them!
Max has great advice for people about how they should not deny their disability nor do they need to be defined by it either and how by letting your passions and interests guide you in life we can find fulfillment and success.
You can read about Max's "DromeDairy" here: Our Story - DromeDairy Body + Skin (thedromedairy.com)
ABC Article about Max: Technology, Lego, and innovation guide legally blind camel farmer - ABC News
Farm adaptations article link from Job Access: Max Bergmann | Job Access
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49min
June 03, 2021 Mark Collett and Amy Johnson - achieving employment goals
Founding employees at The Plant Room Café in Wollongong, Mark and Amy join Carol and Ed in this conversation to talk about the huge benefits of workplace inclusion, the development of job skills and being gainfully employed.
As well as great food and coffee The Plant Room Café provides jobs and support to people with disability to work and gain the skills they need to succeed and lead a career in hospitality. Mark and Amy talk us through their employment goals, the skills they have developed and the great ideas they have for the future and tell us how their success in this important area of life has increased their confidence, their independence and allowed them to really enjoy the other things they love in life including holidays, hot rods and jewellery.
•Find out more about the Plant Room Cafe here (and how they are getting on with their barista course): The Plant Room Cafe << The Disability Trust
•Check out Mark's Hot Rods Facebook page here: (5) Odd Rods Street Rod Club Illawarra | Facebook
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34min
May 11, 2021 Ken Wynn - a passion for life!
In this episode we meet Ken Wynn who shares his life story with us. It's a story of perseverance and passion that illustrates some of the many changes that Australia has gone through in relation to the understanding, experience and expectations of disability.
Following a workplace accident as a 15 year old Ken became a quadriplegic and we hear how he adapted to his injury and has lead a full and interesting life. From studying and working as a draughtsman, adapting vehicles and houses to be accessible and functional for his use, travelling and winning medals in Japan as an athlete, getting married and raising a family Ken has packed a lot of life in and has much he still wants to do.
Carol and Ed talk to Ken about his views on a range of topics and this conversation shows his adaptability, creativity, tenacity, resilience and passion for life.
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46min
December 23, 2020 Moana and Vinny Hope: Powerful Sisters
In this episode we meet with the high achieving sisters Moana and Lavinia Hope. Mo and Vinny grew up as part of a big family of 14 kids and Mo quit school in the early stages of High School to take care of her sick father. At 26, Moana became the carer for her sister Vinny who lives with Moebius Syndrome a rare neurological condition affecting facial muscle and eye movement.
Moana is well known for her outstanding AFLW career including a 100 goal season at the St Kilda Sharks and for her appearances on Survivor All Stars. We talk with the sisters about their lives in Melbourne's COVID lockdown, how they support one another, setting goals and staying motivated, running a business, their growing family, the importance of inclusion and Mo's great new autobiography "My Way"
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29min
September 09, 2020 Andrew and Lud Kerec: Inclusion starts at home
Ed and Carol meet with Andrew and Lud Kerec. Andrew and Lud are the father and son owners of Renaissance Homes, winners of the ACT Chief Ministers Award for Access and Inclusion for their work on designing and building accessible homes.
Following a cycling accident in 2010 Lud became a quadriplegic which lead to the need to adapt Andrew's family home to accommodate Lud starting Renaissance Homes on their journey to becoming a leading provider of accessible housing designs. They give a fascinating insight into the fact that when we experience disability the most disabling thing is often the very houses in which we live; post injury Lud found he was "living in a country where he can't get into 99% of the homes" including those of his own family and friends, decreasing his social networks at a time when he needed them most.
Andrew and Lud talk of the great benefits to absolutely everyone of accessible housing design, the affordability of designing homes that are both beautiful and accessible and the need for urgent policy change to support greater accessibility of design as a standard across the building industry.
We also hear about Lud and Andrew's incredible adventures and travels across Australia following his injury showing how, with a focus on goals a little ingenuity and imagining what might be possible, there continues to be amazing quality of life possible after injury.
Renaissance Homes website: http://www.renhomes.net.au/
Andrew Builds a Future for his Dad (City News article): https://citynews.com.au/2017/andrew-builds-future-dad/
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38min

FAQs about Labelling The Disabling:

How many episodes does Labelling The Disabling have?

The podcast currently has 27 episodes available.