Spencer West returns to ListenABLE for an honest and powerful conversation about disability, accessibility and what it really means to be seen.Four years after his first appearance on the podcast, Spencer joins Angus O’Loughlin in person to talk about Melbourne’s accessibility, able-bodied assumptions, language around disability, social media advocacy and the moments from his life that people often romanticise from the outside.Spencer opens up about growing up without legs, rejecting prosthetics, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, feeling excluded from inaccessible queer spaces and learning that he does not always have to share his story just because someone asks.Guest Links: Spencer Westhttps://linktr.ee/spencer2thewesthttps://www.spencer2thewest.com/https://www.instagram.com/spencer2thewest/https://www.tiktok.com/@spencer2thewesthttps://www.youtube.com/user/Spencer2TheWest00:00 Spencer West returns to ListenABLE02:04 Melbourne accessibility and public transport03:28 When accessibility is gatekept04:42 Should people get praise for accessible spaces?05:52 Spencer explains his disability07:43 The assumption about disability people need to drop09:04 Disability language and using the word disabled11:32 Learning to advocate for his own body13:49 The truth about climbing Kilimanjaro16:21 Social media, responsibility and disability advocacy17:17 Feeling more visible than misunderstood17:47 Using humour to educate

Australia’s winter Paralympic star Ben Tudhope joins ListenABLE for one of the most honest and emotionally grounded conversations of the series.

From becoming Australia’s youngest ever Winter Paralympian at just 14 years old, to returning home from the 2026 Winter Paralympics with two medals, Ben opens up about pressure, identity, confidence, loneliness, disability, and the mindset that helped him compete on the world stage.

In this episode, Ben shares what it actually feels like to perform under Paralympic expectation, why he refuses to let medals define him, and how growing up with cerebral palsy shaped his resilience, humour, and outlook on life.

He also speaks candidly about loneliness as an elite athlete, travelling the world away from family, learning to enjoy his own company, and why being “inspiring” is often misunderstood when it comes to disability and Paralymic sport.

Whether you love elite sport, mindset conversations, disability advocacy, or simply hearing incredible human stories, this episode is packed with perspective, vulnerability and moments that will stay with you long after listening.

Follow Ben: https://www.instagram.com/bentudhope/

Follow Us: https://www.instagram.com/listenable_podcast/

In This Episode

- Ben Tudhope’s journey to becoming a Paralympic snowboard medalist

- Competing at four Winter Paralympic Games

- The pressure of backing up success after Beijing

- Why Ben doesn’t define himself by medals

- Growing up with cerebral palsy

- The role Ben’s parents played in his confidence

- Snowboarding, identity and elite athlete mindset

- Loneliness and sacrifice in elite sport

- The overuse of the word “inspirational”

- What people misunderstand about Paralympians

- Learning to control the controllables

- Confidence, humour and living with disability

- Ben’s reflections on success, pressure and happiness

About ListenABLE

ListenABLE is hosted by Dylan Alcott and Angus O’Loughlin, sharing raw, funny, vulnerable and powerful conversations with people living with disability and the people reshaping how Australia thinks about disability, identity and inclusion.

Follow & SubscribeFollow ListenABLE on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and YouTube for new episodes every week.

#Paralympics #BenTudhope #ListenABLE #Disability #CerebralPalsy #Snowboarding #WinterParalympics #Mindset #MentalHealth #AustralianPodcast #AdaptiveSport #DisabilityAdvocacy #DylanAlcott

What happens when two best mates decide not to let disability stop them from seeing the world?

In this episode of ListenABLE, Dylan Alcott and Angus O’Loughlin sit down with Fletcher and Lachie, the duo behind the viral social account “Two Mates One Chair”.

After a mountain biking accident left Fletch paraplegic, the pair turned friendship, humour and pure determination into a global adventure that’s inspiring millions online.

From piggybacking up 270 slippery stairs in Hong Kong, to navigating inaccessible train stations in Europe, ATV mishaps in Brazil, and discovering the kindness of strangers around the world, this conversation is equal parts hilarious, emotional and eye-opening.

The boys open up about:

• The reality of travelling the world in a wheelchair
• Going viral online while backpacking internationally
• Accessibility challenges across Europe, Asia and South America
• Fletcher’s life-changing mountain biking accident
• Friendship, disability and learning to ask for help
• Why people with disability still deserve adventure
• The countries that surprised them most with accessibility
• How social media has changed perceptions around disability
• The messages from followers that changed everything
• Why saying “yes” has completely transformed their lives

This is one of the funniest and most uplifting ListenABLE episodes yet, while also delivering an important conversation around accessibility, inclusion and the power of friendship.

Follow Two Mates One Chair

https://www.instagram.com/twomates1chair/

Follow us:

https://www.instagram.com/listenable_podcast/

00:00 Ability Fest & Dylan Alcott Foundation
02:40 Meet “Two Mates One Chair”
05:50 The first viral video
07:14 Accessibility around the world
16:14 Fletcher’s mountain bike accident
20:40 Learning the art of the piggyback
27:00 What happens after the trip ends?
29:00 Advice for young people with disability
32:00 “My life is 10 times better now”
35:50 How people treat disability overseas
38:00 Dating, nightlife & travelling together
39:40 What’s next for the boys?

disability travel stories ,paraplegic travel, wheelchair backpacking ,accessible tourism, spinal cord injury recovery, wheelchair travel vlog, disability awareness podcast, ListenABLE podcast, inclusive travel, viral travel story, Australian travel creators, adaptive lifestyle

What happens when someone refuses to accept the limits placed on them?

This week on ListenABLE, Angus O’Loughlin and Dylan Alcott sit down with Brodie Taylor, the first person in Australia to become a qualified wheelchair netball umpire.

Diagnosed with transverse myelitis at just seven months old, Brodie has spent his life navigating disability, accessibility and assumptions. But instead of accepting barriers, he found a way to create history in Australian sport.

Brodie shares how netball unexpectedly found him, how officiating gave him a new purpose, and why confidence is often the biggest difference-maker for people with disability.He also opens up on wanting a future career in politics, where he hopes to help drive accessibility and meaningful change across Australia.

Topics Covered

- Becoming Australia’s first wheelchair netball umpire

- Living with transverse myelitis

- Disability and sport misconceptions

- Confidence and self-belief

- Why representation matters

- Netball strategy and officiating

- Accessibility in Australia

- Future ambitions in politics

Best Quotes

“Disability doesn’t mean inability.”

“It’s you against the world. If you want it, go get it.”

“Once you have confidence in yourself, no one can stop you.”

“We can’t change everything overnight, but we can start.”

Chapters

00:00 Meet Brodie Taylor

02:01 Making Australian netball history

03:23 Diagnosed at seven months old

06:58 Finding netball and purpose

10:16 Becoming an umpire

13:21 Breaking bias in sport

18:10 Why politics is next

21:43 Confidence and disability

24:49 Advice for the next generation

27:14 Bowl of Uncomfortable

Brodie Taylor, wheelchair netball umpire, ListenABLE podcast, Dylan Alcott podcast, disability sport Australia, accessible sport, netball Australia, transverse myelitis, disability advocate Australia

What happens when a single moment changes your life forever?

In this powerful episode of ListenABLE, Larissa Camp shares the harrowing story of surviving a domestic violence attack that left her with a partial hand amputation and a completely different path in life.

At just 23 years old, Larissa’s relationship turned violent when her partner pulled a shotgun on her during an argument. What followed was a life-threatening fight for survival that changed everything.

But this episode is not just about trauma. It’s about identity, healing, motherhood, disability, and discovering purpose after unimaginable adversity.

Larissa joins Dylan Alcott and Angus O’Loughlin to speak openly about what it’s like to rebuild a life after violence, how disability reshaped her self-worth, and how she eventually found confidence, independence and a career she never expected.

This conversation is raw, honest, and deeply moving.

• Larissa Camp’s incredible survival story after a domestic violence shooting

• What it’s like waking up to discover a life-changing amputation

• The emotional reality of navigating identity after acquiring a disability

• Why people with disabilities are more vulnerable to domestic violence

• How motherhood helped Larissa rediscover purpose and strength

• The journey from trauma to becoming a successful hairstylisT

• How forgiveness and resilience can coexist after extreme trauma

• What to do if you suspect someone you know is experiencing domestic violence

After surviving the shooting, Larissa spent weeks in hospital recovering from severe injuries, including a partial hand amputation she didn’t even realise had happened until days after surgery.

The emotional recovery was even harder.

She struggled with depression, identity loss, and uncertainty about whether she would ever work again.

But years later, a simple moment changed everything.

While caring for her young son, Larissa realised she could still braid hair. That small discovery became the foundation for a new career as a hairstylist and helped her rebuild her confidence.

Today, Larissa shares her story to help others recognise the warning signs of domestic violence and to remind people living with disability that they still have purpose.

Follow Larissa: https://www.instagram.com/ann_ri3/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/larissacamp/

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, support services are available.

In Australia:1800RESPECT – National Domestic Violence Support Line

International listeners can search for local domestic violence hotlines or crisis support services in their country.

Listenable is a podcast about normalising disability through honest conversations and lived experiences.

Hosted by Dylan Alcott and Angus O’Loughlin, the show explores disability, identity, relationships, and the everyday moments that shape how we understand the world.

domestic violence survivor story, disability podcast. acquired disability, amputation survivor, domestic violence awareness, disability identity ,trauma recovery stories, Larissa Camp story, Dylan Alcott podcast, Listenable podcast

Filipino-Australian singer-songwriter daine joins Dylan Alcott and Angus O'Loughlin for a conversation that is equal parts funny, raw, and genuinely important. daine lives with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), POTS, and autism and did not know she was disabled until she was 18. By that point she had already been dismissed by multiple neurologists and cardiologists who told her the chronic pain stopping her from climbing the stairs at school was "just anxiety."

She is now preparing to drop her debut album and performing at Ability Fest for the second time. This episode covers late diagnosis, medical gaslighting, spoon theory, invisible illness, the suicide statistics for autistic women that daine thinks about every day, and why she believes being deeply, intensely autistic makes her a better songwriter.

If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please reach out to Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

Ability Fest and what it actually means to be inclusivedaine has attended and performed at Ability Fest before and is back on the lineup for 2026. Dylan explains what the festival really is: not a festival for disabled people, but a fully accessible event where everyone can party together. Platforms, pathways, Auslan interpreters, sensory rooms, live captioning, and 100% of proceeds going to the Dylan Alcott Foundation. As Angus puts it, the real point is giving six able-bodied friends the chance to finally share a night out with the one person who could never get through the door before.

Get your tickets here: https://megatix.com.au/events/ability-fest-2026

daine is a Filipino-Australian singer, songwriter, and producer living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, POTS, and autism. She is currently finishing her debut album and performing at Ability Fest 2026.

Follow daine: https://www.instagram.com/d4ine/

• 00:00 Cold open: doctors, stairs, and the diagnosis nobody saw coming
• 02:39 Ability Fest: what it is, why it matters, and daine returning to the lineup
• 04:24 A month in LA and the debut album
• 07:09 Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: what it is and why it takes ten years to diagnose
• 09:25 The hosepipe analogy: EDS, POTS, and circulation explained
• 10:38 Growing up without a diagnosis and medical gaslighting
• 12:31 Dynamic disability and passing as non-disabled
• 14:27 Good days vs survival days: spoon theory explained
• 16:52 How disability affects the creative process and studio sessions
• 18:13 Why autism is daine's creative superpower
• 19:54 Getting the autism diagnosis at 18 and what it meant
• 21:08 Social battery, sensory overload, and the right kind of socialising
• 23:12 Navigating the music industry with an invisible disability
• 24:34 What a sustainable career looks like
• 25:04 Autistic suicide risk and why visibility matters
• 27:16 Making shows more accessible as an independent artist
• 29:07 Best gig stories: first LA headline and Laneway 2019 in the rain with Charli XCX
• 31:25 Spicy listener questions

disability podcast Australia, ListenABLE podcast, daine musician, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome EDS podcast, autism and chronic illness, invisible disability, dynamic disability, spoon theory chronic illness, POTS dysautonomia, autistic artist Australia, Ability Fest Melbourne 2026, neurodiversity and music, medical gaslighting women, late autism diagnosis, autistic women mental health suicide risk, disability representation music industry, Dylan Alcott Foundation, Filipino-Australian artist

autism | Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome | EDS | POTS | invisible disability | dynamic disability | spoon theory | medical gaslighting | late diagnosis | Ability Fest 2026 | neurodiversity | mental health | chronic illness | disability representation | Australian podcast | daine | Dylan Alcott | ListenABLE

In this episode of ListenABLE, Angus sits down with Spencer Connelly for a conversation that is confronting, inspiring and incredibly human.

Spencer shares his lived experience after surviving a traumatic fire as a child, spending months in hospital, and learning to navigate the world with visible scars and amputations. He reflects on memory, trauma, recovery, self-image, the complexity of forgiveness, and why he now sees his scars as signs of strength rather than weakness.

The conversation also explores disability identity, facial difference, confidence in public, representation in film, and Spencer’s growing dream of building a career in acting. That dream has already taken shape, with Spencer landing a speaking role in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, and he has publicly credited the KIDS Foundation with helping build his confidence after his injuries.

If this episode resonates, share it with someone who needs to hear a story of resilience, perspective and hope.

Key Topics:

• surviving severe childhood burns

• trauma and memory

• hospital recovery and rehabilitation

• living with facial difference

• disability identity

• scars and self-acceptance

• therapy and healing

• public perception and staring

• confidence and resilience

• acting, representation and Furiosa

  
  

The Story:

00:00 Childhood trauma and the memory that stayed
01:00 Spencer’s story and entering the disability community
05:45 Living with disability and visible difference
07:20 Recovery, surgeries and life after hospital
11:10 Returning to school after trauma
14:50 The truth about what happened
17:40 Differently abled, disability and identity
19:00 Staring, confidence and moving through the world
20:40 Looking in the mirror after trauma
23:15 Forgiveness, healing and moving forward
27:20 Acting dreams and losing one career path
28:20 Meeting Sean Millis and working on Furiosa
35:30 Facial difference and representation in film
37:50 Halloween, scars and public perception
40:10 The bowl of uncomfortable
44:25 Life from here and what’s next

When Joshua Ruff’s heart stopped for three minutes, everything changed.

Living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) since childhood, Joshua had already navigated a lifetime of disability, adaptation, and resilience. But in 2020, a sudden cardiac arrest during the early days of COVID forced him into a profound reckoning with mortality, fear, and what actually matters.

Unable to speak and communicating only through his eyes, Joshua was told he might never return home. Instead, that moment became the catalyst for a new way of living. One centred on human connection, creative purpose, and letting go of fear.

In this powerful conversation, Joshua shares how surviving cardiac arrest reshaped his outlook on life, relationships, and ambition. He opens up about growing up with DMD, the emotional toll of teenage years, and the quiet pressure to always appear positive as a wheelchair user. We explore how gardening became both therapy and vocation, leading to the creation of Henle Gardens, a lavender farm producing oil, products, and community experiences.

This episode is about disability, yes. But more than that, it is about meaning, independence, love, and choosing to live fully without apology.

Key Topics Covered

• Surviving a cardiac arrest and communicating only through eye movement

• Living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and challenging early life expectancy narratives

• Letting go of fear after facing death

• Gardening as purpose, therapy, and business

• Building an accessible lavender farm and producing lavender oil

• Independence, support systems, and redefining success

• Why people with disability are elite problem solvers

• Relationships, self-worth, and rejecting the idea of being a burden

• Positivity, grief, and the danger of masking emotions

  
  

  Notable Moments

• “The most important thing is human connection. Everything else doesn’t matter.”

• “My heart stopped for three minutes, and somehow that freed me.”

• “I didn’t believe I deserved a relationship. That belief almost cost me one.”

• “People with disability are the best problem solvers because life never gives us the easy path.”

• “Independence for me is choice, not doing everything alone.”

About Joshua Ruff

Joshua Ruff is a gardener, lavender producer, and founder of Henle Gardens in regional Victoria. Living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Joshua has transformed personal adversity into creative expression, community connection, and entrepreneurship.

After surviving cardiac arrest in 2020, he committed to building a life driven by purpose rather than fear. Today, his lavender farm produces oil, dried lavender products, and hosts garden visits, festivals, and community groups, proving that accessibility and beauty are not mutually exclusive.

Colin Judge was born with one arm and no legs, and today he is a Paralympic table tennis player, speaker, and analyst living in Dublin.

In this episode of ListenABLE, Colin opens up about dating with a disability, rejection, and why you do not need to prove your worth to the wrong people. He shares the moment a short video about dating stopped the scroll online, and how learning to value the people who choose you changed the way he sees relationships and confidence.

Colin also takes us through his journey to the Paralympics, the hidden grind of elite sport, and what people do not see behind the scenes of Paralympic competition. From being excluded as a teenager, to finding his sport, to navigating reclassification and identity, this conversation explores resilience, adaptability, and self-belief in a way that goes far beyond disability.

We also talk about fear of rejection, finding your voice on social media, taking initiative when it feels uncomfortable, and why accessibility is often more about mindset than infrastructure.

This is a powerful, honest conversation about confidence, self-worth, and becoming more than the labels placed on you.

Follow Colin Judge on Instagram: @colinjudge100

What happens when you finally get the diagnosis that explains your whole life… and what doesn’t it change at all?

In this powerful episode of ListenABLE, Angus sits down with disability advocate and podcaster Kelly Berger, who shares her journey living with an ultra-rare form of congenital muscular dystrophy, Collagen 6. After years of misdiagnosis, Kelly received her genetic confirmation as an adult, a moment that brought clarity, community and a new sense of direction, without changing who she fundamentally is.

Kelly speaks candidly about the emotional weight of diagnosis, navigating healthcare systems, building community, and what real accessibility actually looks like in daily life. From the realities of infrastructure in the US to the gaps between performative inclusion and genuine integration, this conversation goes well beyond awareness and into what meaningful change requires.

We also dive into Kelly’s podcast 'Wheel Talk', her advocacy work, and how she’s helping reshape how disability, rare disease and identity are spoken about in public spaces.

This is a conversation about resilience, identity, leadership and how visibility changes everything.

• Living with Collagen 6 congenital muscular dystrophy

• The emotional impact of finally receiving a genetic diagnosis

• Rare disease advocacy and disability representation

• Accessibility in infrastructure and public spaces

• Navigating healthcare systems and misdiagnosis

• Disability identity and pride

• Building community with and without disability

• Language, inclusion and allyship

• Performative vs meaningful disability representation

• Creating podcasts within the disability community

• Why visibility matters

Kelly Berger is a disability advocate, podcaster and rare disease community leader living with Collagen 6 congenital muscular dystrophy. She is the co-host of Wheel Talk, a podcast exploring disability, identity and lived experience through honest, accessible conversations. Kelly works actively in advocacy, accessibility awareness and rare disease representation.

ListenABLE is a podcast created to amplify disability voices, challenge stereotypes and explore what inclusion actually looks like in practice. Hosted by Angus O’Loughlin alongside Dylan Alcott, the show brings real stories, lived experience and meaningful conversations into the mainstream.

Podcast: Wheel Talk with Kelly and Averyhttps://www.instagram.com/thewheeltalkpodcast/