Heart-Led Activism: How Personal Experiences Shape Advocacy for Disabled Individuals

Disabled and Proud

Brooke talks to Catrina from People First, an organisation dedicated to supporting adults with learning disabilities and those who are neurodiverse. They discuss the alarming rise in hate crimes against individuals with disabilities and the proactive measures taken through the Safe Bus Streets initiative, which empowers community members with safety strategies and self-advocacy tools.

They also talk about Catrina's personal journey from being a dancer to becoming a leader in the disability advocacy space, highlighting the importance of open conversations about disability, the social model versus the medical model, and the need for genuine engagement with the disabled community.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• A community-driven program was developed in response to an increase in hate crimes against adults with disabilities. It includes safety workshops, self-defence techniques, and resources to help individuals feel secure in their environment.
• Disability is a diverse and complex experience, and individuals within the disabled community may have differing opinions and needs. It's crucial to respect personal preferences and boundaries regarding language and support.
• Activism can take many forms, and love-fuelled activism emphasises compassion and understanding. Engaging in difficult conversations about disability and societal perceptions can lead to meaningful change.
• After a period of illness, rediscovering dance through wheelchair ballet provided a sense of joy and empowerment. This experience highlights the importance of movement and expression in the lives of individuals with disabilities.

BEST MOMENTS

"We've had an increase in hate crime towards adults with disabilities in our area and we knew we had to do something about that."

"It's just treating people on their level and I think we talk about that line when it comes to easy read documents."

"I think it's really tricky but everybody should be dealt with on an individual basis."

"I would fight for a person's right to call me any name under the sun, but I would also fight for the right to say something right back to them."

"It's important that we speak for ourselves and not for the community at large."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/disabled-and-proud/id1621152878

HOST BIO

Disabled and Proud is the show that brings listeners a different perspective on disability. Each week this podcast highlights an awesome disabled guest speaking about their own disability; why they are proud to be disabled and why they are proud to be themselves.

The conversations in this show will look at what challenges these amazing people face socially, mentally, physically and life in general. This show is raw, open, honest, funny, welcoming and educational.

Disabled & Proud does exactly what it says on the tin! And whilst we are creating this space for disabled people to be unashamedly themselves, without the need to conform to society, this is also not about toxic positivity. This show will be shining a big, bright light on disability without it being “Paralympic or pity”.

As you will hear disability is WHOLE, COMPLETE & PERFECT and whilst the topic of disability can be quite heavy - and we definitely don't shy away from the bad days - this podcast is also about having fun too! Our aim is to play a part in reclaiming the word disability - turning it from inadequacy to perfection!

This Podcast has been brought to you by Disruptive Media. https://disruptivemedia.co.uk/

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