Disability Disrupters
Disability Disrupters is brought to you by Disability Responsiveness New Zealand Ltd. It is a podcast featuring interviews with disabled people from around the globe. We delve into the lives of remarkable disabled people, learn how they have achieved their goals, and also canvas their views on the disability sector landscape, including how they perceive leadership and management within that sector by disabled people ourselves. Tune in to hear these insightful interviews, as well as updates and information about the ways in which we demand that society respond positively to our needs.
Episodes
Sadie Dingfelder - Author, science journalist, neurodiversity advocate
Sadie has prosopagnosia — face blindness — which means she can't recognize anyone by their face. Not her mother, not her coworkers, not her husband (she once grabbed a jar of peanut butter out of a stranger's cart because she thought he was her husband. He was two aisles over).
Sadie has written a memoir about her face blindness and other conditions, ca...
Dan Shepherd
Dan is Blind Low Vision NZ’s General Manager, Community & Inclusion, and leads a portfolio of work that is community facing and aims to change attitudes towards vision loss and people who are blind, deafblind or low vision. Diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa when he was 15, Dan subscribes to a ‘nothing at us, everything with us’ approach to finding solutions that work for disabled people.
Leading an authe...
Yenn Purkis
Yenn Purkis is an Autistic and ADHD, non-binary, asexual advocate and author. They also have a diagnosis of atypical schizophrenia and anxiety. Yenn has been a disability advocate since 2005 when their first book, the autobiography Finding a Different Kind of Normal, was accepted for publication.
Yenn has worked as Deputy CEO (External Relations) at the Disability Leadership Institute, served as Accessibility M...
In this special edition of the Disability Disrupters podcast, Kylee Maloney presents her award winning broadcast, interviewing Victoria Maxwell about Victoria's one woman show called Crazy for Life. Kylee was February 2026's podcast guest, so check her episode, Episode 20, after this one.
Victoria Maxwell
Victoria Maxwell, BFA, BPP* is a sought-after international (and funny) keynote speaker, performing artist and worksho...
Kylee Maloney
Kylee Maloney has been a creative for as long as she can remember: from trying to make music with two hands on the piano at three to writing fanfiction at nearly 60, she has always enjoyed using her voice, words and music as modes of self-expression — and sometime employment. As a survivor of abuse in the care of RNZFB, she works as Administrator for the small group of survivors tasked with constructing a com...
Andrew Gadd
Andrew is a passionate disability advocate, content creator and aspiring YouTuber. He has a passion for showcasing the positives of leading a fulfilling life with a physical condition.
You can connect with Andrew here:
Linktree:
TikTok:
https://www.tiktok.com/@andrew_gadd?_r=1&_t=ZN-92TAGl0r02Y
YouTube:
https://youtube.com/@andrew_gadd?si=ymO5vaHGG8sCzn12
00:00 Introducti...
Mark Williams
Mark is a successful entrepreneur, and National Sales manager - NZ for HT Systems (Kera sit2sit & Kera Travel hoists). Their first product, the Kera sit2sit hoist, has already made a huge difference in the lives of people living with disability.
Mark has first hand experience as a User of the Kera Travel hoist and can help guide New Zealanders with NZ funding.
Stephanie Birkhead
Behind the Shutters is a deeply personal and moving memoir that lifts the lid on life behind closed doors. Stephanie Birkhead shares her powerful journey of survival, resilience, and hope after enduring experiences that shaped her life in unexpected ways. With raw honesty and courage, she invites readers to step inside her story — not just of struggle, but of strength, healing, and finding light after th...
Gemma O'Donnell
Gemma O’Donnell is an experienced Barrister and Solicitor. She is passionate about advocating for those with disabilities and older people. Gemma loves dark chocolate, books, and making food to share.
About Gemma’s business - Chronically Legal Chronically Legal makes it easy to get your legal ducks in a row.
Chronically Legal can help with: • Enduring Powers of Attorney, • Orders under the Protection of Pe...
DARUMA (the Movie)
On 1st September, DARUMA finally comes to Australia and New Zealand! From Oscar-winning executive producer Peter Farrelly comes the first film in US cinematic history to star two leads with disabilities in a narrative not about overcoming disability.
DARUMA is a story about fatherhood, found family and forgiveness. Rent the film on Amazon Prime or Apple TV+
Starring: Christopher Reeve Best Actor Winner,...
Neelu Jennings
Neelu Jennings is a politician, disability advocate, and adventure athlete from Lower Hutt, New Zealand. A member of the Green Party, she has stood for both local and national office while raising two children as a full-time parent. Neelu brings deep expertise to her advocacy, holding a master’s degree in disability policy and a postgraduate diploma in public health, alongside professional experience with th...
Nick Ruane
Nick Ruane has a long history of community involvement, advocacy, leadership, and disability activism. Nick has a Master of the Arts (with Honors) in Political Science and Government from Victoria University. He is a board member for New Zealand Riding for the Disabled and was co-chair of the Wellington Accessibility Advisory Group for 5 years, giving advice to Council on Accessibility. He is ...
This special Historical Disability Disrupter episode of the Podcast features a presentation by Dr. Peter Wheeler on the remarkable life and times of Ben Purse, a pivotal figure in disability history. Purse famously articulated that while physical impairment "matters," the greater problem was "the social sins of the community" — attitudes, barriers, and obstacles that prevented blind people from achieving social ...
Emma Bennison
Emma Bennison is a bold disability advocate, consultant, Non-Executive Director and systems leader committed to equity, lived experience leadership and community transformation.
As Principal of Emma Bennison and Associates and Chief Advisor, Equity and Lived Experience at Life Without Barriers, (one of Australia’s largest human services organisations), she drives inclusive change across government, corporate ...
Nikita 'Nikki' Van Dijk
Nikki has been involved in disability advocacy since intermediate, when she was advocating for autistic students in school due to the experiences of their brother within Aotearoa's education system. This continued as she transitioned into secondary school as a foundation student of Hobsonville Point Secondary School. Nikki sat on one of the school's first student councils, and then sat on one of the...
Grant Cleland ONZM
Grant has worked in the health. disability and education sectors for over 30 years at governance, senior leadership and practitioner levels. With lived experience of disability from birth, Grant uses a wheelchair for mobility and has faced many barriers that disabled people face in health, education and employment. He therefore brings both lived and professional experience to his work.
For 9.5 years Gra...
Cyndi Brec is a YA (Young Adult) fantasy author, speaker, and co-host of the P English Literature podcast, who turned a lifelong challenge — dyslexia – into the heart of her writing journey. Growing up, words seemed like walls she would never climb, but she refused to let dyslexia define her. Cyndi shows us the power of perseverance and how she has channeled her struggle into writing epic, history-inspired fantasy stories and how t...
Graeme Innes
Graeme Innes AM is a lawyer, author, and company director. He is the Chancellor of Central Queensland University, a member of the board of the National Disability Insurance Agency, and a member of the board of the State Insurance Regulatory Authority of NSW.
Graeme's autobiography Finding a Way achieved popular acclaim in 2016.
He has been a human rights practitioner for more than forty year...
Paula Jessop is an autistic woman and autistic rights advocate. She lives in Tauranga with her cat. Paula has been involved with autism self-advocacy for many years in New Zealand. She was an integral part of guiding Altogether Autism to become a more inclusive organisation as their first Autistic advisor. She has played a role in shifting the language in the autism sector, along with promoting the importance of knowledge gained fr...
Dr Peter Wheeler worked in the UK nuclear engineering field until loosing his sight at the age of 38. After going blind he went to university and gained a first class honours degree in business and management. He then went on to undertake a Ph.D. at Warwick university. Peter then undertook research projects at both Warwick and Salford universities before finally taking a full time role as senior lecturer at Edge Hill university.
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