Encouraging Abilities Podcast
A podcast devoted to the developmental disability community is brought to you by the Developmental Disabilities Association (DDA). DDA has been an advocate and supporter of this vulnerable part of society since 1952. We operate over 50 group homes, child development centres, and drop-in programs in Vancouver and Richmond, British Columbia. Today, we support over 1.800 people with developmental disabilities and their families each year.
Episodes
Roshni Kashyap was born to make food. The young woman with Down syndrome started a chutney business and is poised to launch a cookbook. However, she has many other talents and her whole life to explore them. Including publishing a book of poetry. Available on Amazon is Don't Forget You're Beautiful.
Not even two years old, Kello Inclusive Modeling Agency, based in Edmonton already has some massive brands seeking them out. But what's more important is the clients they represent. We chat with founder Katie MacMillan.
B.C. is a leader when it comes to accessibility. Just ask The Rick Hansen Foundation's Brad McCannell. However, attitudes still need to shift in order to guarantee inclusion for everyone, and that means making noise so everyone is heard.
Inspired by an accident ten years ago that left her brother with a life-changing intellectual disability, a young B.C. artist creates a book about inclusion. DDA chats with Invermere's Veronika Kitzul
Ableism is an issue. From inadequate designs to being left out or looked down upon, ableism prevents many from being included in everyday life. The Office of the BC Human Rights Commissioner and Disability Alliance BC have joined forces to address the issue and created a new awareness campaign called Rewrite the Rules.
Accessibility affects many people, and even one day, perhaps yourself. In this Encouraging Abilities Podcast, we connected with Dr. Jaimie Borisoff who runs a development program at BCIT with an eye on designing better wheelchairs and other adaptive equipment that helps people stay included.
Accessibility should not be an afterthought. Buildings and spaces should not be designed for people with no disabilities only. Because, as Karin Pasqua of Meaningful Access Consultants says, we are all going to be affected at some point in our lives by accessibility issues. With that in mind, we need to look at design as universal before shovels hit the dirt.
The Developmental Disabilities Association's Executive Director Alanna Hendren talks about the association's 70th anniversary, where the organization has been, and where it's headed in the 21st century. A staunch advocate for people with developmental disabilities, Alanna Hendren has been involved in this sector for over 40 years.
Dr. Laverne Jacobs is making Canada proud. Not only has she published one of the first books on disability law in Canada, but has recently been elected to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons With Disabilities. And...she has another book in the works!
TRANSCRIPT:
Evan Kelly 0:05 Thank you again for joining us on the Developmental Disabilities Association's encouraging abilities podcast. I am your host DDA comm...
Rights are usually a foregone conclusion in Canada, however, when it comes to people with disabilities, their rights are sometimes overlooked, or, at best, not really taken into consideration. Accessibility matters, inclusion matters, but making sure these things are enforced and protected takes an entire population to shift its collective outlook. That shift starts with people like Deborah Stienstra, author of About Canada: Disabi...
Esther Thane is an expert in music therapy whose team helps families with children who have autism communicate and reach behavioral objectives while exploring the universal language of music.
TRANSCRIPT
Evan Kelly 0:04 So welcome back to DDA's Encouraging Abilities podcast. I'm your host, Evan Kelly. I'm the Communications Manager here at Developmental Disabilities Association. This is where we connect with advocates in the di...
DDA operates nine child development centres in Vancouver and Richmond. As the province shifts towards a $10-a-day childcare system, we reached out to childcare advocate Sharon Gregson about where we are now and where we need to be when it comes to reaching that goal.
TRANSCRIPT:
Evan Kelly 0:04 Welcome to DDA's Encouraging Abilities podcast. I'm your host Evan Kelly. This is where we connect with advocates in the disability co...
Heather McCain is the creator of www.canbc.org, a disability advocate website born out of need that offers workshops and support for those in the disability community and the disability Queer community. As Pride Month comes to an end for another year, it's good to raise awareness that people in LGBTQ community who identify as disabled have other concerns they often need to deal with.
TRANSCRIPT:
Evan Kelly 0:04 So welcome b...
DDA talks with Jeanne Hansen who's sister, Tracey McKinley, who suffered mental health issues, died in the heat dome of 2021. Despite new government policy, what can we do to better protect people who can't protect themselves?
TRANSCRIPT:
Evan Kelly 0:05 So welcome back to DDA's Encouraging Abilities podcast. This is where we connect with advocates in the disability community, help tell their stories, raising disability awaren...
Finding a job is a dauting experience for anyone. Now, imagine having a developmental disability. There are many barriers that can prevent you from finding work and gaining independence. Fortunately, there are people like Delia Meinhardt who helps run DDA's social enterprise operation, Jobs West.
TRANSCRIPT:
Evan Kelly 0:05 So welcome to Developmental Disabilities Association's Encouraging Abilities podcast. Joining us today i...
Christie Faye Collins is Autistic. Like many in the disability community, finding a partner isn't always easy. So, she is creating NOMI. A new dating app specifically for the disability and neurodiverse community. www.nomiconnect.net is still in the testing phase and Christie and her team hope to have it up and running in 2023.
TRANSCRIPT:
Evan Kelly 0:06 Welcome again to the Developmental Disabilities Association's Encouragin...
Nathan Shipley was born with Cerebral Palsy. Today he is a public speaker and does not see himself as disabled. DDA reached out to him during National AccessAbility Week to talk about his life and what it means to build accessible communities.
TRANSCRIPT:
Evan Kelly 0:05 Welcome to the Developmental Disabilities Association's Encouraging Abilities podcast. Here we are on national accessibility week in Canada and we're connecti...
May 29th to June 4th is National Accessibility Week in Canada. We sat down with Keegan Newberry, DDA's Assistant Director of Assistive Technology, to discuss what's happening in the community and business world to help facilitate accessibility for people with developmental disabilities.
TRANSCRIPT:
Evan Kelly 0:05 So welcome to Developmental Disabilities Association's Encouraging Abilities podcast, of course, we're here to tel...
Margaux Wosk is an Autistic person and a staunch self-advocate who runs their own business.
TRANSCRIPT:
Evan Kelly 0:06 Welcome to Developmental Disabilities Association's Encouraging Abilities podcast. We're here to chat with members of our neurodiverse community. I'm your host, Evan Kelly. Whether it's talking about new government policies or new business ventures or amazing achievements, you'll find it here. Our guest today...
Krystian Shaw was never expected to read or write. With dogged determination and a steel resolve, he is now the publisher of a 12-page newsletter he distributes in Kamloops B.C.
TRANSCRIPT:
Evan Kelly 0:03 Welcome to DDA's encouraging abilities podcast. I'm Evan Kelly. And our goal is to make our stories more accessible to enlighten people as to who we are, what we do and why. We also want to help others in the disability comm...
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