People's Experiences
Anthimos Panteleris – IT Engineer/Cyber Security ‘Adversity is opportunity’ – this thought process helps Anthimos explore the opportunities adversity reveals to him. Somebody who experiences Epilepsy, Anthimos is one of those people who investigates his reality to the finest detail. His no-holds-barred approach has caused discomfort with some but also is an invitation to leave your bias’ at the door to hear his insightful take. Amber is his assistance dog supplying him with unconditional love and keeping a constant eye on Anthimos’ safety with a lifelong condition. His view, that Society has a parochial attitude by and large, one that doesn’t see those with disabilities as being whole, capable beings sees more ‘mean spiritedness’ of services and suspicion expressed. Also, gaining supports for conditions like epilepsy is increasingly more difficult he found.
Alex Mitchell – The Path of the Horse
Gains a sense of peace that is remarkable when he is with the horses. As someone who experiences depression, his heart rate drops, his ADHD also calms to a certain extent. An articulate and measured person, Alex describes clearly and one has no problem understanding his point of view. He speaks about how, as a man, it is difficult to express his emotions, yet the relationship with the horses transcends this.
Zoe Simmons – Journalist / Author / Speaker / Autistic Advocate
With a social media presence to rival the most concerted of promoters, Zoe is a story teller with a plethora of professional offerings not necessarily based in her experience of being autistic and having mental health challenges.
Childhood and experiences in youth motivated her desire to advocate for the right of those with chronic health conditions to live their lives free from discrimination, ridicule and further hardship. ‘Squeaky wheel-ness’ has seen her rise to public awareness. This is used in order to create change wherever she can. Transmuting her difficult experiences into strength has resulted in a passion to help others to know they belong.
Michael Maher – Stroke care without the financial outlay
Michael found strategies to improve his skills post stroke to a level not usually sought by many. By following the advice of friends with medical backgrounds he was enabled to source rehab care in the private health system using a referral from a dr to use outpatient care for a nominal annual amount. Also qualifying for TPD from his superannuation took much of the stress away from care after stroke.
Matthew Jackman
I speak with Academic, Activist and Advocate for the Mad Experience, Matthew Jackman. Reclaiming the title, formerly used in discriminatory ways, as a source of pride rather than that of pathologisation, Matthew is beautifully expressed and clearly articulated bringing a new lens to states that have, until now, remained hidden from the eyes of society.
His work is spreading across borders and oceans in effect and awareness appearing at places like the UN and the WHO.
Sarah Ailish McLoughlin – Company Director of EduLinked
Sarah’s late diagnosed Autism has translated to a strong sense of self advocacy. Also having children diagnosed with disability gives Sarah further reason and opportunity to advocate. This is shown for the Linked In world to read with daily informative posts crafted with insight and research evident enabling others with tools to self- advocate. Building her business around this purpose, she gives Neurodivergent people the chance to stand for themselves.
Michael Maher
What happens when a fit, ex-military CEO wakes up unable to speak? Stroke survivor and Founding Director of The Disabled CEO, reveals the pinnacle moment that changed everything on 22 July 2022 — and the mindset, tactics, and networks that powered his recovery.
Michael shares the realities of rehab built for older cohorts, the challenge of an “invisible” disability, and why peer connection with other A-type professionals was pivotal. He also explains how The Disabled CEO now raises awareness, shares practical pathways (from hospital outpatient rehab to insurance wins), and helps workplaces support senior staff returning after stroke.
Tricia Malowney OAM, is a systemic advocate, ensures that women with disabilities have the same rights as other Victorian women.Tricia brings her life experience with polio and post-polio syndrome to her many faceted and constant works on behalf of women with disabilities. Her health issues forced her retirement from the Victoria Police at the age of 46. Tricia has championed citizenship rights for women with disabilities, engaging with women to identify their issues, provide support and explore options for resolution with any systemic issues that are getting in their way. Tricia takes every opportunity to speak to women with disabilities about their lives, and uses their stories to inform her work. Tricia’s formal roles include Convenor of the former Women with Disabilities Network during its transition to becoming Women with Disabilities Victoria, which has now become a systemic advocacy leader as a result of her leadership. Tricia is highly respected in the local, national and international sector as an informed and knowledgeable advocate with extensive experience in influencing government and community service organisations.
Matthew Jackman CEO, The Australian Centre for Lived Experience; Ministerial Complaints Officer, National Disability Insurance Scheme; Academic, Stott’s College, Bachelor of Community Services. Living with Bipolar Affective Disorder and Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Matthew’s mental health challenges have fueled their passion to become a global mental health activist promoting human rights, social justice and lived experience perspective from a public health and Mad Studies discipline. Peer support and a strong care team have been integral to their journey toward living well. For anyone who might be struggling with their mental health, Matthew wants you to know, “We all have a reason to be on planet earth, you are a spiritual gift, and important to someone.”
David was leading a large team helping a telecommunications provider run their network and serving customers before the weekend. After the weekend, and acquisition of a severe traumatic brain injury via a road accident, his work team shifted to specialists doctors and healthcare workers. 5 years later, this work continues. David’s new position is rebuilding his Self.
Paul Hawking acquired his injury through a time of travelling on the Eastern Coast. A culmination of substance abuse and elemental exposure resulted in his brain function degrading. In his abstaining for the past 20 years, he has ‘refurbished’ his brain. Being a client of ARBIAS has opened the opportunity for him to collaborate with other musicians and, in the utilisation of music as a tool, he is finding great benefit. We even get to hear a sample of his rocking guitar and vocals at the end.
Antony Riddell Performance Artist / Writer and Visual Artist Redfern Sydney, fell through a skylight in a squatter’s warehouse at the age of 21 and sees his time in a coma as a time of enlightenment in a shamanistic fashion. He moved to Melbourne after the sum total of his time in Sydney was ‘a bunch of cassettes and a brain injury’. He is an avid author of prose “You write mate?” where he sculpts words and draws in his published books and a long-time performer with Weave Movement Theatre. Now he is venturing into Tai Chi and looks forward to more living.
Heidi Everett, Complex Mental Health, embraces all the complexities that a life lived with involves. Public mental health system for nearly 40 years and speaks about how women are increasingly coming to the awareness of their own Autism and/or schizophrenia after not being acknowledged when they were young. In years gone by they would end up in the justice system, or involved with the police or in jail as the supports and recognition was just not there. Her curiosity lies in why a group would end up functioning and the others down a ‘lost women’ path. This has led to her work upon a film of the same name.
Tarus Fiu, Aka Mr T – Eclectic Freelancer, acquired his brain injury as an infant through an unfortunate accident. With the use of independence aides to help him read the board and to take notes he completed his schooling in the mainstream system. A graduate of the Social Impact course run by Donna Gabriel, Tarus is also an artist with Wild At Heart. Now living in Independent Housing, he works with Valid in order to consult on the wellbeing of others in Supported Housing. An avid gardener and musical artist our conversation throws light upon lives that may not be seen.
Stella Barton acquired her head injury during a difficult birth. Her experiences, after going to a mainstream school, were not great however moving to a new school helped in that she was supported in her Access needs. We speak about her development and add a precursor to an interview yet to come where Stella’s exciting journey to the latest Para Olympics will be explored.
Janice Florence has an extended interview about her life. Artistic Director of Weave which is an integrated Disability Dance/Theatre company. It started in 1999. Performers represent all sorts of disabilities and visiting dancers often are non-disabled. Janice speaks about the attitudinal shifts that have occurred after either working with them or watching their shows.
Elise Mountford who studied Industrial Design and was affected as a survivor of sustained sexual abuse. April is ‘Sexual Assault Awareness Month’. Elise informed me much occurs within the family, causing vicarious trauma for the other members. Chronic Stress, felt for prolonged periods, causes damage within the brain similar to Traumatic or Acquired Brain Injury and can be seen as longitudinal damage of something called ‘Adverse Childhood Experiences’.
Trevor Dunn reflects on the differences a standard education in the mainstream system made to his development. He speaks of the power of advocacy in using arts as the medium and the evolution he has seen through dance over the past decades with Weave Movement Theatre
Michele St Yves, writer and access coordinator for live performance of Adelaide, has a remarkable tale of not knowing what caused her Acquired Brain Injury. After multiple medical visits and tests over an extended period of time, the culprit was finally found. Join us to find out more.
Faith Thorely uses her prolific arts practice to describe the Hero’s Journey, one over which she can lay the life she has lived til now. Her use of art gives opportunity for insights into her Self that can be related to by others. Her injury was as a result of surgery to remove a tumour on her brain stem.
Levi Saunders was present in Adelaide after flying from Perth to shoot photographic pieces at the conference. As someone who sustained his injury as a child, his perspective was valuable to receive.
Sam Boag is Founder of the NDIS support organisation ‘I Can Jump Puddles’. She shares here her experience of a largely undocumented head injury as a result of a bike crash sustained in 2016 as she was training for the City to Bay. Sam speaks of her difficulties resulting from this before going into how I Can Jump Puddles reflects her learnings through this experience.
Larissa MacFarlane is a prolific Melbourne artist with a remarkable outlook. Their approach to brain injury has contributed to their artistry and approach to community. A fierce self advocate, their public outreach is used to empower other’s expression of disability. Discovering the Social Model of Disability changes the perception of disability. Larissa’s work directly attends to this.
Daryl Taylor is a highly skilled and accomplished community professional. As a neurodiverse person, his up bringing involved many challenges where he used his gifts to make sense of the world; twice exceptional indeed. Earthship, his home is in the most fire prone area in the world, he took the lessons learnt from the fires of 2020 to rebuild a remarkable, underground abode; ‘Pyro/Terra-tecture’ with wombat dreaming.
Kate Stephens is Ade’s wife, business partner and ‘Chief of Stuff’. She is passionate about holistic health and the dignity afforded to people. Her life changed alongside Ade’s in order to accommodate his needs and services. They talk about how they run A2K Media alongside leading their lives. Part 3
Ade Djajamihardja matches his resources to his requirements and has shifted his expectations in order to embrace what life has thrown. As a long time media professional his strokes altered the trajectory of his ambition to inhabit the disability, equity and inclusion space and here, together with wife, business partner and wife Kate Stephens, talk about their Disability Justice Lens series of training for the screen industry. Part 2
Ade Djajamihardja is a media professional whose 2 Hemorrhagic Strokes devastated him however they have not removed his wry sense of humour. He speaks about his journey to meeting Kate and the formation of A2K Media. Part 1
Jen Willis has sought peak experiences throughout her life, from studying multiple degrees to climbing Mt Everest. A diagnosis of MS urged her to look at her priorities with new perspective. Through scaling her internal mountains, she has learnt to change her personal approach to the stories she tells herself to enable ongoing success.
Edward Roussac is an Autistic singer/songwriter from St Albans in Melbourne. Here he speaks about his work, the inspirations and studies contributing and how his life is improved using this.
Kevin Boyce has a cavalier attitude that serves him very well post brain injury. He is warm hearted and friendly and, hailing from a town outside of Warnambool in regional Victoria, sustained his injury on a motorbike. He speaks about his multiple positions on advisory boards, as an end of life supporter and his experience working with guide dogs as a result of losing his sight when injured.
Paul Pritchard is a world renowned climber who experienced an injury in 1998 that was a catastrophe for him initially, yet he has gone on to build a life, relationships and a revived adventuring career with the launch of a recent TED talk and a film, premiering on the 1st of October called Larapinta: End to End – documenting a remarkable journey celebrating the ‘Dignity of Risk’.
Justine Martin is an international keynote speaker, coach, author, podcast host and publisher. Known as the ‘Queen of Resilience’, Justine talks about her experiences. We also hear about the ways she uses her offerings to empower and help others be heard.
Brent Alford has been president of Brain Injury Matters and speaks about his fall from a height in 2011 that left him with severe brain injury. His resulting efforts have him working on an elite athlete career.
Brent & Poppy talk about their world of Brain Injury. Brent as the voice of the peer and Poppy, a peer also, brings a refreshed perspective to managing the service brought by the self-advocacy network; in a sector where lived experience workers are so overwhelmingly rare in comparison to those non-disabled.
David
Paul Hawking acquired his injury through a time of travelling on the Eastern Coast. A culmination of substance abuse and elemental exposure resulted in his brain function degrading. In his abstaining for the past 20 years, he has ‘refurbished’ his brain. Being a client of ARBIAS has opened the opportunity for him to collaborate with other musicians and, in the utilisation of music as a tool, he is finding great benefit. We even get to hear a sample of his rocking guitar and vocals at the end.
Antony Riddell Performance Artist / Writer and Visual Artist Redfern Sydney, fell through a skylight in a squatter’s warehouse at the age of 21 and sees his time in a coma as a time of enlightenment in a shamanistic fashion. He moved to Melbourne after the sum total of his time in Sydney was ‘a bunch of cassettes and a brain injury’. He is an avid author of prose “You write mate?” where he sculpts words and draws in his published books and a long-time performer with Weave Movement Theatre. Now he is venturing into Tai Chi and looks forward to more living.
Heidi Everett, Complex Mental Health, embraces all the complexities that a life lived with involves. Public mental health system for nearly 40 years and speaks about how women are increasingly coming to the awareness of their own Autism and/or schizophrenia after not being acknowledged when they were young. In years gone by they would end up in the justice system, or involved with the police or in jail as the supports and recognition was just not there. Her curiosity lies in why a group would end up functioning and the others down a ‘lost women’ path. This has led to her work upon a film of the same name.
Tarus Fiu, Aka Mr T – Eclectic Freelancer, acquired his brain injury as an infant through an unfortunate accident. With the use of independence aides to help him read the board and to take notes he completed his schooling in the mainstream system. A graduate of the Social Impact course run by Donna Gabriel, Tarus is also an artist with Wild At Heart. Now living in Independent Housing, he works with Valid in order to consult on the wellbeing of others in Supported Housing. An avid gardener and musical artist our conversation throws light upon lives that may not be seen.
Stella Barton acquired her head injury during a difficult birth. Her experiences, after going to a mainstream school, were not great however moving to a new school helped in that she was supported in her Access needs. We speak about her development and add a precursor to an interview yet to come where Stella’s exciting journey to the latest Para Olympics will be explored.
Janice Florence has an extended interview about her life. Artistic Director of Weave which is an integrated Disability Dance/Theatre company. It started in 1999. Performers represent all sorts of disabilities and visiting dancers often are non-disabled. Janice speaks about the attitudinal shifts that have occurred after either working with them or watching their shows.
Elise Mountford who studied Industrial Design and was affected as a survivor of sustained sexual abuse. April is ‘Sexual Assault Awareness Month’. Elise informed me much occurs within the family, causing vicarious trauma for the other members. Chronic Stress, felt for prolonged periods, causes damage within the brain similar to Traumatic or Acquired Brain Injury and can be seen as longitudinal damage of something called ‘Adverse Childhood Experiences’.
Trevor Dunn reflects on the differences a standard education in the mainstream system made to his development. He speaks of the power of advocacy in using arts as the medium and the evolution he has seen through dance over the past decades with Weave Movement Theatre
Michele St Yves, writer and access coordinator for live performance of Adelaide, has a remarkable tale of not knowing what caused her Acquired Brain Injury. After multiple medical visits and tests over an extended period of time, the culprit was finally found. Join us to find out more.
Faith Thorely uses her prolific arts practice to describe the Hero’s Journey, one over which she can lay the life she has lived til now. Her use of art gives opportunity for insights into her Self that can be related to by others. Her injury was as a result of surgery to remove a tumour on her brain stem.
Levi Saunders was present in Adelaide after flying from Perth to shoot photographic pieces at the conference. As someone who sustained his injury as a child, his perspective was valuable to receive.
Sam Boag is Founder of the NDIS support organisation ‘I Can Jump Puddles’. She shares here her experience of a largely undocumented head injury as a result of a bike crash sustained in 2016 as she was training for the City to Bay. Sam speaks of her difficulties resulting from this before going into how I Can Jump Puddles reflects her learnings through this experience.
Larissa MacFarlane is a prolific Melbourne artist with a remarkable outlook. Their approach to brain injury has contributed to their artistry and approach to community. A fierce self advocate, their public outreach is used to empower other’s expression of disability. Discovering the Social Model of Disability changes the perception of disability. Larissa’s work directly attends to this.
Daryl Taylor is a highly skilled and accomplished community professional. As a neurodiverse person, his up bringing involved many challenges where he used his gifts to make sense of the world; twice exceptional indeed. Earthship, his home is in the most fire prone area in the world, he took the lessons learnt from the fires of 2020 to rebuild a remarkable, underground abode; ‘Pyro/Terra-tecture’ with wombat dreaming.
Kate Stephens is Ade’s wife, business partner and ‘Chief of Stuff’. She is passionate about holistic health and the dignity afforded to people. Her life changed alongside Ade’s in order to accommodate his needs and services. They talk about how they run A2K Media alongside leading their lives. Part 3
Ade Djajamihardja matches his resources to his requirements and has shifted his expectations in order to embrace what life has thrown. As a long time media professional his strokes altered the trajectory of his ambition to inhabit the disability, equity and inclusion space and here, together with wife, business partner and wife Kate Stephens, talk about their Disability Justice Lens series of training for the screen industry. Part 2
Ade Djajamihardja is a media professional whose 2 Hemorrhagic Strokes devastated him however they have not removed his wry sense of humour. He speaks about his journey to meeting Kate and the formation of A2K Media. Part 1
Jen Willis has sought peak experiences throughout her life, from studying multiple degrees to climbing Mt Everest. A diagnosis of MS urged her to look at her priorities with new perspective. Through scaling her internal mountains, she has learnt to change her personal approach to the stories she tells herself to enable ongoing success.
Edward Roussac is an Autistic singer/songwriter from St Albans in Melbourne. Here he speaks about his work, the inspirations and studies contributing and how his life is improved using this.
Kevin Boyce has a cavalier attitude that serves him very well post brain injury. He is warm hearted and friendly and, hailing from a town outside of Warnambool in regional Victoria, sustained his injury on a motorbike. He speaks about his multiple positions on advisory boards, as an end of life supporter and his experience working with guide dogs as a result of losing his sight when injured.
Paul Pritchard is a world renowned climber who experienced an injury in 1998 that was a catastrophe for him initially, yet he has gone on to build a life, relationships and a revived adventuring career with the launch of a recent TED talk and a film, premiering on the 1st of October called Larapinta: End to End – documenting a remarkable journey celebrating the ‘Dignity of Risk’.
Justine Martin is an international keynote speaker, coach, author, podcast host and publisher. Known as the ‘Queen of Resilience’, Justine talks about her experiences. We also hear about the ways she uses her offerings to empower and help others be heard.
Brent Alford has been president of Brain Injury Matters and speaks about his fall from a height in 2011 that left him with severe brain injury. His resulting efforts have him working on an elite athlete career.
Brent & Poppy talk about their world of Brain Injury. Brent as the voice of the peer and Poppy, a peer also, brings a refreshed perspective to managing the service brought by the self-advocacy network; in a sector where lived experience workers are so overwhelmingly rare in comparison to those non-disabled.
David Moss
Paul Hawking acquired his injury through a time of travelling on the Eastern Coast. A culmination of substance abuse and elemental exposure resulted in his brain function degrading. In his abstaining for the past 20 years, he has ‘refurbished’ his brain. Being a client of ARBIAS has opened the opportunity for him to collaborate with other musicians and, in the utilisation of music as a tool, he is finding great benefit. We even get to hear a sample of his rocking guitar and vocals at the end.
Antony Riddell Performance Artist / Writer and Visual Artist Redfern Sydney, fell through a skylight in a squatter’s warehouse at the age of 21 and sees his time in a coma as a time of enlightenment in a shamanistic fashion. He moved to Melbourne after the sum total of his time in Sydney was ‘a bunch of cassettes and a brain injury’. He is an avid author of prose “You write mate?” where he sculpts words and draws in his published books and a long-time performer with Weave Movement Theatre. Now he is venturing into Tai Chi and looks forward to more living.
Heidi Everett, Complex Mental Health, embraces all the complexities that a life lived with involves. Public mental health system for nearly 40 years and speaks about how women are increasingly coming to the awareness of their own Autism and/or schizophrenia after not being acknowledged when they were young. In years gone by they would end up in the justice system, or involved with the police or in jail as the supports and recognition was just not there. Her curiosity lies in why a group would end up functioning and the others down a ‘lost women’ path. This has led to her work upon a film of the same name.
Tarus Fiu, Aka Mr T – Eclectic Freelancer, acquired his brain injury as an infant through an unfortunate accident. With the use of independence aides to help him read the board and to take notes he completed his schooling in the mainstream system. A graduate of the Social Impact course run by Donna Gabriel, Tarus is also an artist with Wild At Heart. Now living in Independent Housing, he works with Valid in order to consult on the wellbeing of others in Supported Housing. An avid gardener and musical artist our conversation throws light upon lives that may not be seen.
Stella Barton acquired her head injury during a difficult birth. Her experiences, after going to a mainstream school, were not great however moving to a new school helped in that she was supported in her Access needs. We speak about her development and add a precursor to an interview yet to come where Stella’s exciting journey to the latest Para Olympics will be explored.
Janice Florence has an extended interview about her life. Artistic Director of Weave which is an integrated Disability Dance/Theatre company. It started in 1999. Performers represent all sorts of disabilities and visiting dancers often are non-disabled. Janice speaks about the attitudinal shifts that have occurred after either working with them or watching their shows.
Elise Mountford who studied Industrial Design and was affected as a survivor of sustained sexual abuse. April is ‘Sexual Assault Awareness Month’. Elise informed me much occurs within the family, causing vicarious trauma for the other members. Chronic Stress, felt for prolonged periods, causes damage within the brain similar to Traumatic or Acquired Brain Injury and can be seen as longitudinal damage of something called ‘Adverse Childhood Experiences’.
Trevor Dunn reflects on the differences a standard education in the mainstream system made to his development. He speaks of the power of advocacy in using arts as the medium and the evolution he has seen through dance over the past decades with Weave Movement Theatre
Michele St Yves, writer and access coordinator for live performance of Adelaide, has a remarkable tale of not knowing what caused her Acquired Brain Injury. After multiple medical visits and tests over an extended period of time, the culprit was finally found. Join us to find out more.
Faith Thorely uses her prolific arts practice to describe the Hero’s Journey, one over which she can lay the life she has lived til now. Her use of art gives opportunity for insights into her Self that can be related to by others. Her injury was as a result of surgery to remove a tumour on her brain stem.
Levi Saunders was present in Adelaide after flying from Perth to shoot photographic pieces at the conference. As someone who sustained his injury as a child, his perspective was valuable to receive.
Sam Boag is Founder of the NDIS support organisation ‘I Can Jump Puddles’. She shares here her experience of a largely undocumented head injury as a result of a bike crash sustained in 2016 as she was training for the City to Bay. Sam speaks of her difficulties resulting from this before going into how I Can Jump Puddles reflects her learnings through this experience.
Larissa MacFarlane is a prolific Melbourne artist with a remarkable outlook. Their approach to brain injury has contributed to their artistry and approach to community. A fierce self advocate, their public outreach is used to empower other’s expression of disability. Discovering the Social Model of Disability changes the perception of disability. Larissa’s work directly attends to this.
Daryl Taylor is a highly skilled and accomplished community professional. As a neurodiverse person, his up bringing involved many challenges where he used his gifts to make sense of the world; twice exceptional indeed. Earthship, his home is in the most fire prone area in the world, he took the lessons learnt from the fires of 2020 to rebuild a remarkable, underground abode; ‘Pyro/Terra-tecture’ with wombat dreaming.
Kate Stephens is Ade’s wife, business partner and ‘Chief of Stuff’. She is passionate about holistic health and the dignity afforded to people. Her life changed alongside Ade’s in order to accommodate his needs and services. They talk about how they run A2K Media alongside leading their lives. Part 3
Ade Djajamihardja matches his resources to his requirements and has shifted his expectations in order to embrace what life has thrown. As a long time media professional his strokes altered the trajectory of his ambition to inhabit the disability, equity and inclusion space and here, together with wife, business partner and wife Kate Stephens, talk about their Disability Justice Lens series of training for the screen industry. Part 2
Ade Djajamihardja is a media professional whose 2 Hemorrhagic Strokes devastated him however they have not removed his wry sense of humour. He speaks about his journey to meeting Kate and the formation of A2K Media. Part 1
Jen Willis has sought peak experiences throughout her life, from studying multiple degrees to climbing Mt Everest. A diagnosis of MS urged her to look at her priorities with new perspective. Through scaling her internal mountains, she has learnt to change her personal approach to the stories she tells herself to enable ongoing success.
Edward Roussac is an Autistic singer/songwriter from St Albans in Melbourne. Here he speaks about his work, the inspirations and studies contributing and how his life is improved using this.
Kevin Boyce has a cavalier attitude that serves him very well post brain injury. He is warm hearted and friendly and, hailing from a town outside of Warnambool in regional Victoria, sustained his injury on a motorbike. He speaks about his multiple positions on advisory boards, as an end of life supporter and his experience working with guide dogs as a result of losing his sight when injured.
Paul Pritchard is a world renowned climber who experienced an injury in 1998 that was a catastrophe for him initially, yet he has gone on to build a life, relationships and a revived adventuring career with the launch of a recent TED talk and a film, premiering on the 1st of October called Larapinta: End to End – documenting a remarkable journey celebrating the ‘Dignity of Risk’.
Justine Martin is an international keynote speaker, coach, author, podcast host and publisher. Known as the ‘Queen of Resilience’, Justine talks about her experiences. We also hear about the ways she uses her offerings to empower and help others be heard.
Brent Alford has been president of Brain Injury Matters and speaks about his fall from a height in 2011 that left him with severe brain injury. His resulting efforts have him working on an elite athlete career.
Brent & Poppy talk about their world of Brain Injury. Brent as the voice of the peer and Poppy, a peer also, brings a refreshed perspective to managing the service brought by the self-advocacy network; in a sector where lived experience workers are so overwhelmingly rare in comparison to those non-disabled.
Paul Hawking acquired his injury through a time of travelling on the Eastern Coast. A culmination of substance abuse and elemental exposure resulted in his brain function degrading. In his abstaining for the past 20 years, he has ‘refurbished’ his brain. Being a client of ARBIAS has opened the opportunity for him to collaborate with other musicians and, in the utilisation of music as a tool, he is finding great benefit. We even get to hear a sample of his rocking guitar and vocals at the end.
Antony Riddell Performance Artist / Writer and Visual Artist Redfern Sydney, fell through a skylight in a squatter’s warehouse at the age of 21 and sees his time in a coma as a time of enlightenment in a shamanistic fashion. He moved to Melbourne after the sum total of his time in Sydney was ‘a bunch of cassettes and a brain injury’. He is an avid author of prose “You write mate?” where he sculpts words and draws in his published books and a long-time performer with Weave Movement Theatre. Now he is venturing into Tai Chi and looks forward to more living.
Heidi Everett, Complex Mental Health, embraces all the complexities that a life lived with involves. Public mental health system for nearly 40 years and speaks about how women are increasingly coming to the awareness of their own Autism and/or schizophrenia after not being acknowledged when they were young. In years gone by they would end up in the justice system, or involved with the police or in jail as the supports and recognition was just not there. Her curiosity lies in why a group would end up functioning and the others down a ‘lost women’ path. This has led to her work upon a film of the same name.
Tarus Fiu, Aka Mr T – Eclectic Freelancer, acquired his brain injury as an infant through an unfortunate accident. With the use of independence aides to help him read the board and to take notes he completed his schooling in the mainstream system. A graduate of the Social Impact course run by Donna Gabriel, Tarus is also an artist with Wild At Heart. Now living in Independent Housing, he works with Valid in order to consult on the wellbeing of others in Supported Housing. An avid gardener and musical artist our conversation throws light upon lives that may not be seen.
Stella Barton acquired her head injury during a difficult birth. Her experiences, after going to a mainstream school, were not great however moving to a new school helped in that she was supported in her Access needs. We speak about her development and add a precursor to an interview yet to come where Stella’s exciting journey to the latest Para Olympics will be explored.
Janice Florence has an extended interview about her life. Artistic Director of Weave which is an integrated Disability Dance/Theatre company. It started in 1999. Performers represent all sorts of disabilities and visiting dancers often are non-disabled. Janice speaks about the attitudinal shifts that have occurred after either working with them or watching their shows.
Elise Mountford who studied Industrial Design and was affected as a survivor of sustained sexual abuse. April is ‘Sexual Assault Awareness Month’. Elise informed me much occurs within the family, causing vicarious trauma for the other members. Chronic Stress, felt for prolonged periods, causes damage within the brain similar to Traumatic or Acquired Brain Injury and can be seen as longitudinal damage of something called ‘Adverse Childhood Experiences’.
Trevor Dunn reflects on the differences a standard education in the mainstream system made to his development. He speaks of the power of advocacy in using arts as the medium and the evolution he has seen through dance over the past decades with Weave Movement Theatre
Michele St Yves, writer and access coordinator for live performance of Adelaide, has a remarkable tale of not knowing what caused her Acquired Brain Injury. After multiple medical visits and tests over an extended period of time, the culprit was finally found. Join us to find out more.
Faith Thorely uses her prolific arts practice to describe the Hero’s Journey, one over which she can lay the life she has lived til now. Her use of art gives opportunity for insights into her Self that can be related to by others. Her injury was as a result of surgery to remove a tumour on her brain stem.
Levi Saunders was present in Adelaide after flying from Perth to shoot photographic pieces at the conference. As someone who sustained his injury as a child, his perspective was valuable to receive.
Sam Boag is Founder of the NDIS support organisation ‘I Can Jump Puddles’. She shares here her experience of a largely undocumented head injury as a result of a bike crash sustained in 2016 as she was training for the City to Bay. Sam speaks of her difficulties resulting from this before going into how I Can Jump Puddles reflects her learnings through this experience.
Larissa MacFarlane is a prolific Melbourne artist with a remarkable outlook. Their approach to brain injury has contributed to their artistry and approach to community. A fierce self advocate, their public outreach is used to empower other’s expression of disability. Discovering the Social Model of Disability changes the perception of disability. Larissa’s work directly attends to this.
Daryl Taylor is a highly skilled and accomplished community professional. As a neurodiverse person, his up bringing involved many challenges where he used his gifts to make sense of the world; twice exceptional indeed. Earthship, his home is in the most fire prone area in the world, he took the lessons learnt from the fires of 2020 to rebuild a remarkable, underground abode; ‘Pyro/Terra-tecture’ with wombat dreaming.
Kate Stephens is Ade’s wife, business partner and ‘Chief of Stuff’. She is passionate about holistic health and the dignity afforded to people. Her life changed alongside Ade’s in order to accommodate his needs and services. They talk about how they run A2K Media alongside leading their lives. Part 3
Ade Djajamihardja matches his resources to his requirements and has shifted his expectations in order to embrace what life has thrown. As a long time media professional his strokes altered the trajectory of his ambition to inhabit the disability, equity and inclusion space and here, together with wife, business partner and wife Kate Stephens, talk about their Disability Justice Lens series of training for the screen industry. Part 2
Ade Djajamihardja is a media professional whose 2 Hemorrhagic Strokes devastated him however they have not removed his wry sense of humour. He speaks about his journey to meeting Kate and the formation of A2K Media. Part 1
Jen Willis has sought peak experiences throughout her life, from studying multiple degrees to climbing Mt Everest. A diagnosis of MS urged her to look at her priorities with new perspective. Through scaling her internal mountains, she has learnt to change her personal approach to the stories she tells herself to enable ongoing success.
Edward Roussac is an Autistic singer/songwriter from St Albans in Melbourne. Here he speaks about his work, the inspirations and studies contributing and how his life is improved using this.
Kevin Boyce has a cavalier attitude that serves him very well post brain injury. He is warm hearted and friendly and, hailing from a town outside of Warnambool in regional Victoria, sustained his injury on a motorbike. He speaks about his multiple positions on advisory boards, as an end of life supporter and his experience working with guide dogs as a result of losing his sight when injured.
Paul Pritchard is a world renowned climber who experienced an injury in 1998 that was a catastrophe for him initially, yet he has gone on to build a life, relationships and a revived adventuring career with the launch of a recent TED talk and a film, premiering on the 1st of October called Larapinta: End to End – documenting a remarkable journey celebrating the ‘Dignity of Risk’.
Justine Martin is an international keynote speaker, coach, author, podcast host and publisher. Known as the ‘Queen of Resilience’, Justine talks about her experiences. We also hear about the ways she uses her offerings to empower and help others be heard.
Brent Alford has been president of Brain Injury Matters and speaks about his fall from a height in 2011 that left him with severe brain injury. His resulting efforts have him working on an elite athlete career.
Brent & Poppy talk about their world of Brain Injury. Brent as the voice of the peer and Poppy, a peer also, brings a refreshed perspective to managing the service brought by the self-advocacy network; in a sector where lived experience workers are so overwhelmingly rare in comparison to those non-disabled.
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