The Purple Orange Podcast
A mix of first person stories, discussions and explorations of issues relevant to the disability community.
Episodes
What happens when the world refuses to see who you really are?
When Khadija Gbla was diagnosed as autistic in their 30s, it brought relief — and grief for all the years spent masking, misunderstood. In this powerful episode, they reflect on cultural stigma, disability, racism, and how becoming a parent helped them begin to heal and rewrite the story.
Born in Sierra Leone and resettled in Australia as a teenager, Khadija’s story is ...
For Trudy and Chris, love wasn’t about grand gestures. It was in the little things - train rides to nowhere, shared jokes, holding hands, or quietly sitting side by side in the sun.
In this moving episode of the Purple Orange Podcast, we ...
Have you ever tried to support someone but ended up making them uncomfortable instead? 😬
Join Belle Owen and Dr. Ellen Fraser-Barbour, two proud disabled women, as they share powerful stories and insights about:
- The difference between performing allyship vs living it
- Why listening is more powerful than fixing
- How curiosity and humility open up space for real inclusion
- The invisible impact of everyday actions
This episod...
"My psychologist said go for a walk every day. So I did!" - Terra Roam
What does it take to truly find yourself? For Terra, it began with a walk—and turned into a 17,200 km journey that changed their life.
Along the way, Terra, who is neurodivergent, found freedom, recovery, and authenticity after years of masking and overcoming challenges like domestic violence and self-doubt.
Listen in as Terra shares:
- The healing power of...
Have you ever wondered what we lose when stories are simply framed as 'inspiration' pieces? 🤔
In this episode of the Purple Orange Podcast, Jessie opens up about her journey to becoming a champion equestrian while navigating loss and life with a disability—and how her beloved horse and best friend, Storm, was by her side to see her through her darkest moments.
Tune in to hear Jessie’s reflections on grief, resilience, purpose, and...
Have you ever wondered how changing a single word can change someone's experience? 🤔
In this episode of The Purple Orange Podcast, Belle Owen and Dr. Ellen Fraser-Barbour dive deep into why language matters. Language is more than just words—it's a tool that shapes identity, influences perceptions, and can either empower or marginalise.
From rejecting outdated terms to embracing identity-first language, Ellen and Belle share how ...
Dating can be challenging. Especially in today’s brave new world of dating apps.
How much of yourself do you put in your profile for all to see? How much do you leave for a later conversation?
Daniella shares insights into her dating experiences, her thought process on whether or not to disclose her differences and the layers and complexities built around why and why not as she walks through some of her raw reflections on her journ...
Have you ever felt stuck in a rut? Or like life is kind of a drag? You wait for change to come. And you wait, and you wait…
And then it hits you, it’s not going to change. Not unless you make it happen.
Join Matt as he breaks out of his comfort zone and faces his fears, creating the change he was waiting for in order to truly live.
Click here to download a transcript of Breaking out of the safe zone.
"Have you thought about a mainstream school?" touches on inclusive education and how it benefits both people with disability and the schooling community as a whole.
Join Michaela as she talks about their family's journey to finding an inclusive mainstream school for her child, Harry. Click here to download and read the transcript of Have you thought about a mainstream school.
Click here to download and read the transcript of The journey to self-acceptance.
SKILL Special Edition Episode: Choose your own adventure - Achieving your dream of learning to drive
Years ago, Andrew Gibson embarked on a journey of learning to drive after experiencing brain injury. This led to regained confidence, independence, and access to social and employment opportunities. In short, it was life-changing.
Today, Andrew is the Project Leader for SKILL, an individual capacity building project, and in this special edition podcast episode, he talks to Brad Williams, from Williams OT, about turning your dream o...
Have you thought about how other countries and cultures view disability?
Esther takes us through her journey of battling cultural stigma around disability in Sudan, Uganda and Australia and the challenges of migrating to a new country and forging her path as a woman with disability from a linguistically diverse background!
Join Mike and Lucilla, and Mikaila and Ivy as they talk about parenting with a disability, the challenges and solutions they overcame as a family, and how it’s changed their lives for the better.
Click here to download and read the transcript of Rethinking the ideal parent.
Join Lily as she talks about internalised ableism, how it's affected Lily throughout different stages of her life, and the challenge of forever trying to shape society to fit you, when it isn't designed for you.
Find out more about Lily's journey through school and motherhood and the constant, everyday battle against her own internal thoughts.
Click here to download and read the transcript of Maybe I’ll just miss out: Changing ...
It is great that we are starting to hear more businesses, organisations and government talk about engaging the disability community. But, if they are only doing tokenistic, tick and flick engagement, it's not going to make much difference.
In this episode you will hear 6 key tips for good engagement. These tips come from the collective wisdom of the Local Government Disability Inclusion Advisory Group. It is made up of a group ...
Leanne's relationship with understanding herself as a disabled woman is a complex and ever-evolving process. She's at a point where she feels empowered and in control of her own narrative. This is her story of arriving there.
To read a transcript of this story, visit our website: https://www.purpleorange.org.au/stories/podcast-evolution-self-understanding
Purple Orange is growing! We've hired so many new staff recently, including Ellen Fraser-Barbour as a policy and research leader. She featured in our second ever podcast episode!
It's a great episode about claiming your right to risk when you live with disability.
It's definitely worth a listen.
This episode first played in May of 2020. We are replaying as we are back in lockdown. The pandemic has taken a toll on our mental and physical health, and on our wallets. We don't want to make light of any of that. But, it has not all been bad. Many people living with disability are well equipped to deal with this. And for some, lockdown actually means a world opening up.
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