Encouraging Abilities Podcast

It's one thing to have a disability and feel left out, it's another to be part of a marginalized group as well. We chat with Rabia Khedr, founder of Race and Disability Canada in this Encouraging Abilities podcast.

Community inclusion for people with developmental disabilities is and always will be a driving force for DDA. However, here in 2024, some new players and organizations are emerging to fill the spaces in between to help broaden horizons and cultivate relationships for people of all abilities. Say hello to CURIKO.

Making personal sacrifices for your partner's career is one thing, creating a home in several countries while at the same time caring for a severely disabled child is another. We caught up with Rachelle Rosolofo-Czerwinski to talk about her new memoir, The Life That's Chosen Me - From Russia With Love.

Ratnam Mathur is one of our valued group home managers who, like many staff at DDA, found a calling that pulled them off a defined path and into a career that meant so much more than money and fancy titles.  

Freeing Teresa, a new book by Franke James, her husband Bill, and Franke's sister Teresa talks about the challenges a family can face when it comes to the care and consideration of a family member who has developmental disabilities. On one side, is the freedom to choose, on the other is family dysfunction that is likely beyond repair.

He's a man on a mission. Meindert Hinlopen hopes to level the playing field when it comes to personal training. His company's focus is to help people with developmental disabilities get in shape and find their passion. Say hello to Spectrum Health in this Encouraging Abilities podcast!

For many, success is defined by job title and bank accounts. For Jamie Dri, overcoming crushing anxiety and living independently means she is on top of her game. She has been a part of DDA's employment program, Jobs West, for the last 15 years and has no plans to stop! She shares her lived experience in this episode of the Encouagring Abilities podcast.

A chance meeting on 'X' has DDA chatting with Dr. Nathan Keates, in London, England about his Ph.D. thesis that postulates improv theatre has a benefit for autistic people when it comes to managing anxiety and more. 

At some point in our lives, we will all be touched by dementia or Alzheimer's disease. Unfortunately, in the developmental disability community, these conditions are more likely to show up. We connect with Karen Tyrell, author of Cracking the Dementia Code and consultant to the DDA community.

Good caregivers are few and far between. It's a tough sector to keep staff for several reasons. So what's the answer for supporting an aging population or people with disabilities? Artificial Intelligence is already starting to play a role. We caught up with Mercer Gary from Drexel University in Pennsylvania about the positives and some ethical concerns when it comes to AI and caregiving.

In this episode of DDA's Encouraging Abilities podcast, we chat with Angela Faminoff, owner of Travel With Ange travel agency based in Victoria, BC. A champion of the disability community, it's her mission to make sure everyone sees the world.

A local man is nothing short of a pioneer when it comes to inclusion. Master Michael Sirota has been teaching Taekwondo and Hapkido to the disability community for over 20 years and feels there is nothing they can't accomplish through the practice of martial arts.

Adaptive sports are expanding in B.C. In this podcast, we connect with Jade Werger from Sportability BC and what they are doing to improve the lives of people with disabilities. 

The City of Vancouver is making strides with its Accessibility Strategy. DDA chats with the city's Accessibility Planner, Karen Lai who offers perspectives from her lived experiences.

Success will come when advocating and fostering change in prevailing attitudes when it comes to disabilities. In this episode of DDA's Encouraging Abilities podcast, we chat with well-known disability advocate Spencer van Vloten who prides himself on being a champion for the disability community.

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