Is anyone else struggling to switch out of holiday mode and into work mode?
Me too.
When I’m struggling to focus on a task – be it work-related, or a chore I simply don’t feel like doing – I find the best way to keep on task and get it done is by listening to a podcast. And while my usual tastes skew to true crime and bad comedy, I’ve been finding myself listening more and more to podcasts that give me insight I can use in my day-to-day work.
If you’re on the hunt for some new podcasts, check out these:
The I Can’t Stand Podcast
Melbourne-based Peta Hooke is the brains, voice and soul behind The I Can’t Stand Podcast – a weekly podcast that aims to answer any questions about disability. According to Peta, there are no such things as off-limit questions and she's tackled topics such as mental health, web accessibility, LGBTQIA+ identities, travel and hidden disabilities.
With so much discourse around cerebral palsy centred around the experiences of children and parents, Peta’s perspective as a 30-year-old single woman is both refreshing and sorely needed.
Keep Rolling with Jake Briggs
Disability rights advocate Jake Briggs became a quadriplegic in 2010 after sustaining a spinal cord injury. A Wonnarua/Kamilaroi man, Jake has a unique understanding of the intersectionality between disability and indigenous rights, and the specific challenges First Nations people with disability face.
In Keep Rolling, Jake hits all kinds of topics – from music to sport, disability to aboriginality, and so many things in between. He’s interviewed major Australian names such as Senator Jordan Steele-John, William Davo Hickey from the Illawarra Hawks and former Disability Discrimination Commissioner Graeme Innes AM.
The Accessible Stall with Kyle and Emily
Kyle Khachadurian and Emily Ladau might be friends and co-hosts, but they’ve got no problem with disagreeing with each other – and that’s the whole point of The Accessible Stall. As two people with different disabilities and different levels of mobility, Kyle and Emily often have wildly different perspectives on things.
In each episode, Kyle and Emily aim to ask tough questions and challenge their own beliefs and biases. Two people arguing, or two people engaged in spirited debate? You decide!
Embrace It with Lainie & Estela
A joint venture between Trend-able and the Hereditary Neuropathy Foundation, Embrace It sees friends Lainie Ishbia and Estela Lugo – who both wear leg braces due to chronic neuromuscular conditions – engage in informal discussions about life with a disability.
With over 50 episodes and counting, Lainie and Estela have interviewed doctors, artists, entrepreneurs and more from within the disability community.,
Down to The Struts
DC-based activist and lawyer, Qudsiya Naqui is passionate about making spaces and systems more inclusive of disabled people, and that is the ethos behind her podcast, Down To The Struts.
In each episode, Qudsiya chats with artists, activists, scholars and more to discuss how we might reimagine our built environment to centre disabled bodies, and the policies and practices that may help us do that.
Mobility Access Australia
Clint Deverson’s mission is simple – he’s taking on restaurants, cafes and other locations in Australia, and reviewing how accessible they really are.
Got tickets to a show at Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne, but worried about accessibility? Planning to spend some time around the Haymarket area of Sydney, or want to head to Oz Comic Con? Don’t worry – Clint’s already been there before you, and he can give you a clear idea of just what to expect.
Disability After Dark
Sexuality can be a topic that is taboo within the disability community, but Disability Awareness Consultant Andrew Gurza is here to tackle sexuality, gender, queerness, and any number of hands-off topics in his podcast, Disability After Dark.
Over the show’s 300+ episodes, Andrew has discussed the taboo with a diverse range of people – from authors to drag performers, activists to sex workers – in a candid and offbeat way that will leave you feeling enlightened and amused (if a little scandalised).
The Abnormally Funny People Show
A lot of disability content tends to skew towards the serious (for obvious reasons), so we’re rounding out this list with The Abnormally Funny People Show – a monthly comedy podcast focusing on disability.
The podcast is an off-shoot of Abnormally Funny People, a comedy troupe based out of London that consists of both disabled and non-disabled comedians. Each month, The Abnormally Funny People Show sees hosts Simon Minty and Steve Best chat with guest comedians who provide their take on their lives, society and the response to disability all through the lens of comedy.
Podcasts are such a great way for diverse voices to take the stage and centre themselves in a conversation - and that's why CPSN is running Podcast Training for young people with CP in January 2024. Registrations have already closed for this workshop, but please let us know if you’d be interested in attending one later in the year.
I’d also love to hear your thoughts on any podcasts you’d recommend that I didn’t mention here – email me at kim.schollick@cpsn.org.au with your must-listens!