Cerebral Palsy awareness month continues with fellow podcaster James Cox one of the host behind the When Words Fail Music Speaks podcast. on this episode we discuss a variety of topics including the challenges disabled people and the workforce face balancing accessibility and finances, the benefits of music and the right medication when dealing with depression, and the challenge everyone faces one day independence once we leave home. Which of these topics speak to you? Be sure to check out When ...

On today's episode I sit down with teacher, student, and blogger Sam Bronstein, as we discuss how despite growing up without many disabled individuals in her life she has an incredible desire to educate and challenge the way we think about individuals with Cerebral Palsy among other conditions. Some important questions discussed include why are some people afraid of the disabled? What are people more afraid of? The challenges that come disabilities or, showing their own vulnerability by setting ...

On today's episode I sit down with Caylin Mansfield a person who in recent years haas grown to accept herself as a person with Cerebral Palsy and a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. We talk about how Caylin unlearned the behaviours taught by her family to hide her disability, the importance of studying the culture of the past in order to improve accessibility in the present. Most important of all you should never be afraid to be who you are. If you'd like to get a custom made Spotify playli...

In Honor of Cerebral Palsy awareness month I thought I'd share a brief letter I wrote to give people an example of the good the bad and the ugly of living with cerebral Palsy. Music: https://www.purple-planet.com

Despite being born with Cerebral Palsy Lauren Grier has always had a passion for fashion. On this episode as we focus on Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month we discuss the importance of get the right education, the challenges of developing a social media presence, and the power of always staying positive. Lauren currently works as a model for Gamut Management and Zebedee Talent Management as she hope to pursue her dream of having her own clothing line. Please consider checking out Lauren Grier's work...

All her life Hajar Albattah-Thompson has lived her life visually impaired. Despite being visually impaired Haiar has always had a passion for learning new things which allowed her to receive a a bachelors degree of psychology and a minor in disability studies and Arabic language. From the University of Oregon. Hajar uses social media to educate others on how she lives her life. On this episode in honour of #Lowvisionawarnessmonth we discuss Hajar's journey from the school for the blind in Kuwait...

Shelley Reid has always been resilient ever since the age ten having to care for her mother. both Shelley and her mother inherited a rare disorder CMT Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease a genetic nerve disorder that wears away at the muscles and sensory nerve in the body this condition affects one in every 2500 people or 3 million worldwide. Despite the life long battle Shelley has ahead of her she continues to pursue her dreams as a content creator, Jujitsu practitioner, and CMT Ambassador. If you wo...

Happy Valentines Day from all of us at The Sit Down Stand Out Show. Relationships can be challenging no matter the amount of experience you have but, for individuals with disabilities and mental health challenges finding the right person to spend your life with can be more difficult for some than others. I hope this little Jazz number inspires you to keep searching for that special someone or, if you're already in a relationship to remember its a worthwhile work in progress. Thanks to Nicholas ...

Lucille Seppi has always had a passion for learning whether she's preforming at a local theatre in her home of Frankfurt Germany, Scuba Diving, or pursing her degrees in Psychology and Neuroscience. Unfortunately at the age of fifteen Lucille learned how to make difficult choices as she left home to escape a bad family situation that had been going on for years causing her to develop PTSD. On this episode we talk about the importance of communication, perusing your passions, and simply taking li...

Michelle has always been a creative person wether she was writing poetry, dancing, or acting but, at the age of nineteen her life changed forever. Michelle needed to have her right arm amputated after a car accident, she briefly struggled to accept this new permanent life change and kept up writing but, with a darker edge to her work. All it takes is one person to be an example of what is possible, for Michelle her example was surfer Bethany Hamilton who returned to surfing after loosing her arm...

Becoming a parent is often one of the highlights of person's life. 2018 was the year Danny Jordan welcomed his daughter Emerson into the world. From the very beginning Danny knew Emerson would be born different as during the pregnancy doctors found she was missing a bone in one of her forearms. On today's episode we discuss how this moment inspired Danny to create The Capables children's book series, the importance of planning for the future to set your child up for success, how going to therapy...

Sarah Sharp was born with Spina Bifida A condition that requires multiple surgeries and doctors’ appointments as time goes by. Despite the challenges of living with Spina Bifida Sarah has gone on to use her life experiences to educate people about the importance of recognizing that just like snowflakes no two cases of disabilities are exactly alike. Follow along on Sarah's journey as she prepares along with her medical recruitment team as she prepares to go into her next surgery to get nerve dam...

Dyslexia, a condition that causes people to struggle with reading, pronouncing words, and writing things down these are all challenges Jason George had as a child. While dyslexia is a permanent condition through hard work, practice and the belief his family had in him Jason went on to become a teacher in a variety of subjects but, found his passion in wildlife photography Jason has gone on to photograph animals in their natural environment from all around the world for fun, educational preposses...

Despite being legally blind and being expelled from multiple schools do to undiagnosed ADHD Chris Mitchell has never allowed any labels that other have given him define who he is as a person. Chris has relied on his sense humour and the philosophy that the only opinion of you that matters is your own to become a successful blogger, author, and radio broadcaster. Chris went on to create the organization #DefineYourself an organization designed to help the disabled community to succeed. Be sure t...

Pain is something we all deal with in life and we can take it head on or we can find ways to block it out or soothe it. For a long time Tom Regehr tried to soothe his pain with alcohol and drugs to the point where it didn't matter to him whether he lived or died. Living might not have mattered to Tom but, it did matter to his family and many of the colourful characters he met along the way by simply reaching out and saying they cared Tom realized there was more to look forward to in life. Tom ha...

On today's episode I sit down with Will Braid a man who has gone on to become an author of ten children books, a husband, and father of three all while living with bipolar disorder. We discuss the importance of kindness and how simply asking the question "are you ok? Can help save a life, how no matter who we are all of us have our own challenges to deal with and even though they are a part of us they aren't what define us. #Kindness #Areyouok? #Smashstigma #Yournotalone Be sure to check out Wil...

Structure, routine, self-accountability; these are just some of the many things I discuss with Jacqueline Johnson, a women who successfully raised four children while dealing with high anxiety, depression and in later years alcoholism. After committing herself to the advice of mental health professionals her mindset improved over time and she began appreciating small victories like taking a shower and being out in the sunshine. Jacqueline has now been sober and off medication for a year. Jacque...

On Today's episode I sit down with Author, Podcaster and Cerebral Palsy Advocate Tylia Flores as she shares her journey on how she published her first book at 16. We talk about our shared experience on living with CP on a daily basis, how listening to music and writing our thoughts down can be beneficial for our mental health, dream guests that we would like to have on our podcasts, and most important our shared goal of educating, inspiring, showing the world that when it comes to what people wi...

At the age of eight Rebekka Lien and her family emigrated from Taiwan to America, but the American dream soon became a nightmare as her father left and her mother became emotionally distant. These events caused Rebekka to build emotional barriers around herself as she was afraid of losing what relationships she had. All it took to change her life was the need to laugh. After taking acting classes, Rebekka went on to star in commercials, game shows, and reality television. On today's episode...

2019 was a tough year for many people but, for Zelda Black 2019 was a year of discovery when she realized that she could turn her talent of voice imitation into a career in the voiceover industry. Since then Zelda has gone on to become an author, content creator, and mental health advocate. on this episode we discuss the challenges she has faced in the industry being of mixed ethnicity and the importance of realizing that you should be who you want to be and don't change for anyone else. You can...

Life can change very quickly sometimes for the best, sometimes for the worst. Melanie Taddeo's life changed forever after suffering a stroke rendering her legally blind. Although Melanie lost her eyesight and the ability to become a visual artist she always saw herself becoming a teacher after years of hard work she became the first legally blind teacher to graduate in Ontario. Melanie has gone on to create a variety of opportunities for individuals with disabilities founding the Connect 4 Life ...

From day one Andre Matthews has been a fighter. From being born prematurely with only one lung and spending much of childhood at home, Andre has always had a desire to see more of the world. At 19 he joined the US army, 8 years later Andre is the host of the true crime podcast Bruh Issa Murder focusing on cold cases with individuals of color. We discuss army life, traveling the world from Ireland to Qatar and all points between. For the month of #Remembrance we encourage you to support your loc...

Ever since high school, Darlene Williams-Prades has always enjoyed helping others. Whether she's officiating a wedding, providing advice to students as a life coach or serving her country in the air force she aproaches everything with enthusiasm and passion. We discuss the importance of #selfdiscipline with responsibilities, the importance of #meditation and dedicating time for yourself. Although technologies change, the human experience is the same for all of us. If your looking for a life co...

Michelle Sokol, from the very beginning has had a passion to learn, from being able to read a full chapter book in first grade to gaining various degrees including her undergraduate degree in English with a minor in Child Development and Family Studies from Baldwin-Wallace University and attained her Master's Degree in Library Information Science, where she specialized in Public services for Children and Youth. Michelle is the Executive Director of Beyond Light and Love Nonprofit, a local nonpro...