Hey there, listeners! Welcome back to episode twenty of our podcast 'True Tales by Disability Advocates'. Ready for a deep dive into the theme of 'Smashing Ableism: Tales of Resilience'? Well, we've got two fantastic disability advocates with us - the brilliant Alina Arredondo and the charming Peter Richter. In this episode, they open up about their own life journeys filled with challenges, advocating for disability rights, supportive grandparents, and above all, demonstrating immense resilience. Alina pours her heart out about standing up for her rights and Peter shares golden nuggets on how ..read more

This episode features storytellers sharing their experiences of overcoming challenges while thriving with disabilities. Cindy Massey, a photographer and artist, tells her story titled "Finding Family." She recounts her journey to Africa, facing various unexpected hurdles during a safari. Despite the obstacles, she finds strength through the support of fellow alcoholics in Africa, emphasizing the importance of resilience and overcoming challenges. In part two, Kamand Alaghehband, a Special Olympics athlete with Autism, shares her story of perseverance after a morning crisis before a track compe ..read more

Step into the life of Albert 'Sparky' Metz, a relentless disability rights activist and country music fan who's been championing the rights of the disabled since his formative years. From his institutionalized childhood to his fiercely independent adulthood, Sparky's journey is as captivating as it is inspiring. Through it all, Sparky's spirit remained undeterred, fueling his passion for advocacy and his love for music. Join host  Joey Gidseg, who chats with Sparky and his attendant Pansy as they shed light on Sparky's experiences and challenges in his quest for independence and true lov ..read more

Storyteller Renée Lopez has lived a life of activism, challenging disability stereotypes, and deep friendships. She returns to True Tales with a new story "Me, Myself, and Sandra" about her experience as a Freshman at UT Austin. Host Kristen Gooch and Renée chat about Renée’s passion for social justice and her 40 years of Activism, fighting for Liberty and Justice for all.  Their discussion covers what Renée’s learned about self-advocacy, to her understanding of government oppression, her fight for accessible housing to her support of Black Lives Matter, as well as the importance of self ..read more

"The Next Generation Showcase," is a special bonus episode of True Tales by Disability Advocates,  the podcast where Advocates harness the power of storytelling to bring community to their peers and hope to develop empathy and others. The stories featured in this episode are written by fledgling storytellers from the Austin Independent School District Go-Project. The GO Project is a community-based transition program for students with disabilities who are 18-22 years of age.  If you are a regular listener, you'll notice a change from our regular story slash interview format. For the ..read more

"Awkward Moments" is being launched in March 2023, featuring two female storytellers with international stories in recognition of International Women's Day. For the first time, we feature a member of our multi-talented working group as storyteller and host. Host Kamand Alaghehband opens the episode with "London Calling", by storyteller Jennifer McKinney, about an awkward moment with her cane when riding the tube during her first trip to London, that in retrospect, reveals her ability to be independent.  Jennifer becomes the host for our second story “Matu Bird” by storyteller Alisha Momen ..read more

Note: This episode is slightly longer than usual to honor the natural speech patterns of our guests. Welcome to the Mid-Winter Episode of True Tales by Disability Advocates, season two. Winter is the time of stillness and darkness when nature encourages us to look within and access what’s ready to grow in the coming year. In this episode, “Practice Peace not Pity”, hosts Toby Al-Tarabulsi and Kristen Gooch talk to storytellers Kaye Love and Darla Murphy about the practices they use to find peace in their lives. We invite you to join them and take time to look within and discover new ways to fi ..read more

Hosts Brittany Sessum and Kaye Love introduce storytellers Gene Rodgers and Cade Insall, who share stories about the ways they have used Kindness and Connections to transform their lives. As we enter the holiday season, listening to “Kindness and Connections” brings you the courage you need to find hope and peace in your life, no matter the circumstances right now. Guest - Gene Rodgers As a wheelchair user, Gene Rodgers traveled in 44 countries, on 6 continents. Rodgers sailed on many types of ships on several oceans. He has enjoyed diverse recreational activities including skydiving, snow sk ..read more

Host Kristen Gooch, and storyteller PiPa McCollister, talk honestly about life in a world not designed for folks with CP, Dyslexia, or ADHD. After PiPa presents her story, “The Gift of Not Paying Attention,” host Kristen learns more about PiPa’s lived experience with ADHD. They discuss the impact of ADHD in adulthood, struggles finding a job, getting accommodations and PiPa's experience as a mother of a child with ADHD and Dyslexia and the strategies they use to celebrate their lives as a neurodivergent family.  Host Bio: Kristen Gooch is an Actress, Poet and Advocate from Austin, Tx wit ..read more

For Disability Pride Month, Kaye Love chats to Tanya Winters and Kamand Alaghehband about their stories “Pediacrisis” and “Kamand’s View: No More Prejudice”. Stories about how they navigate the predictable and unexpected barriers they meet daily. We hope your day is enriched by listening to “Independence”. Full transcript available. World Health Organization on Disability Guest: Tanya Winters - A Chicago native, Tanya fell in love with Austin after a weekend trip. She loves creating and enjoys pushing the boundaries of arts and disability! Tanya's career as an artist began in theatre in 2005 a ..read more