Episode 99: How to Dismantle Ableism Together with Elizabeth Wright
Parenting Impossible – The Special Needs Survival Podcast
Release Date: 03/03/2021
226: CrossFit for Our Community with Karen Hurley
Parenting Impossible – The Special Needs Survival Podcast
It can be difficult for families to find fitness classes oriented toward individuals with different abilities, whether neurodivergence or physical. However, an emerging fitness category is designed for those who need adaptive and inclusive therapy. On this episode of Parenting Impossible, Annette sits down with guest Karen Hurley, a physical therapist and strength and condition specialist with more than 20 years of experience. Karen received a bachelor’s degree in educational studies from Brown University, where she was a varsity athlete and captain of the women’s gymnastics team. She then...
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225: Highlighting the Year Ahead
Parenting Impossible – The Special Needs Survival Podcast
Navigating the complexities of the special needs community is fraught with challenges, and the current workforce crisis in the disability sector is a cliff we're all facing together. Annette has seen firsthand how the pandemic has eroded the support program landscape as a special needs mom, attorney, and author. It's time we discuss the dire statistics and what they mean for our loved ones. The scarcity of direct support professionals (DSPs) is at a critical point. In this episode of Parenting Impossible, we're pulling back the curtain on the harsh realities service providers are grappling...
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224: Embracing the New Year with Advocacy, Empowerment, and Support
Parenting Impossible – The Special Needs Survival Podcast
As the clock struck midnight, marking the start of a new year, Annette found herself immersed in a flood of memories and significant events. On this episode of Parenting Impossible, carrying the weight of sorrow from the loss of her beloved daughter Elizabeth but strengthened by ten years of affection and the development of the Special Needs Law Group, Annette extends an invitation to you to partake in a personal journey of transformation and the intricate process of decision-making that defines our lives. Annette shares a cherished story from her childhood, in which setting a butterfly free...
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223: Embracing a Sabbatical Year: Reflections on Change, Growth, and Finding True Joy
Parenting Impossible – The Special Needs Survival Podcast
Sometimes, it’s essential to step back and assess the path we're on - that's exactly what I did this year. After years of fighting the impacts of a global crisis on both my personal and professional life, I made the radical decision to take a sabbatical year. A year to disconnect from “extracurriculars” and focus on my business, my team, and myself. A year to reflect on what truly brings me joy, and rediscover the activities and people I truly missed. Join me as I recount the unanticipated benefits of this self-imposed sabbatical. Listen to how I navigated the process of refocusing...
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Advocating for Universal Changing Tables: Changing Spaces Campaign
Parenting Impossible – The Special Needs Survival Podcast
Ever felt the pangs of frustration trying to navigate public spaces with a disability or care for someone who does? This frustration fueled the journey of an extraordinary parent advocating for change, Jayme Betts who serves as the . She shares an illuminating exploration of her mission to make public spaces more accessible for people with disabilities, inspired by her own experiences with her daughter, Sophia, who has Soto Syndrome. Jayme’s story is one of determination and resilience, as she used her personal struggle to fuel her advocacy for universally accessible changing...
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Housing for Adults with Disabilities: Shared Living Solutions
Parenting Impossible – The Special Needs Survival Podcast
What's one of the biggest issues most special needs families worry about? Housing. This episode unlocks the complexities of the intricate world of housing for those with some form of intellectual or developmental disability or (IDD) with the help of special guest, , founder and CEO of . Tune in to discover how Partners4Housing is changing the lives of families in Washington state by empowering families to create housing solutions that meet the unique needs of their loved ones with IDD and create a real solution for the future. Hear about 's unique roommate matching pool...
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The Power of a Picture: Special Needs Portraiture
Parenting Impossible – The Special Needs Survival Podcast
What happens when a mother’s fierce love for her special needs child intertwines with her passion for photography? Magic! Join us on this heartwarming journey with , a dedicated mother, and an exceptional photographer, as she turns her struggles and triumphs navigating the healthcare system for her medically fragile son into a beacon of hope for other families. Marcie's inspiring story combines advocacy, photography, and parenting in a way that's as enlightening as it is moving. Can capturing the moment make a difference? Absolutely! Marcie, through her business - Sunschein Photography, is...
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Transition Planning for a Special Needs Student: A Mom and Son's Successful Journey
Parenting Impossible – The Special Needs Survival Podcast
Could you imagine being a mom and an Assistive Technology Specialist, honeycombing through multiple strategies to craft tools that best support your special needs child? Well, meet Cheryl Farley. A passionate mother and a specialist who's spent years perfecting this very craft. She's graced us with her story, detailing the educational journey of her son, Liam, and the unique challenges they faced in his smaller classroom setting. Listen in as she shares the creative routes they took to find job opportunities for Liam, and the delicate balance they needed to maintain - allowing him to tackle...
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National Suicide Prevention Month: The Healing Power of Kindness
Parenting Impossible – The Special Needs Survival Podcast
The intensity of grief can feel like an insurmountable mountain. A profound loss, the passing of beloved daughter, Elizabeth, led her down a path of unimaginable pain, reshaping her identity as a mother and her life. Through the waves of grief, Annette discovered a lifeline in a local grief group, offering a haven where she could share, cry, and heal. This episode serves as an open invitation to join in Annette's journey of remembrance, honoring , and emphasizing how simple acts of kindness can make a world of difference. We all have a role to play in suicide prevention. It's about staying...
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Demystifying Sensory Processing Disorder: Tips to Help from Harkla
Parenting Impossible – The Special Needs Survival Podcast
Are you ready to uncover the mysteries of Sensory Processing Disorder? We're elated to have certified occupational therapist assistants, Rachel Harrington and Jessica Hill, founders of , on our show today. These remarkable women have recently become Certified Primitive Reflex Clinical Specialists, demonstrating their relentless pursuit of knowledge in the field of primitive reflexes. They're here to share insightful perspectives on what it means to be a COTA (Certified Occupational Therapist Assistant) and the significance of a synchronized treatment team. Pull up a chair as shed light on...
info_outlineTo kick off the first podcast episode of Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, Annette is joined by Elizabeth Wright, the Editor of Disability Review Magazine and the Founder and Editor of the “Conscious Being: For Disabled Women by Disabled Women” blog, to discuss timely topics like ableism, how nondisabled individuals can partner with the disability community, “inspiration porn,” and more.
Elizabeth starts the podcast by sharing her personal story of being born limb different. Encouraged and inspired by her parents’ passion for disability advocacy, she learned from a young age not to take “no” for an answer when it came to what she could or couldn’t do.
She used this go-getter spirit to start training for the Paralympic Games when she was 13, eventually swimming in the 1996 games in Atlanta. By the time she reached her young 20s, Elizabeth was attending university to study fine art. She focused her studies on learning about the visual representation of disabled women and how she and others really saw her body and the ways she interacts with the world.
Elizabeth eventually moved to the UK and started speaking publicly about the Paralympic Games and participating in sports with disabilities. Now, she consults companies and schools on disability activism, as well as the ways nondisabled people can be better disability allies and work to dismantle ableism.
“Nondisabled parents and siblings may not understand the lived experience of what we go through, but they are the next closest people to understanding what life is like for us,” Elizabeth says. “I think we have the opportunity to work together to make the world more inclusive and more equitable.”
To hear Elizabeth and Annette dive into these hot topics in the disability community, listen to the full podcast episode here.
Annette Hines has been practicing in the areas of Special Needs, Elder Law, and Estate Planning for more than 20 years. Ms. Hines brings personal experience with special needs to her practice and podcasts as the mother of two daughters, one of whom passed away from Mitochondrial disease in November 2013. This deep, personal understanding of special needs fuels her passion for quality special needs planning and drives her dedication to help others within the special needs community.