Extra Ordinary

Hannah Diviney is a leading writer and advocate for disability and women's rights. She's also the Editor in Chief at Missing Perspectives, a publication platform dedicated to addressing the marginalisation of women in news, media, and democracy. Her advocacy work has included petitioning for Disney to create a disabled princess and has been featured in publications across Australia and the world. In today's episode, Hannah shares her personal story and how she became an advocate for women's and disability rights. She then breaks down what it means to be an advocate and shares her thoughts on the representation of women in the media today. Connect: Independence Australia websiteIndependence Australia on FacebookIndependence Australia on Twitter This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

Mark Berridge is a Keynote Speaker and Author of 'A Fraction Stronger', a book about Mark's experiences after the life-changing accident that caused his disability and how he found possibilities in life's darkest moments. Mark uses his lived experience with a spinal cord injury to teach others about resilience and belief through his writing and speaking engagements. In today's episode, Mark shares his passion for helping others understand their own journeys and explains the power of good connections. You'll also hear the unique story of how Mark's injury led him down an entirely different career path and how he's always looking for ways to use his experiences to help others. Connect: Independence Australia websiteIndependence Australia on FacebookIndependence Australia on Twitter This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

Laura Pettenuzzo is a writer, speaker, and passionate advocate in the mental health and disability spaces, who is currently working with Women with Disabilities Victoria. In this episode, Laura explains why she started working in disability access. She also shares some unique insights into the power of language and describes her work as a Plain and Easy English writer. Oliver and Laura then share an essential discussion on understanding how mental health and physical disabilities can affect one another. This episode is part two of our chat with Laura; check out our last episode for part one. Connect: Independence Australia websiteIndependence Australia on FacebookIndependence Australia on Twitter This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

Laura Pettenuzzo is a writer, speaker, and powerful advocate for mental health and disability. She currently works as a Disability and Mental Health Advocate at Women with Disabilities Victoria, and in her free time, she enjoys drinking tea and spending time with her cats. In today's episode, Laura shares how her time working with Women with Disabilities Victoria helped her accept her disability and face her internalised ableism. She talks about how comforting it was to be able to accept her disability with the support of the disability community, and we discuss the great debate of cats versus dogs. Connect: Independence Australia websiteIndependence Australia on FacebookIndependence Australia on Twitter This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

Perry Cross is the Founder of the Perry Cross Foundation, an organisation working to find a cure for paralysis, and the CEO and Founding Director of Accessible Homes Australia. Just two years after his accident, Perry became Australia's first motivational speaker on life support. Perry is passionate about raising awareness of spinal injuries and has helped countless other people living with disabilities. In today's episode, Perry talks about how his life has changed since sustaining an injury and being left a C2 ventilated quadriplegic when he was 19. He explains his foundation's work and shares his passion for accessible spaces before sharing how he met Superman and how he taught him to fly. Connect: Independence Australia websiteIndependence Australia on FacebookIndependence Australia on Twitter This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

Belinda Aitken has worked professionally as an actor and works in the accessible housing sector as a Lived Experience Facilitator with Housing Hub. She utilises her personal experience to help others through their accessible housing journeys. In today's episode, Belinda shares how she fell in love with acting from the first moment she was on a stage. She talks about how diversity representation on screen has changed over the years and how we still have a long way to go. Belinda also shares her experience as a Lived Experience Facilitator with Housing Hub and the big difference small changes can make in creating accessible accommodation. Plus, an interesting conversation on language and how everyone sees it differently. Connect: Independence Australia websiteIndependence Australia on FacebookIndependence Australia on Twitter This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

Joel de Munk is a public speaker for SpinChat, a role he found after acquiring a spinal cord injury at 32. Previously, Joel worked as a chef, and whilst he still loves cooking, being in a kitchen is a pretty different experience when you're in a wheelchair. In this episode, Joel shares his experiences as a T6 paraplegic, and how his life has changed as a result of his disability. He details how his love of talking landed him a role as a SpinChat presenter, where he gets the opportunity to teach students how our everyday choices can impact our lives forever. Plus, an insight into the life admin of disabilities, across travel, cooking, and everyday life. Connect: Independence Australia websiteIndependence Australia on FacebookIndependence Australia on Twitter This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.

Rocca Salcedo is a legal professional from Columbia, who migrated to Australia more than 20 years ago. She acquired a spinal cord injury whilst studying international law, and completed her master's degree following her rehabilitation. Now, she works as the Founder of para-dance group Dance N Roll, a company that aims to encourage people with physical disabilities to dance and stay active. In this episode, Rocca shares an insight into the legal side of medical care when living overseas, and talks about her experience with accessibility. Plus, Rocca talks to us about how she discovered para-dance and the inspiration behind starting Dance N Roll. Connect: Independence Australia websiteIndependence Australia on FacebookIndependence Australia on Twitter This show is produced in collaboration with Wavelength Creative. Visit wavelengthcreative.com for more information.