ListenABLE

What happens when someone refuses to accept the limits placed on them?This week on ListenABLE, Angus O’Loughlin and Dylan Alcott sit down with Brodie Taylor, the first person in Australia to become a qualified wheelchair netball umpire.Diagnosed with transverse myelitis at just seven months old, Brodie has spent his life navigating disability, accessibility and assumptions. But instead of accepting barriers, he found a way to create history in Australian sport.Brodie shares how netball unexpectedly found him, how officiating gave him a new purpose, and why confidence is often the biggest difference-maker for people with disability.He also opens up on wanting a future career in politics, where he hopes to help drive accessibility and meaningful change across Australia.Topics Covered- Becoming Australia’s first wheelchair netball umpire- Living with transverse myelitis- Disability and sport misconceptions- Confidence and self-belief- Why representation matters- Netball strategy and officiating- Accessibility in Australia- Future ambitions in politicsBest Quotes“Disability doesn’t mean inability.”“It’s you against the world. If you want it, go get it.”“Once you have confidence in yourself, no one can stop you.”“We can’t change everything overnight, but we can start.”Chapters00:00 Meet Brodie Taylor02:01 Making Australian netball history03:23 Diagnosed at seven months old06:58 Finding netball and purpose10:16 Becoming an umpire13:21 Breaking bias in sport18:10 Why politics is next21:43 Confidence and disability24:49 Advice for the next generation27:14 Bowl of UncomfortableBrodie Taylor, wheelchair netball umpire, ListenABLE podcast, Dylan Alcott podcast, disability sport Australia, accessible sport, netball Australia, transverse myelitis, disability advocate Australia

What happens when a single moment changes your life forever?In this powerful episode of ListenABLE, Larissa Camp shares the harrowing story of surviving a domestic violence attack that left her with a partial hand amputation and a completely different path in life.At just 23 years old, Larissa’s relationship turned violent when her partner pulled a shotgun on her during an argument. What followed was a life-threatening fight for survival that changed everything.But this episode is not just about trauma. It’s about identity, healing, motherhood, disability, and discovering purpose after unimaginable adversity.Larissa joins Dylan Alcott and Angus O’Loughlin to speak openly about what it’s like to rebuild a life after violence, how disability reshaped her self-worth, and how she eventually found confidence, independence and a career she never expected.This conversation is raw, honest, and deeply moving.• Larissa Camp’s incredible survival story after a domestic violence shooting• What it’s like waking up to discover a life-changing amputation• The emotional reality of navigating identity after acquiring a disability• Why people with disabilities are more vulnerable to domestic violence• How motherhood helped Larissa rediscover purpose and strength• The journey from trauma to becoming a successful hairstylisT• How forgiveness and resilience can coexist after extreme trauma• What to do if you suspect someone you know is experiencing domestic violenceAfter surviving the shooting, Larissa spent weeks in hospital recovering from severe injuries, including a partial hand amputation she didn’t even realise had happened until days after surgery.The emotional recovery was even harder.She struggled with depression, identity loss, and uncertainty about whether she would ever work again.But years later, a simple moment changed everything.While caring for her young son, Larissa realised she could still braid hair. That small discovery became the foundation for a new career as a hairstylist and helped her rebuild her confidence.Today, Larissa shares her story to help others recognise the warning signs of domestic violence and to remind people living with disability that they still have purpose.Follow Larissa: https://www.instagram.com/ann_ri3/https://www.linkedin.com/in/larissacamp/If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, support services are available.In Australia:1800RESPECT – National Domestic Violence Support LineInternational listeners can search for local domestic violence hotlines or crisis support services in their country.Listenable is a podcast about normalising disability through honest conversations and lived experiences.Hosted by Dylan Alcott and Angus O’Loughlin, the show explores disability, identity, relationships, and the everyday moments that shape how we understand the world.domestic violence survivor story, disability podcast. acquired disability, amputation survivor, domestic violence awareness, disability identity ,trauma recovery stories, Larissa Camp story, Dylan Alcott podcast, Listenable podcast

Filipino-Australian singer-songwriter daine joins Dylan Alcott and Angus O'Loughlin for a conversation that is equal parts funny, raw, and genuinely important. daine lives with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), POTS, and autism and did not know she was disabled until she was 18. By that point she had already been dismissed by multiple neurologists and cardiologists who told her the chronic pain stopping her from climbing the stairs at school was "just anxiety."She is now preparing to drop her debut album and performing at Ability Fest for the second time. This episode covers late diagnosis, medical gaslighting, spoon theory, invisible illness, the suicide statistics for autistic women that daine thinks about every day, and why she believes being deeply, intensely autistic makes her a better songwriter.If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please reach out to Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.Ability Fest and what it actually means to be inclusivedaine has attended and performed at Ability Fest before and is back on the lineup for 2026. Dylan explains what the festival really is: not a festival for disabled people, but a fully accessible event where everyone can party together. Platforms, pathways, Auslan interpreters, sensory rooms, live captioning, and 100% of proceeds going to the Dylan Alcott Foundation. As Angus puts it, the real point is giving six able-bodied friends the chance to finally share a night out with the one person who could never get through the door before.Get your tickets here: https://megatix.com.au/events/ability-fest-2026 daine is a Filipino-Australian singer, songwriter, and producer living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, POTS, and autism. She is currently finishing her debut album and performing at Ability Fest 2026.Follow daine: https://www.instagram.com/d4ine/ 00:00 Cold open: doctors, stairs, and the diagnosis nobody saw coming02:39 Ability Fest: what it is, why it matters, and daine returning to the lineup04:24 A month in LA and the debut album07:09 Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome: what it is and why it takes ten years to diagnose09:25 The hosepipe analogy: EDS, POTS, and circulation explained10:38 Growing up without a diagnosis and medical gaslighting12:31 Dynamic disability and passing as non-disabled14:27 Good days vs survival days: spoon theory explained16:52 How disability affects the creative process and studio sessions18:13 Why autism is daine's creative superpower19:54 Getting the autism diagnosis at 18 and what it meant21:08 Social battery, sensory overload, and the right kind of socialising23:12 Navigating the music industry with an invisible disability24:34 What a sustainable career looks like25:04 Autistic suicide risk and why visibility matters27:16 Making shows more accessible as an independent artist29:07 Best gig stories: first LA headline and Laneway 2019 in the rain with Charli XCX31:25 Spicy listener questionsdisability podcast Australia, ListenABLE podcast, daine musician, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome EDS podcast, autism and chronic illness, invisible disability, dynamic disability, spoon theory chronic illness, POTS dysautonomia, autistic artist Australia, Ability Fest Melbourne 2026, neurodiversity and music, medical gaslighting women, late autism diagnosis, autistic women mental health suicide risk, disability representation music industry, Dylan Alcott Foundation, Filipino-Australian artistautism | Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome | EDS | POTS | invisible disability | dynamic disability | spoon theory | medical gaslighting | late diagnosis | Ability Fest 2026 | neurodiversity | mental health | chronic illness | disability representation | Australian podcast | daine | Dylan Alcott | ListenABLE

In this episode of ListenABLE, Angus sits down with Spencer Connelly for a conversation that is confronting, inspiring and incredibly human.Spencer shares his lived experience after surviving a traumatic fire as a child, spending months in hospital, and learning to navigate the world with visible scars and amputations. He reflects on memory, trauma, recovery, self-image, the complexity of forgiveness, and why he now sees his scars as signs of strength rather than weakness.The conversation also explores disability identity, facial difference, confidence in public, representation in film, and Spencer’s growing dream of building a career in acting. That dream has already taken shape, with Spencer landing a speaking role in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga, and he has publicly credited the KIDS Foundation with helping build his confidence after his injuries. If this episode resonates, share it with someone who needs to hear a story of resilience, perspective and hope.Key Topics:surviving severe childhood burnstrauma and memoryhospital recovery and rehabilitationliving with facial differencedisability identityscars and self-acceptancetherapy and healingpublic perception and staringconfidence and resilienceacting, representation and FuriosaThe Story:00:00 Childhood trauma and the memory that stayed01:00 Spencer’s story and entering the disability community05:45 Living with disability and visible difference07:20 Recovery, surgeries and life after hospital11:10 Returning to school after trauma14:50 The truth about what happened17:40 Differently abled, disability and identity19:00 Staring, confidence and moving through the world20:40 Looking in the mirror after trauma23:15 Forgiveness, healing and moving forward27:20 Acting dreams and losing one career path28:20 Meeting Sean Millis and working on Furiosa35:30 Facial difference and representation in film37:50 Halloween, scars and public perception40:10 The bowl of uncomfortable44:25 Life from here and what’s next

When Joshua Ruff’s heart stopped for three minutes, everything changed.Living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) since childhood, Joshua had already navigated a lifetime of disability, adaptation, and resilience. But in 2020, a sudden cardiac arrest during the early days of COVID forced him into a profound reckoning with mortality, fear, and what actually matters.Unable to speak and communicating only through his eyes, Joshua was told he might never return home. Instead, that moment became the catalyst for a new way of living. One centred on human connection, creative purpose, and letting go of fear.In this powerful conversation, Joshua shares how surviving cardiac arrest reshaped his outlook on life, relationships, and ambition. He opens up about growing up with DMD, the emotional toll of teenage years, and the quiet pressure to always appear positive as a wheelchair user. We explore how gardening became both therapy and vocation, leading to the creation of Henle Gardens, a lavender farm producing oil, products, and community experiences.This episode is about disability, yes. But more than that, it is about meaning, independence, love, and choosing to live fully without apology.Key Topics CoveredSurviving a cardiac arrest and communicating only through eye movementLiving with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and challenging early life expectancy narrativesLetting go of fear after facing deathGardening as purpose, therapy, and businessBuilding an accessible lavender farm and producing lavender oilIndependence, support systems, and redefining successWhy people with disability are elite problem solversRelationships, self-worth, and rejecting the idea of being a burdenPositivity, grief, and the danger of masking emotionsNotable Moments“The most important thing is human connection. Everything else doesn’t matter.”“My heart stopped for three minutes, and somehow that freed me.”“I didn’t believe I deserved a relationship. That belief almost cost me one.”“People with disability are the best problem solvers because life never gives us the easy path.”“Independence for me is choice, not doing everything alone.”About Joshua RuffJoshua Ruff is a gardener, lavender producer, and founder of Henle Gardens in regional Victoria. Living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Joshua has transformed personal adversity into creative expression, community connection, and entrepreneurship.After surviving cardiac arrest in 2020, he committed to building a life driven by purpose rather than fear. Today, his lavender farm produces oil, dried lavender products, and hosts garden visits, festivals, and community groups, proving that accessibility and beauty are not mutually exclusive.