Purple Orange Podcast Series
Each season, we share stories from across the disability community.
This season we're covering topics from independent living, fear holding you back, living regionally with disability and dating, romance and love.
Listen to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Podbean or the Purple Orange website.
This episode is a Purple Orange production made originally for the My Home, My Way podcast. My Home, My Way is produced with the support of the Australian Government Department of Social Services.
Season Two
Episode 5
Lend me your legs: Pursuing passion amid grief
Released Friday 1 November, 2024.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Podbean.
Have you ever wondered what we lose when stories are simply framed as 'inspiration' pieces?
In this episode of the Purple Orange Podcast, Jessie opens up about her journey to becoming a champion equestrian while navigating loss and life with a disability—and how her beloved horse and best friend, Storm, was by her side to see her through her darkest moments.
Tune in to hear Jessie’s reflections on grief, resilience, purpose, and the unfiltered reality of disability.
Episode 4
Language matters
Released Friday 4 October, 2024.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Podbean.
Have you ever wondered how changing a single word can change someone's experience?
In this episode of The Purple Orange Podcast, Belle Owen and Dr. Ellen Fraser-Barbour dive deep into why language matters. Language is more than just words—it's a tool that shapes identity, influences perceptions, and can either empower or marginalise.
From rejecting outdated terms to embracing identity-first language, Ellen and Belle share how their views on disability have evolved over the years and the impact of these shifts.
Listen to their powerful conversation to learn how you can make meaningful changes with something as simple (and free!) as language.
Episode 3
Let's talk about dating
Released Friday 6 September, 2024.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Podbean.
Dating can be challenging. Especially in today’s brave new world of dating apps.
How much of yourself do you put in your profile for all to see? How much do you leave for a later conversation?
Daniella shares insights into her dating experiences, her thought process on whether or not to disclose her differences and the layers and complexities built around why and why not as she walks through some of her raw reflections on her journey through the dating landscape.
Episode 2
Breaking out of the safe zone.
Released Friday 2 August, 2024.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Podbean.
Have you ever felt stuck in a rut? Or like life is kind of a drag? You wait for change to come. And you wait, and you wait…
And then it hits you, it’s not going to change. Not unless you make it happen.
Join Matt as he breaks out of his comfort zone and faces his fears to create the change he was waiting for and truly live.
Episode 1
Freedom means a good life.
Released Friday 5 July, 2024.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Podbean.
Imagine living in a home that feels more like a prison.
You live without any choice or control over what your day looks like.
How would you feel? How would you act?
Tim takes us on an incredible journey from darkness to light, in which Tim leaves his group home, and regains control over his life.
Season One
Episode 6
Have you thought about a mainstream school?
Released Friday 5 April, 2024.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Podbean.
"Have you thought about a mainstream school?" touches on inclusive education and how it benefits both people with disability and the schooling community as a whole.
Join Michaela as she talks about their family's journey to finding an inclusive mainstream school for her child, Harry.
Episode 5
The journey to self-acceptance
Released Friday 1 March, 2024.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Podbean.
What happens for someone who acquires their disability?
Join Lauren as she takes us on her journey of self-discovery after acquiring disability, how it completely changed the trajectory of her life, and how re-understanding who she was compared to who she is now has helped reform and reignite her purpose and passion.
Episode 4
The burden of low expectations: Challenging disability stigma across cultures
Released Friday 2 February, 2024.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Podbean.
Have you thought about how other countries and cultures view disability?
Esther takes us through her journey of battling cultural stigma around disability in Sudan, Uganda and Australia and the challenges of migrating to a new country and forging her path as a woman with disability from a linguistically diverse background!
Episode 3
Rethinking the ideal parent
Released Friday 5 January, 2024.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Podbean.
Join Mike and Lucilla, and Mikaila and Ivy as they talk about parenting with a disability, the challenges and solutions they overcame as a family, and how it’s changed their lives for the better.
Episode 2
Maybe I’ll just miss out: Changing the world by changing your mind
Released Friday 1 December, 2023.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Podbean.
Join Lily as she talks about internalised ableism, how it's affected Lily throughout different stages of her life, and the challenge of forever trying to shape society to fit you, when it isn't designed for you.
Find out more about Lily's journey through school and motherhood and the constant, everyday battle against her own internal thoughts.
Episode 1
Underrepresented, undervalued, and underpaid: Breaking through employment barriers
Released Friday 3 November, 2023.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Podbean.
Join Gavin as he takes listeners through his employment journey and what that has looked like at various stages of his career. Things could have turned out very differently for him, but he knew the universe was telling him to take a chance.
Find out how he carved out his own path and created new opportunities for himself.