Byron Boehm is a 37 year old artist living independently in Sydney. For most of Byron's life, he has known that he is gay. But it is only in the last year that he has come out publicly. It's not just his sexuality that Byron has struggled with in his life. He also has a serious physical condition that causes him ongoing pain and distress. Not only …

Ricky and Dina both have intellectual disability and are married. They live together independently in the community. They talk about how they met, how their relationship developed, and about their life together. Ricky and Dina have plenty of insights into the highs and lows of being a husband and a wife, and how they balance being a couple while al…

Leigh is an environmental activist, a disability advocate, a powerlifter and a straight drag queen. In our third episode of our Life My Way series he shares with us his loves, his losses and everything in between. Follow Leigh on Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.Por Council for Intellectual Disability

This is the second episode of our Life My Way series. Jess is a young woman living and working in Sydney. She loves her permanent part time job at the ABC and she has her own rental apartment in the Eastern Suburbs. Jess is active in her local community and has a network of support including her work colleagues, family and friends.…

We are excited to launch a new series of our Visibility podcast, Life My Way. In this series we chat to people with intellectual disability about decisions and choices. In the first episode we talk to Leonie. She shares her story of growing up, living independently, her relationships, and her journey to a job she loves.…

In this episode we talk with Ben Paior-Smith, a fashion designer who has autism and down syndrome. Ben is a passionate artist who designs apparel for his fashion micro business called Hazzah. Ben started his clothing brand when he was 19 because he wanted people to be accepted for who they are, to embrace being unique and to have fun in the clothes…

In this episode we talk with Naomi Lake. She is a children’s book author with Down Syndrome. She has published two books about Harmony the Hen. She is also a dancer and performer with the Light Opera Company. Naomi is a strong advocate for people with intellectual disability as well. She is an ambassador for several Down Syndrome associations and h…

In this episode we chat with Rudely Interrupted, an indie rock band from Melbourne. They talk about forming a band with intellectual disabilities, touring the world, recording new songs and getting heard on the radio.Por Council for Intellectual Disability

Jianna is a professional dancer and director at Adelaide’s award-winning Restless Dance Theatre. She has performed interstate and internationally, winning accolades since she began dancing professionally at age 14. She has recently been appointed as an Associate Artist of Philip Channells / Dance Integrated Australia and travels regularly with the …

Gerard O'Dwyer is an actor, speaker and performer with Down Syndrome. Gerard uses his profile to challenge social stereotypes and his work includes dramatic performances in film, television and theatre. He was awarded Best Male Actor at Tropfest, the world’s largest short film festival in 2009, Best Short Film Award and Best Male Actor runner up in…

Lauren is an artist at Studio A. Studio A makes great art and specifically provides professional development to artists with intellectual disability. Lauren gets her inspiration from nature; looking at different plants, animals and landscapes. Her paintings were exposed in the Art Gallery NSW. In this episode Lauren share with us what it means to b…

This is a special episode about adapting during COVID. How do we cope when the world suddenly changes and we have to change along with it? We talk with Kane about his experiences and his recipe for making the most out of unexpected change. He shares his tips for staying calm and positive in trying times: meditation, getting into nature, dancing, fa…

This episode is about friendships. In this episode Sarah and Justen talk about their experiences with making and maintaining friendships. They share the reasons why friendships can be so rewarding, what makes a good friend, but also some of the challenges that can come up. Challenges can arise for people with and without intellectual disability. Al…

This is an special podcast episode to support you during COVID lock down. Our anchor exercise can help you feel calm. You can use it if you feel scared, stressed or worried. This exercise has been made with and for people with intellectual disability. You can listen to the audio now and you can also Download the audio file and listen to the exercis…

This episode is about LGBTIQ+ relationships. This means lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and queer relationships. In this episode Cameron talks about his experiences as a gay man with an intellectual disability. He tells the story of coming out to his mum, of gaining acceptance with his partner’s family, and of accessing LGBTIQ+ social spaces. He also…

Support workers have a range of roles that assist people with disability in different areas of their lives. For example, for some people this might be helping with shopping, for others it might be helping with personal care such as showering. Jack discusses his experiences with support workers, who he relies on daily. He talks about the challenges …

A person with an intellectual disability, like any other person, is a sexual being. However, this is often not acknowledged or supported by families, support workers and even the broader community. The result is that for many people with disabilities, their opportunities to form or maintain sexual relationships are limited. Jonathan Bredin or Jono,…

We all want to feel accepted and loved within our families and for our parents and siblings to believe in our capabilities, understand our desires in life and support us to reach life milestones. Some of us also want to have families of our own and need to be free to make our own decisions around this, and if needed, supported to do so. Judith is n…

Intimacy and connection with others are basic human needs. Dating, which is the entry point to intimate relationships should therefore be straightforward right? Not quite. Dating can be fun, but it can also be tricky and daunting to some people. In this episode, Ella, who has an intellectual disability, shares her insights into the challenges of da…