The Wheelchair Activist

Hi Arlo,Hope you are well! Sending over everything for the next episode of The Wheelchair Activist - scheduled to go live on Monday at 10am your time. Please let me know if you need anything else in addition to what I've included below!YouTube link: https://youtu.be/-lBQLn5vK1gMP3 File: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FHpmR0R60D-0ZUKzcOUK1thsk71s96j7/view?usp=sharingTranscript: https://docs.google.com/document/d/14tZWKU_WMEHCpmg2Bydyj66GUes6wkKF/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=107424367793263147299&rtpof=true&sd=trueDescription: Wicked: For Good is officially out in theaters and we are celebrating with today's episode! Enjoy this conversation between Emma and the Wicked films' access coordinator, Chantelle Nassari. They discuss making Oz accessible for all, including Marissa Bode and Cesily Collette playing Nessarose as authentic wheelchair users. Plus learn more about Chantelle, her career path, and so much more. You'll be changed "For Good" after tuning into this episode!Chantelle (she/her) was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy at the age of 7. She has always been drawn to the Arts and as a young teen studied dance drama, music and art at school. She was the first Wheelchair user in the country to take GCSE and A level dance. She worked as a contemporary dancer for many years in mainstream integrated and non-disabled Dance Theatre companies. Always being the only wheelchair user in every setting, educating, adapting and advocating was a normal part of life. She has worked with Deaf, Disabled, Neurodivergent and non-disabled people of all ages in numerous different areas such as Teaching, Fostering, Catering and Animal Rescue and has always advocated for equality and inclusion in everything she has done. When the opportunity to be the Access Coordinator on Wicked came along, it was a very natural progression to educate and adapt the environment for DDN artists to work in the entertainment industry free from barriers and obstacles. She loves this new phase of her career.Follow Chantelle on Instagram @MamaChanos.If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting by sharing this episode, rating the show, contributing to our GoFundMe, or buying me a coffee!

Transcript and Youtube version [CC].It's almost Halloween and we've got the perfect episode for spooky season! Emma chats with historian Dan Howlett about the role disability played in the Salem Witch Trials. We hope you enjoy these fascinating stories and hidden histories!Dan Howlett received his Ph.D. in History from George Mason University in 2025. He currently teaches courses on digital history at GMU and the Salem Witchcraft Trials at the University of Richmond. He is currently working on his manuscript project Innocent Blood and Stony Hearts: Disability, Religion, and the Salem Witchcraft Trials which looks at the role of disability throughout the witch trials and its aftermath. He also works as the Ask Me Anything coordinator for the subreddit r/AskHistorians, a Q&A forum with 2.5 million subscribers. Previously, he was a Digital History Associate at the Roy Rosenzweig Center for History and New Media. In his spare time, he coaches fencing and visits cemeteries.Learn more about Dan and his work at dhowlett1692.com and on Bluesky and Reddit @DHowlett1692If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting by sharing this episode, rating the show, contributing to our GoFundMe, or buying me a coffee!

Transcript and Youtube version [CC].This month, Emma is chatting with musician, advocate, and author, Lachi! They discuss Lachi's work in the music industry, her commitment to authenticity, her upcoming book, I Identify As Blind, and so much more!Lachi is a world touring recording artist and author, award winning music executive, globally renowned disability inclusion advocate, host of PBS series Renegades, and Recording Academy (GRAMMYs) National Trustee. Born legally blind, Lachi created RAMPD (Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities), collaborating on disability-inclusive solutions with the likes of Netflix, Live Nation and more, while bringing career opportunities to music creatives with disabilities. Named a USA Today Woman of the Year, an ADCOLOR Innovator and included on both the Billboard Pride and Forbes Accessibility 100 lists, Lachi’s cultural activism has landed her spots on national ads and TEDx stages, discussions with the White House, NPR, and the BBC, and features in People, TIME Magazine, Good Morning America and the New York Times.Learn more...LachiGlam CanesRAMPDPre-Order I Identify As BlindFollow Lachi on Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook, BlueSky, and YouTube @LachiMusicIf you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting by sharing this episode, rating the show, contributing to our GoFundMe, or buying me a coffee!

Transcript and Youtube version [CC].This episode, Emma interviews the founder of Purpl, Georgina Colman! Being disabled is expensive. Purpl is working to offset the average £1,095 of additional costs disabled people spend per month by being the UK’s first discount platform built by disabled people, for disabled people.Georgina Colman is the founder of Purpl, the UK’s first dedicated discount platform for disabled people. Living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and ADHD, she has a deep understanding of the financial and practical challenges that come with disability. Her mission is to help the disabled community offset these extra costs through exclusive discounts, while also ensuring people are aware of the benefits and services they’re entitled to. Through Purpl, she is building not just a savings platform, but a movement focused on empowerment, inclusion, and practical help for everyday life.Learn more about Purpl and join using Emma's link: www.purpldiscounts.com/creator/thewheelchairactivistCheck out Emma and Georgina on the D-30 Impact List: mydiversability.com/d30If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting by sharing this episode, rating the show, contributing to our GoFundMe, or buying me a coffee!

Transcript and Youtube version [CC].July is Disability Pride Month and it's felt different and complicated this year. Emma is speaking directly to listeners in this first-ever solo episode sharing her reflections on Disability Pride Month, the current attacks on disability rights, and the contradictions it all brings to surface.Mentioned in this episode...• Diversability D-30 Disability Impact List• Stylist Article "This year’s Disability Pride Month isn’t a celebration – it’s a protest"• Ramping Up Rights by Rachel Charlton-Dailey• Sitting Pretty by Rebekah TaussigIf you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting by sharing this episode, rating the show, contributing to our GoFundMe, or buying me a coffee!

Transcript and Youtube version [CC].This episode, Emma chats with Anna Landre about a very important topic - how climate change impacts disabled people, where they're left out of climate action, and how the lack of inclusive disaster planning and response costs disabled lives.Anna Landre is an award-winning activist and researcher focusing on what she calls the disability law "implementation gap:" when good laws on paper fail to translate into better outcomes for disabled people in practice. She works across fields including humanitarian response, social care, transport access, disability culture, and more. Anna is a PhD Candidate at the UCL Global Disability Innovation Hub, where she studies and maps Disabled People’s Organizations (DPOs) globally. She is also the Global Research and Response Lead at The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies, where in Ukraine she spearheaded the first-ever wartime evacuation mechanism for disabled people.Learn more and take action at disasterstrategies.orgFollow Anna on Instagram and learn more about her at AnnaLandre.com.If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting by sharing this episode, rating the show, contributing to our GoFundMe, or buying me a coffee!

Transcript and Youtube version [CC].We're discussing all things AI and Disability on this episode The Wheelchair Activist!Emma speaks with Christine Hemphill, a researcher, designer, and innovator specialising in disability and age-inclusion. She is the Founder and Managing Director of Open Inclusion, a UK-based, globally active research agency leading in disability and age-informed market, social, design, and innovation research. Emma and Christine discuss both the negative and positive ways AI is impacting disabled people and how the technology needs to include more diverse perspectives through inclusive data sets.Learn more about Open Inclusion at OpenInclusion.comGuess what? The Wheelchair Activist submitted to the British Podcast Awards and the Independent Podcast Awards! The total entry fees came to £755, which is a significant cost for an independent, disabled-led podcast. If you’ve enjoyed the show or believe in what it stands for, please consider chipping in to our Podcast Award Fundraiser. Every donation helps share disabled stories with a wider audience and challenges the idea that award-worthy storytelling only comes from big-budget productions.You can also show your support by sharing this episode, rating the show, contributing to our GoFundMe, or buying me a coffee! 

Transcript and Youtube version [CC].Welcome back to The Wheelchair Activist! We are kicking off season four with an incredible guest, David Holmes. David worked as a stunt double for the Harry Potter films and acquired a spinal chord injury after an accident on set of Deathly Hallows part one. His story is told in the HBO documentary "The Boy Who Lived" and David's book, also titled "The Boy Who Lived." David joins Emma on this episode to discuss his stunt work on Harry Potter and other films, the magic of storytelling, and his journey with acquiring a disability.Learn more about David and follow him on social media at https://linktr.ee/davidholmes83Watch David's documentary "The Boy Who Lived" Read or listen to David's book "The Boy Who Lived"If you enjoy this podcast, please consider supporting by sharing this episode, rating the show, contributing to our GoFundMe, or buying me a coffee!