Annie in wonderland

  https://rumble.com/embed/v6w3jz4/?pub=1v98bk Disability Pride Month: Revisiting The Dignity of Risk As Disability Pride Month continues, I thought it would be a good time to revisit one of my older Rumble videos: "The Dignity of Risk in Action." Although I recorded this some time ago, I believe the message is just as relevant today as it was then. If you enjoy thoughtful conversations about disability, media literacy, and everyday life, I'd love for you to follow me over on Rumble , where you'll find this video and many more. The Talking Points In this video, I explore several ideas that are at the heart of disability rights: Everyone has the right to take reasonable risks. Learning, growing, and gaining confidence often comes from trying something new—even if it doesn't work out the first time. Protection should never come at the cost of independence. Good support is about helping people make informed choices, not making every decision for them. Dignity comes...

Why we started an NDIS podcast (and what we weren’t seeing online) The NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) is Australia’s national disability support system. It funds support for people with disability so they can live more independently, safely, and with more choice and control in their daily lives. On paper, it sounds straightforward. In reality, it’s complex, human, and often misunderstood. That gap between what the system is supposed to be and what it actually feels like to navigate is exactly why we started Enabling Progress: NDIS Conversations . We kept seeing the same problem A lot of conversations about disability support online fall into two extremes. On one side, the system is presented as overly simplified — clean, inspirational, and easy to navigate. On the other, it is framed as broken, chaotic, or reduced to outrage clips and half-context stories. And somewhere in between those extremes are the people actually living and working inside it. Support workers. Part...

  Put In the Work This started because I saw a video on TikTok. A teenager was arguing that the word scrying was ableist because they didn’t know what it meant. And my first thought was simple: Look it up. Not because I’m dismissing struggle. But because that’s how learning works. And that’s where I think we’re getting confused. Somewhere along the line, we’ve started mixing up difficulty and discrimination . Those are not the same thing. Difficulty is when something is hard to do, understand, or overcome. Discrimination—like ableism—is when barriers or prejudice exist because of disability. And yes, ableism is real. And it isn’t always obvious. Sometimes it’s overt. Sometimes it’s structural. Sometimes it’s a lack of access, support, or accommodation. That matters. But not knowing a word? That’s not discrimination. That’s learning. And learning starts in a very uncomfortable place: Not knowing. You don’t know what you know until you know what you don’t know. And that’s okay. Tha...

Difficulty, Not Discrimination: Literacy, Critical Thinking and Learning to Question What We Think We Know Why difficult conversations matter One thing I have been thinking about a lot lately is literacy, media literacy, and the importance of critical thinking — especially within disability and support conversations. We live in a time where people are surrounded by information constantly. Headlines. Short-form videos. Social media debates. Opinion pieces. Algorithms deciding what we see. Outrage cycles designed to get attention. In this environment, one of the most important skills we can develop is not knowing everything. It is knowing how to think. Critical thinking does not mean automatically agreeing with someone. It also does not mean automatically rejecting someone. It means listening. Questioning. Researching. Comparing information. Looking at evidence. Understanding context. And then deciding where you personally stand. That applies to everyone. Disabled people. Non-disabled pe...

  Disability support plays a vital role in the lives of many individuals, families, and communities worldwide. Whether you’re a client, family member, support worker, or simply interested in learning more, understanding how disability support systems work—and why ethics matter—helps us all contribute to safer, more respectful care. A Note on the Journey Living with or supporting someone with a disability can involve days that are challenging, frustrating, or overwhelming. This is part of the human experience—one that deserves patience, kindness, and honesty. This post aims to share insights openly and respectfully, helping us grow stronger together. Disability Support Systems Around the World Disability support looks different everywhere, influenced by culture, law, and resources. Here’s a brief overview: Australia’s NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme): Focuses on personalized support with options for self-management, though recent changes like Foundational Suppo...

From Locked Gates to Community Belonging: How Disability Support Changed from Control to Choice Disability support did not appear overnight. The systems, ideas, and expectations we have today were shaped by centuries of beliefs about disability — from fear and misunderstanding, through institutions and segregation, to rights, choice, independence, and belonging. When we talk about disability support, we are not just talking about funding packages, services, workers, or policies. We are talking about a much bigger question: What do we believe disabled people deserve? Do we see people as problems to be fixed? Do we see them as people to be protected? Or do we see them as individuals with their own goals, preferences, strengths, risks, and right to participate fully in life? The answer has changed over time, but the history matters because old ideas do not disappear overnight. Sometimes they remain hidden in the way systems are designed, the way media portrays disability, or the way peopl...

 Here's the updated full post with your additions merged into the history section. I've double-checked for privacy and sensitive info — nothing personal or identifiable is included, so it's safe for public posting. 🌍 Tipping Points, Truth-Telling, and Trusting What You Feel: A Guide for Unsteady Times Trigger Warning: This post discusses feelings of anxiety, climate change, geopolitical events, and emotional well-being. If these topics are distressing, please take care of yourself and consider seeking support from trusted professionals or loved ones. Feeling Unsteady in an Unsteady World? Lately, many people are noticing a growing sense of restlessness or unease — whether it’s trouble sleeping, a feeling that the world is shifting, or worries about climate change and global events. These feelings are valid, and you are not alone. This post explores how to be honest with yourself and your support team, protect your peace, and find ways to navigate change without fea...