What do New York Senator campaigns, sociology and the late Christopher Reeve (a.k.a. Superman) all have in common? Our guest: Brooke Ellison. Brooke is an associate professor at Stony Brook University in Stony Brook, New York. She’s also the author of two books: Miracles Happen and her most recent, Look Both Ways. She joined the show to talk about the process of writing this book, the biggest thing she would change about how she’s lived with a disability, and her thoughts about disability’s place in politics.

You can learn more about Brooke and her work at her website: www.brookeellison.com

Follow her on Twitter: @brookemellison

Ben Mattlin is one of my favourite writers to read about disability, disability policy and life with disability. His latest book, Disability Pride, describes how the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has changed disability advocacy in the United States and provides snapshots of what disability advocacy and culture looks like today. I was so humbled and grateful when he agreed to be on our show and I hope you enjoy this conversation.

Learn more about Ben at www.benmattlin.com

Ben references some different pieces of American legislation. You can read more about the history of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act here: https://sites.ed.gov/idea/IDEA-History.

The lawsuit Ben refers to where a Florida woman is suing a Maine resort over its lack of ADA compliance is called the Acheson Hotels, LLC, v. Deborah Laufer.
Read the New York Times reporting on it here: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/27/us/supreme-court-maine-disability.ht….

Friends, we have a treat of an episode for you this month! The sibling relationship can be the longest and most complicated relationship in someone’s life. Today, we’re chatting about how disability and chronic illness influence siblings. Our guests are sisters Holly and Amy Mathers. Holly is a registered psychotherapist and Amy is a passionate advocate of Canadian teen fiction. They joined me to talk about how Amy’s disability has impacted them throughout their lives and what it took to go from being siblings to friends. (And, yes, since Holly is a psychotherapist, this did feel like therapy sometimes! All the feelings!) You can listen to Amy’s podcast about Canadian teen authors, YA Write, on major podcast platforms. Find more info here: https://bookcentre.ca/publications/ya-write

Siblings Canada provided crucial support for this episode. Learn more about them here: https://canadiancaregiving.org/siblingscanada

https://chatelaine.com/health/sibling-caregivers/