Encouraging Abilities Podcast

About Encouraging Abilities Podcast

A podcast devoted to the developmental disability community is brought to you by the Developmental Disabilities Association (DDA). DDA has been an advocate and supporter of this vulnerable part of society since 1952. We operate over 50 group homes, child development centres, and drop-in programs in Vancouver and Richmond, British Columbia. Today, we support over 1,800 people with developmental disabilities and their families each year.

Publisher

communicationsz8

Category

business · education · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

25 Mar 2022

Latest episode

25 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

3 of 52 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   25 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Carmen Farrell - Proof that Advocacy Makes a Difference

   Host [Host Name] interviews North Vancouver mom, author, and advocate Carmen G. Farrell about how her advocacy drives change and builds lasting bonds.

2. 

   10 Feb 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Max Brault - Helping Shape the Future of Accessibility

   Max Brault was instrumental in helping create the Accessibility Canada Act. While he admits we might not hit the lofty goal of a completely accessible Canada by 2040, the future for people with disabilities remains bright. We caught up with him to talk about his book, "The Race to the Starting Line."

3. 

   2 Sept 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Disability Employment - A Resource that Needs Protecting

   The federal government wants to cut 15% in spending for certain programs and services. Advocates are concerned about people with disabilities losing their jobs before anyone else. We chat with Rabia Khedr, National Director of Disability Without Poverty, about disability employment and the new Canada Disability Benefit.

Inside a recent episode

Carmen Farrell - Proof that Advocacy Makes a Difference

Published 25 Jun 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] And when you think about it, you know, Gen X and earlier generations Those are the systems and values and attitudes that we're inheriting in our lived environment. And so these Gen Z, I'll call them kids, but they're young adults, moving into those systems, I think have some work ahead of them because they see disability very differently. And what I noticed was that for them, my son's differences had no value judgments. And to them, Jess's abilities or disabilities were no more significant to them than whether he had blue eyes or brown eyes or was left or right-handed. So the kids woke me up. Well, that's really amazing, and I'm Gen X as well, and I think you're correct in that there's all these sort of prevailing attitudes that we've been dragging with us from the 40s and 50s and 60s. […]

Who has been a guest on Encouraging Abilities Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Carmen G Farrell
• Lauren Hershfield
• Elise Fairey
• Austin Wolf

Podcast Authority Score: 24 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

37

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

27

Contact Encouraging Abilities Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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