Always Looking Up

In this week’s episode I sat down with Allison Lang. Allison is a content creator, speaker, model, and a medal-winning Paralympian, having just competed in the 2024 Paralympics on Team Canada’s seated volleyball team. Her advocacy focuses on self love and body acceptance with the hope of helping others who may be on a similar journey. We discuss connecting with authentic stories, what can happen w...

In this week’s episode I sat down with Chuck Aoki. Chuck is an American wheelchair rugby, aka “murder ball” player, a 4-time Paralympic medalist and one of the most recognized and decorated athletes in the sport both on the court and off. He is also one of the co-founders of Culxtured, a media collective that is changing the ways in which the world views para sport. We discuss the evolution of whe...

In this episode I sat down with Violet aka hi its vi. Violet is a disability advocate, filmmaker, and content creator with almost 100 thousand followers on TikTok. Violet’s advocacy focuses on the representation of people with dwarfism in the media. For context, we recorded this episode on February 3rd following remarks made by the President and the media about people with dwarfism. This is a conv...

In this week’s episode I sat down with Adam Ayers. Adam is the current president of the Dwarf Athletic Association of America, also known as DAAA. DAAA is a non-profit organization that provides athletic opportunities for people of short stature. The organization consists of a core Board of Directors who are supported by volunteers and philanthropic contributors. We discuss how DAAA has evolved si...

In this week’s episode I sat down with Keely Cat-Wells. Keely, a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree and Presidential Leadership Scholar, has been a dedicated advocate for disability rights since becoming Disabled in her teens. She is the CEO of Making Space, a talent acquisition and learning platform and co-founded Making Space Media, producing content that centers Disabled voices. We discuss investing in...

In this week’s episode I sat down with Julia Métraux. Julia is Mother Jones' disability reporter, where she covers disability, chronic illness and mental health as it relates to politics. Her experience is influenced by her lived experience with vasculitis, a TBI, ME/CFS and hearing loss. We discuss what it means to be a disability reporter, how reporting on disability has evolved over time, issue...

In this week's episode it is just me and the microphone. After my most recent doctor's appointment last week (week of 1/6/2025) I wanted to sit down and update you all on how I'm doing, how I'm feeling, my frustrations, my hopes, my growth, my pain...all of it. Relief For Disabled People Impacted By The Los Angeles Fires: Richard Devylder Disaster Relief Fund: https://disabilitydisasteraccess.org/...

In this week’s episode I sat down with Marissa Bode. Marissa is an artist and actor who made history in her feature-film debut as Nessarose in the film Wicked, being the first actor that is also a wheelchair user to play the part. We discuss her audition process, what Nessa means to her, the importance of seeing disabled characters authentically portrayed on screen and stage and much, much more. A...

I'm back! After a brief hiatus I am back on the microphone to catch you all up on what has happened in the too many minutes that we've been apart. I share how my recovery has been going, talking about the ups, the downs, the moments of joy, of frustration, and everything in between, before sharing what my plans are for the future of Always Looking Up as we head into the new year. Follow Me: Instag...

In this special episode Jillian sat down with Ariella Elm. Ariella is a content creator on TikTok who covers politics, local and global news. With Election Day just around the corner we discuss voting and accessibility and making sure that disabled voices are heard and disabled votes are counted. Election Resources: https://vote.gov https://www.ada.gov Find Out How to Vote in Your State - AAPD Fol...

In this special episode it is just me and the microphone as I share a little life update as I will be having surgery in the matter of days which means the podcast will be on a bit of hiatus. I then discuss what it has been like to live and exist in my body during this time, the impact it has had on my physical, mental, emotional, and social health before looking ahead to the future, talking about...

In this week’s episode I sat down with Madison Lawson. Madison is a journalist, model and disability rights activist. Recognizing the importance of authentic representation in media from a young age, Madison strives to bring light to the disabled experience and to create a world that is more equitable for the next generation of disabled people. We discuss the relationship between history and acces...

In this week’s episode I sat down with April Lockhart. April, coined the Internet's "Disabled Fashion Girlie", has become a pioneer in the disabled community through her online fashion content. Her approach to vulnerable storytelling about her limb difference online has amassed millions of views and empowered many within the disabled community to express themselves through style. With September be...

In this week’s episode I sat down with Steven Verdile. Steven is the founder of Squeaky Wheel Media, a nonprofit organization that empowers disabled writers to use humor to combat ableism, and the first-ever satire publication focused on disability. We discuss the ways in which traditional comedy spaces are inaccessible, why it was so important to build a team of writers with voices that are authe...

In this week’s episode I sat down with Sophia Herzog Gibb. Sophia is a two-time medal-winning Paralympian, having competed as a swimmer in the 2016 and 2020 Paralympic Games in Rio and Tokyo. She is now joining NBC as a contributor covering the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. We discuss the excitement and media coverage surrounding this year's Paralympics, important language you need to know, how...

In this week’s episode I sat down with Tiffany Yu. Tiffany is the CEO & Founder of Diversability, an award-winning social enterprise to elevate disability pride, the Founder of the Awesome Foundation Disability Chapter, and the author of The Anti-Ableist Manifesto: Smashing Stereotypes, Forging Change, and Building a Disability-Inclusive World . We discuss the creation and evolution of Diversabili...

In this week’s episode I sat down with Tilly Griffiths. Tilly is a two-time Stanford graduate from the United Kingdom, recently completing her Master's degree in Communication with an emphasis on data journalism during which she focused on telling impactful, data-driven stories about the disabled experience. As a full-time power wheelchair user living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, she also dedicat...

In this week’s episode I sat down with Shaunta-Maé Alexander. Shaunta-Maé is an incredibly gifted Public Speaker, Adaptive Athlete, Brand Ambassador, Influencer, Actress, Author, Philanthropist, Distance Runner, and 2024 “People’s Choice” Webby Award Winner. Her personal story of hard work, determination, tenacity, and faith through her disabilities has been used to help motivate and encourage the...

In this week’s episode I sat down with Kayla Hamilton. Kayla is a Texas-born, Bronx based performance maker, dancer, educator, and consultant. She is a Bessie Award-winning dancer and her performance, choreographic and disability arts work has been presented by institutions across New York City and the U.S. In July of 2024 she announced the creation of Circle O, a new cultural organization establi...

In this week’s episode I welcomed back Aubrey Smalls. Aubrey is an actor, filmmaker, and content creator with dwarfism who uses his platforms to educate people about what it means to be a little person and dwarfism history. We discuss how the historical beliefs, behaviors, perceptions and prejudices towards people with dwarfism have persisted and evolved through to present day in a world where con...

In this week’s episode I sat down with Daisy Friedman. Daisy is a writer and director based out of New York City. Her history as a multi-organ transplant recipient has drawn her to create work that centers on the intersections of tradition, intimacy, embodiment, and disability. We discuss the spaces in between disabled and not, the power in telling disabled stories that are raw, visceral, and pers...

In this week’s episode it is just me and the microphone as I sit in my thoughts and feels and reflect on the Little People of America national conference that just took place in Baltimore. I explain what the national conference is, reflect on what the week meant to me and yes, there was certainly some laughter and perhaps tears. Follow Me: Instagram:  @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast Ti...

In this week’s episode I sat down with Rebecca Williford. Rebecca is a seasoned, nationally recognized disability community leader and an ardent disability rights litigator, currently serving as the President & CEO of Disability Rights Advocates (or DRA), the leading national nonprofit disability rights legal center whose mission is to advance the rights, inclusion, and equity of people with disab...

In this week’s episode I sat down with Pamela Rae Schuller. Pamela is an internationally known disability and mental health advocate, and professional stand-up comedian. We discuss how she combines comedy and storytelling with a message about inclusion and mental health, how certain humor has to be earned, being powerfully snarky, underestimating our younger selves and much, much more. Follow Pame...

In this week’s episode I sat down with Muroj Negha. Muroj is a fashion designer who is striving to redefine the boundaries of fashion and empower individuals of short stature to express themselves authentically. We discuss trying to fit into spaces and clothing that are not designed for our bodies, the inaccessibility of adaptive fashion for people of short stature, how she is building a brand for...