Finding Avalon: Amplifying Disabled Voices

In this Season One finale, host Jenna highlights the diverse experiences of her guests, emphasizing Disabled resilience and humour, as well as the importance of authentic representation and intersectionality in disability narratives. She speaks about her passion for storytelling and priority to celebrate and center diverse Disabled voices for both education and empowerment in this 20 episode podca...

Sailing Beyond Limits: Empowerment and Adventure withAdapted Sailing In this episode of the Finding Avalon podcast, host JenniferBarnable speaks with Paul Tingley, a three-time Paralympic medallist and chair of Canada's AbleSail Network. They discuss Paul's journey into adaptive sailing following a skiing accident, his experiences in competitive sailing, and the importance of adaptive sail...

Episode Title:   Risk, Trauma and Abuse: Disabled Women's Reality with Kristina Kyser In this episode, host Jennifer (Jenna) Barnable speaks with Kristina Kyser, a former psychotherapist and now a psychospiritual teacher, about her journey through trauma, motherhood, and the systemic issues surrounding disability and abuse. Kristina shares her personal experiences withintergenerational and chi...

Navigating Online Accessibility and Safety: Guidance for the Disability Community In this episode of Finding Avalon, Jenna Barnable speaks with Ionatan Waisgluss, a private investigator and cybersecurityprofessional, about the intersection of online accessibility and safety. They discuss the importance of accessibility in digital spaces, the risks faced by Disabled people online, and practical adv...

"Autism and Invisible Illness: Removing the Mask and Embracing Joy " with Láyla Messner In this episode, Jenna Barnable speaks with Láyla Messner, a Canadian autistic art activist, about her journey with multiple invisible disabilities, the challenges of masking, and the impact of burnout on autistic individuals. She talks about things that non-disabled people can learn from Disabled peo...

Listen to a compilation of short previews of each guest episode from Season 1, with a quick word from each guest. The Finding Avalon Podcast is a diverse collection of interviews showing the world a more accurate, empowered view of Disabled life and leadership. It’s always a good time to learn from Disabled, chronically ill and neurodivergent advocates and leaders. Whose stories will you listen to...

"Wellness and Allyship" In this episode of Finding Avalon, Jenna Barnable interviewsAngel Reyes-Giacalone, a registered acupuncturist and ally to the disability community. They discuss Angel's personal journey as a daughter of a disabled mother and as a wellness practitioner, the importance of listening to patients, the impact of ableism, and the need for anti-ableism in healthcare....

Episode 12: "Living and Leading with MS" In this episode, host Jenna Barnable speaks with Candice Colwell, an MS Canada ambassador, about her journey with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and her advocacy work. They discuss the complexities of living with MS, the importance of community support, and the misconceptions surrounding disabilities. Candice shares her personal experiences, the challeng...

From Autism in Girls to Autism in Menopause with Gemma Gray In this episode of Finding Avalon, host Jenna Barnable speaks with Gemma Gray, a PhD student, researcher, and advocate for autistic women. They discuss Gemma's journey to diagnosis, the challenges of masking, the importance of intersectionality in understanding autism, and the unique experiences of raising autistic girls to thrive. Th...

"Anti-Ableism and Advocacy: Not a Solo Mission" with host Jennifer (Jenna) Barnable. In this bonus episode mid-way through Season 1, Jenna shares more about her personal journey with disability, the profound impact of ableism, and what drives her advocacy and activism. Jenna speaks about the complex, systemic environmental and attitudinal barriers she has faced and witnessed in a society that disa...

Navigating Adaptability in Disabled Pet Care with Feline Diabetes Ambassador Adonis Sugar Kitty and mom Roxy Velez In this episode, Roxy Velez shares her journey with her diabetic cat, Adonis, and how their family navigates the challenges of feline diabetes. She discusses the importance of commitment and personal adaptability, as well as the emotional impact of managing a diabetic cat's health...

Disabled Nurse & Service Dog: A Dynamic Duo Breaking Barriers with Chloe Hammond and Ocho In this episode of Finding Avalon, host Jenna Barnable speaks with Chloe Hammond, a pioneering disabled nurse and disability advocate from the UK. Chloe shares her complex disability journey, including her diagnoses and the challenges she faced in accepting her identity. She discusses the vital role of he...

Canada's Opioid Poisoning Crisis: See the Person,Stop the Stigma with Kathryn Dunmore "Addiction is a fatal disease. We need to talk about it and livewith empathy." – Kathryn Dunmore, advocate for addiction awareness. In this episode of Finding Avalon, host Jenna Barnable speaks with ally Kathryn Dunmore about her personal journey through the opioid crisis, the stigma surrounding add...

"Making Room for Mental Health at Dragonfly HavenTherapeutic Farm"Charlotte Paul is an Indigenous woman from Glooscap First Nation in Nova Scotia, Canada. In this episode, she shares her personal experiences with mental health disability and the innovative ways she manages her wellness, including opening a therapeutic, sensory friendly farm, Dragonfly Haven to offer healing and peace to...

Spiritual Awakening or Neurodivergent Self-Discovery? Not a coincidence, says Jenniva, a first-generation Jamaican American intuitive guide, content creator, and spiritual entrepreneur. Jenniva’s built a large TikTok following and a vibrant community committed to self-discovery, spiritualawakening, authenticity and healing – especially powerful for late-discovered neurodivergent people like hersel...

Jenna is joined by Ashley King, a visually-impaired actor, playwright and accessibility consultant. We’ll learn about Ashley's awareness raising efforts around methanol poisoning, accessibility in the arts, and her sensational autobiographical play, Static: A Party Girl’s Memoir. Be sure to check out her podcast of the same name here on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

Award-winning Canadian artist and podcaster Kristen Herrington talks tinnitus, hearing loss, building an innovative, accessible and sensory-friendly community gallery in rural Nova Scotia. Listen as Jenna and Kristen connect as kindred spirits as creative East Coast women living with invisible disabilities, exploring advocacy issues with sincerity, punctuated by bursts of levity. Check out the Mik...

Dietician and doctor-in-training Fernand Vedrenne joins us from Mexico City to discuss fatphobia in healthcare and other ableist and sexist barriers to patient care He discusses his experience navigating med school with ADHD, and shares his approach to dignified patient care and communication. This episode is especially enlightening as Fernand is a person living with disability while advocating fo...

Canadian musician and activist Naomi Kavka shares her journey with disability, how music helps her process, express and connect through her experiences with mental health, chronic pain, neurodivergence and alcoholism. She vulnerably shares her experiences with generational trauma, including supporting family members with disabilities and chronic illness. Naomi also talks frankly about barriers to...

The Finding Avalon podcast centers and celebrates authentic Disabled representation. Disabled advocate, creator and educator Jennifer (Jenna) Barnable has curated a collection of remarkable stories from disabled, chronically ill and neurodiverse people, and our community allies. Jenna introduces herself as host and explains why she started this podcast before giving a quick preview of the season a...

An indie podcast amplifying authentic Disabled stories, Finding Avalon is hosted by Atlantic Canadian disability inclusion advocate Jenna Barnable. In its first season , you'll hear a collection of diverse Disabled voices from playwrights and paralympians to service dog trainers and self defense experts - and more. Finding Avalon empowers guests and listeners to share their lived experiences w...