Lois Strachan

In this episode I chat with author Jann Weeratunga about her journey as a writer and how she has become a strong ally for the disability community through her writing. Jann’s children’s books include characters with disabilities, and serve to normalize the concept of disability for both disabled and non-disabled children. During our conversation Jann talks about her books, the work she does in sch...

In this episode I chat with Lee Haskin, founder of Connor’s Haven in Mitchel’s Plain, Cape Town. When learning that her newborn baby was disabled, Lee made a commitment to providing the care her child would need. This led to the founding of Connor’s Haven and Resource Centre, which has become a centre of support and resources for parents and caregivers of children with disabilities in an area that...

In this episode I chat with Stephanie Duesing, author of the book Eyeless Mind, about her discovery that her son, Sebastian, had been living with undetected CVI for 15 years, and was almost completely blind. We discuss the difference between ocular blindness and cerebral/cortical blindness, the event that led Stephanie to discover her son’s CVI, and how he processes sight with words, the importanc...

In this episode I chat with Kellina Powell, aka Deaf Queen Boss, from Toronto, Canada. Kellina and I discuss her journey through hearing loss at the age of 4 years, college, her new online coaching business assisting others who are deaf, and her brand new book, “Every Day I am Just Deaf: Life in a Hearing World with Deaf Queen Boss” Contact Kellina at Instagram: @deafqueenboss Web: kellinaempowerm...

In this episode Jeremy Opperman chats to me about a recent adventure of an aerobatic flight. During our conversation we explore various aspects of how I experienced the flight, including what I felt when flying upside down and what it was like for me to actually fly the plane as a totally blind person. Contact Jeremy Opperman at Web: www.disabilitydesk.co.za YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/channel...

In this episode I chat to Dr Homiyar Mobedji, from Benetech Asia/Africa. We discuss the importance of inclusive education and its importance in employment of persons with disabilities in the developing world. We also talk about the need for accessible books and Homiyar’s role as head of Benetech Asia/Africa, and the role of the Bookshare library for persons with print disabilities as a tool to sup...

In this episode I chat to Ken Edmonds, from the YouTube channel Traveling with a Chair, and the new global directory AccessibleTravel.info. Ken shares with us how he became involved in developing accessible travel platforms, and what people can find on his YouTube channel. He also talks about his new initiative, AccessibleTravel.info which is a global directory of accessible travel destinations an...

In this episode I chat to Mdu Mathenjwa of Grashyo Creations about writing to heal and the importance of telling our stories. Mdu also shares his own story of resilience and determination to move forward after a life-changing experience that led to the starting of his publishing company, Grashyo Creations. Contact Mdu Mathenjwa at Web: www.mdumathenjwa.co.za or www.grashyo.club Social media: @MduM...

In this episode I chat to Dr Karen Smit about her work empowering young women with disabilities, as well as the impact that digital inclusion in the telecommunications industry can have on the lives of persons with disabilities. Contact Dr Karen Smit at karensmit50@gmail.com Contact Lois with podcast topics or guest suggestions at Web: loisstrachan.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loisstrach...

In this episode I chat to author and disability advocate Elizabeth Sammons about the way persons with disabilities are represented in literature. Elizabeth shares great advice for authors, both those with and without disabilities, who wish to include characters with disabilities in their writing. Here are the publications mentioned by Elizabeth during our conversation: “Blindness: Is Literature Ag...

In this episode I chat to Dr Michelle Botha about different ways of thinking and talking about disability, and how the theories impact on our lived experiences. Michelle and I chat about • The Medical Model, • The Social Model • Critical Disability Theory We discuss what those models are, how they play out in our lives, and in the lives of those with little or no personal contact with disability C...

In this episode we get creative and turn everything upside down. Because it’s all about change! Our host, Lois Strachan is on the other side of the microphone as she speaks to guest interviewer, Jeff Thompson from the Blind Abilities podcast network about what to expect in the new format of A Different Way of Seeing. Find out what to expect in future episodes and the story of how Lois got into pod...

In this episode our host, Lois Strachan, speaks with Brian Bushway of Acoustic Athletics about echo location as a tool to help us navigate the world. We also share news on upcoming changes to the podcast, so be sure to listen right to the end of today’s episode. Here’s how you can contact Brian Bushway and Acoustic Athletics: YouTube The Brian Bushway- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnSsNx-Ql3WN...

In this episode, our host, Lois Strachan, speaks with Mary Klinkradt of Raising Hope SA about adaptive golf and the launch of the Raising Hope SA Golf Academy in Cape Town. For general enquiries contact Mary on mary@raisinghopesa.com For enquiries on adaptive golf lessons, contact Shane on golfacademy@hazendal.co.za Look out for news of the podcast update coming soon… This episode was edited by Cr...

In this episode, our host, Lois Strachan chats to Saffura Khan who is a social activist involved in many different areas of the disability sector. She is education manager at the South African National Zakah Fund, and a radio presenter. Saffura was born blind and she loves to travel. Today's travel quote is by Lawrence Block: "Our happiest moments as tourists always seem to come when we stumble up...

In this episode, our host, Lois Strachan, speaks with Matthew van Zyl from Square One Paragliding and Taryn Tomlinson from Able2Travel about the introduction of adaptive paragliding into South Africa. Today's travel quote is by Leonardo da Vinci: "Once you have tasted flight, you will always walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward. Because there you have been, and there you long to return" Th...

In this episode, our host, Lois Strachan, chats with Meiki Motshabi.who learned to swim as a visually impaired adult. We will hear about her love of water sports and her swimming adventures. Today's travel quote is by Rabindranath Tagor: " This episode was edited by Craig Strachan using the Hindenburg software. Credits read by Musa E. Zulu.

In this episode, Lois Strachan chats with the team from Handicapped Scuba Crew, an NPO that provides adaptive scuba diving experiences. Handicapped Scuba Crew can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HandicappedScubaCrew/ Today's travel quote is by Justina Chen Headley: "I didn't know that the world could be so mind-blowingly beautiful." This episode was edited by Craig Strachan using...

In this episode, Lois speaks with Michael Hingson.about his experiences with long distance air travel with a guide dog. Michael has been blind his entire life and received his first guide dog at 14 years old. Today's travel quote is by Aaron Lauritsen: "Explore, experience, then push beyond." This episode was edited by Craig Strachan using the Hindenburg software. Credits read by Musa E Zulu

Today Lois speaks with Neha Arora of Planet Abled in India. The organisation promotes accessibility and inclusive travel for people with all disabilities, giving people the freedom of choice to travel wherever they want. Neha's father is blind, and her mother is a wheelchair user, so Planet Abled was born through her own experiences of travel and the challenges presented for her family. Today's tr...

In this episode, Lois Strachan speaks with Praveena Sukhraj-Ely who is joining us from Pretoria in South Africa. Praveena was partially sighted until the age of 12 years old, when she lost her sight completely. After school, she studied to become a lawyer, and did a Masters in political science, and a Phd in public policy, which opened up opportunities to travel. She shares her story and travels i...

In this episode our host, Lois Strachan, chats with Nick & Nikki Smit. Nick is an entrepreneur, teacher and public speaker, forging his way forward in the disability space as founder of Smergos. Nikki is a swimming coach, teaching children from age 6 and up water safety. She also is an animal lover, happy to house & pet sit while also currently completing a Psychology degree. Nick has cerebral pal...

In this episode, our host, Lois Strachan speaks to multi-talented Musa. E Zulu who is an artist, author, and motivational speaker. Musa was paralysed in a car accident in 1995 and shares about his life, his work and his travels as a wheelchair user. Musa is soon to release his book, for further information on release dates and where to purchase a copy, contact information as follows: valhallaarts@...

In this episode, our host, Lois Strachan, chats to Tony Giles, also known as Tony the Traveller, about his independent travels as a person who is both blind and hearing impaired. Tony, joining us from the UK, has travelled to almost 140 countries and already has his next countries lined up. Today's travel quote is by Pico Iyer: "We travel initially to lose ourselves, and we travel next to find our...

In this episode our host, Lois Strachan, speaks with Mark Bannister who has done a considerable amount of travelling. Mark was born in and grew up in Liverpool, England. As a young child, Mark was diagnosed with a form of Muscular Dystrophy. He shares about his adventure and travel experiences. In 2020, Mark published a book titled Eyes Wide Open, which attempts to show how you can turn any challe...