The I Can't Stand Podcast

Nas Campanella is the National Disability Affairs Reporter at the ABC and one of the most recognisable disabled voices in Australian media. In this episode, she reflects on the responsibility of reporting on disability in Australia and the issues shaping the lives of disabled people today, from the NDIS to employment and education. We also talk about representation in journalism, living with blind...

What does it mean to live with the constant background noise of ableism? Actor Kiruna Stamell shares her experiences of disability representation, discrimination and building a career in the acting industry. Connect with Kiruna Stamell: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kirunastamell/?hl=en Agent website: https://libertyartistmgt.com.au/actor/kiruna-stamell/ Connect with Peta Hooke: Instagram:&...

Caroline Bowditch is a performance artist and arts leader who has spent more than two decades shaping disabled culture in Australia and the UK. A recipient of the Sidney Myer Creative Fellowship for 2025 to 2026, she continues to influence how disability is understood in dance and the wider arts sector. We explore her pivotal work Falling in Love with Frida , and how reclaiming Frida Kahlo through...

In this episode of The I Can’t Stand Podcast, I speak with author and performer Pam Joy Wood about psychosocial disability, long term mental health recovery, and the power of self advocacy. Pam lives with ADHD, complex PTSD, and a history of acute and chronic major depression. Through her solo show DYS-ORDER-ED and her memoir Five Fat Sausages, she shares what it means to survive systemic fa...

In this episode, Peta speaks with Jane Wardlaw about mentorship, mobility, and the deeply personal decision of when to start using a wheelchair. Jane shares her lived experience of growing up with muscular dystrophy, navigating changing mobility, and how a wheelchair became a tool for safety, freedom, and possibility rather than loss. Together, they explore why mentorship matters for disabled peop...

Linh Uendo joins The I Can’t Stand Podcast for an honest conversation about disability, drag, and growing up in a medicalised body. Born with Prune Belly Syndrome, Linh shares what it was like navigating childhood, body image, and visibility, and how drag became a space where she did not need to hide. Connect with Linh Uendo: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@littlelinhuendo Instagram: https:/...

Why are disabled people still missing from mainstream media? In this episode of The I Can’t Stand Podcast, host Peta Hooke speaks with Susan Wood, Senior Content Manager at Spinal Cord Injuries Australia and host of Have the Nerve, about disability, media exclusion, and representation in Australia. Susan shares her lived experience of wanting a career in news media and being repeatedly locke...

Storm Menzies is the founder of ByStorm Beauty, a brand on a mission to make beauty more accessible, without sacrificing style or dignity. After injuring her dominant hand at the gym, Storm realised how much dexterity is assumed in everyday makeup tools, and how often disabled people are excluded from the beauty conversation altogether. In this episode, Storm shares how she went from DIY clay prot...

In this short episode, Peta shares a personal reflection on 2025, a year defined more by endurance than spark. She talks about living through ongoing illness and injury, the role of work and conversation in keeping her grounded, and the relationships that carried her through a difficult year. Peta also explains a brief pause to the podcast as she undergoes gallbladder surgery, and shares her hopes...

This is a short Christmas message to say thank you for listening to The I Can’t Stand Podcast this year. The show will be taking a brief break over the holidays and will return on Tuesday the sixth of January. If you’d like to give the podcast a little Christmas present, a rating or review would mean so much. It helps new listeners find the show and supports the work that goes into eac...

Lucy Edwards is a broadcaster, journalist, and one of the most recognisable blind content creators in the world. In this episode, she opens up about losing her sight at 17, building a career online, and why she proudly says, “I love being blind now.” We talk about the grief of going blind, how she found confidence through storytelling, and her latest venture: launching the accessible b...

In this episode, Peta speaks with model, actor and advocate Amelia Tang about what life looks like when illness reshapes everything. Amelia shares their experience of becoming disabled as a teenager, the long periods they spent bedbound, and how community kept them connected when they could barely tolerate light or sound. They talk about modelling with a feeding tube, navigating friendships throug...

Ed Roberts is often called the father of the independent living movement, but many people have never heard his story. This week, I’m joined by Professor Scot Danforth, author of An Independent Man , to explore Ed’s life, from contracting polio at fourteen and living in an iron lung, to becoming a key figure in disability rights. We talk about the moments that shaped his activism, the p...

Grace Spence Green was a medical student when a man jumped from a height in a shopping centre and landed on her, causing a spinal cord injury that left her paralysed from the chest down. In this conversation, Grace speaks openly about the moment her life changed, the long road through hospital and rehabilitation, and what it was like to suddenly become the patient after training to care for others...

When Clare Reilly was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2017, she thought her days of outdoor adventure might be behind her. But the lifelong outdoors lover, podcaster, and mum is preparing to take on something extraordinary; a 1,072-kilometre ride along Western Australia’s Munda Biddi Trail using her off-road wheelchair. In this episode, Clare joins Peta to talk about the quiet courage i...

In this episode, Paralympian, author, and advocate Don Elgin joins Peta to explore what true connection means within the NDIS and beyond. After representing Australia at three Paralympic Games and winning four medals, Don turned his focus to advocacy. As Head of Events at One Community, he now leads more than 120 networking events each year, connecting participants, carers, and providers to improv...

In this episode, Pete Horsley, Founder of Remarkable, the disability-tech accelerator powered by Cerebral Palsy Alliance, joins Peta to explore how technology, innovation, and lived experience are reshaping the future of accessibility. Over the past decade, Pete and his team have supported more than 160 startups developing technologies that change disabled people’s everyday lives. Through Re...

In this episode, Clare Stewart, CEO of Youngcare and former Mayor of Noosa, joins Peta to share her powerful story of resilience, disability, and purpose. At just 23 years old, Clare was struck by a garbage truck while out for a morning run. She spent six months in hospital and underwent 37 surgeries to save her legs. Twenty-five years on, she’s leading one of Australia’s most respecte...

In this episode, neurodivergent advocate, educator, and founder of My Spirited Child and the National PEKE Centre, Rebecca Challoner, joins Peta to explore what it really means to live and parent, with ADHD. Rebecca shares her journey from discovering her own diagnosis after her children’s, to founding two groundbreaking organisations built on neurodivergent-affirming principles. She unpacks...

Trans artist Oliver Ayres and his partner, producer Kaite Head, join Peta Hooke to discuss their new Melbourne Fringe show No Seasons . The performance explores Oliver’s experience freezing his eggs at nineteen, living with disability and chronic illness, and the couple’s ongoing conversations about parenthood, love, and choice. Together, they share how turning such a personal sto...

In this episode of The I Can’t Stand Podcast , Peta Hooke speaks with disability advocate, entrepreneur, and author Tiffany Yu. Tiffany is the founder of Diversability and the author of The Anti-Ableist Manifesto , a powerful guide that evolved from her viral TikTok series. Together, they explore how social media can be a gateway to deeper conversations, how to confront internalised ableism,...

In this episode, disability advocate and Steptember ambassador Sophie Geeves shares her journey from early intervention with the Cerebral Palsy Alliance to presenting evidence in Parliament. She opens up about the role of CPA in her life, what Steptember means to her, why inclusion in education is still a fight, and how she navigates belonging in both disability culture and mainstream society. Key...

In this episode, lifelong AFL fan Shaun Keath shares how groundbreaking technology is transforming the way blind and vision-impaired people experience footy. He opens up about the isolation of attending games in the past, the excitement and challenges of testing the new Touch and Track device, and why inclusion in sport matters so deeply. Key Moments: [1:09] Shaun introduces himself and his lifelo...

In this episode, disabled comedian Gem Turner shares an empowering perspective on living with disability. She talks about using humour to challenge preconceived notions, finding confidence through posting viral videos, and getting real about the daily realities for many disabled people. Key Moments: - [1:23] Gem explains how she started posting videos to "fight back" against being patronised and i...

The I Can't Stand Podcast Returns for Season 5! After an unexpected hiatus, your favorite disability podcast is back! Host Peta Hooke shares what's coming up in the long-awaited fifth season of I Can't Stand, featuring interviews with disabled voices from around the world. Get ready for insightful discussions on ableism, disability and LGBTQI culture, the doctor-to-patient transition, technology a...