Colin Judge was born with one arm and no legs, and today he is a Paralympic table tennis player, speaker, and analyst living in Dublin.In this episode of ListenABLE, Colin opens up about dating with a disability, rejection, and why you do not need to prove your worth to the wrong people. He shares the moment a short video about dating stopped the scroll online, and how learning to value the people who choose you changed the way he sees relationships and confidence.Colin also takes us through his journey to the Paralympics, the hidden grind of elite sport, and what people do not see behind the scenes of Paralympic competition. From being excluded as a teenager, to finding his sport, to navigating reclassification and identity, this conversation explores resilience, adaptability, and self-belief in a way that goes far beyond disability.We also talk about fear of rejection, finding your voice on social media, taking initiative when it feels uncomfortable, and why accessibility is often more about mindset than infrastructure.This is a powerful, honest conversation about confidence, self-worth, and becoming more than the labels placed on you.Follow Colin Judge on Instagram: @colinjudge100
What happens when you finally get the diagnosis that explains your whole life… and what doesn’t it change at all?In this powerful episode of ListenABLE, Angus sits down with disability advocate and podcaster Kelly Berger, who shares her journey living with an ultra-rare form of congenital muscular dystrophy, Collagen 6. After years of misdiagnosis, Kelly received her genetic confirmation as an adult, a moment that brought clarity, community and a new sense of direction, without changing who she fundamentally is.Kelly speaks candidly about the emotional weight of diagnosis, navigating healthcare systems, building community, and what real accessibility actually looks like in daily life. From the realities of infrastructure in the US to the gaps between performative inclusion and genuine integration, this conversation goes well beyond awareness and into what meaningful change requires.We also dive into Kelly’s podcast 'Wheel Talk', her advocacy work, and how she’s helping reshape how disability, rare disease and identity are spoken about in public spaces.This is a conversation about resilience, identity, leadership and how visibility changes everything.Living with Collagen 6 congenital muscular dystrophyThe emotional impact of finally receiving a genetic diagnosisRare disease advocacy and disability representationAccessibility in infrastructure and public spacesNavigating healthcare systems and misdiagnosisDisability identity and prideBuilding community with and without disabilityLanguage, inclusion and allyshipPerformative vs meaningful disability representationCreating podcasts within the disability communityWhy visibility mattersKelly Berger is a disability advocate, podcaster and rare disease community leader living with Collagen 6 congenital muscular dystrophy. She is the co-host of Wheel Talk, a podcast exploring disability, identity and lived experience through honest, accessible conversations. Kelly works actively in advocacy, accessibility awareness and rare disease representation.ListenABLE is a podcast created to amplify disability voices, challenge stereotypes and explore what inclusion actually looks like in practice. Hosted by Angus O’Loughlin alongside Dylan Alcott, the show brings real stories, lived experience and meaningful conversations into the mainstream.Podcast: Wheel Talk with Kelly and Averyhttps://www.instagram.com/thewheeltalkpodcast/
When Joshua Ruff’s heart stopped for three minutes, everything changed.Living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) since childhood, Joshua had already navigated a lifetime of disability, adaptation, and resilience. But in 2020, a sudden cardiac arrest during the early days of COVID forced him into a profound reckoning with mortality, fear, and what actually matters.Unable to speak and communicating only through his eyes, Joshua was told he might never return home. Instead, that moment became the catalyst for a new way of living. One centred on human connection, creative purpose, and letting go of fear.In this powerful conversation, Joshua shares how surviving cardiac arrest reshaped his outlook on life, relationships, and ambition. He opens up about growing up with DMD, the emotional toll of teenage years, and the quiet pressure to always appear positive as a wheelchair user. We explore how gardening became both therapy and vocation, leading to the creation of Henle Gardens, a lavender farm producing oil, products, and community experiences.This episode is about disability, yes. But more than that, it is about meaning, independence, love, and choosing to live fully without apology.Key Topics CoveredSurviving a cardiac arrest and communicating only through eye movementLiving with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and challenging early life expectancy narrativesLetting go of fear after facing deathGardening as purpose, therapy, and businessBuilding an accessible lavender farm and producing lavender oilIndependence, support systems, and redefining successWhy people with disability are elite problem solversRelationships, self-worth, and rejecting the idea of being a burdenPositivity, grief, and the danger of masking emotionsNotable Moments“The most important thing is human connection. Everything else doesn’t matter.”“My heart stopped for three minutes, and somehow that freed me.”“I didn’t believe I deserved a relationship. That belief almost cost me one.”“People with disability are the best problem solvers because life never gives us the easy path.”“Independence for me is choice, not doing everything alone.”About Joshua RuffJoshua Ruff is a gardener, lavender producer, and founder of Henle Gardens in regional Victoria. Living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Joshua has transformed personal adversity into creative expression, community connection, and entrepreneurship.After surviving cardiac arrest in 2020, he committed to building a life driven by purpose rather than fear. Today, his lavender farm produces oil, dried lavender products, and hosts garden visits, festivals, and community groups, proving that accessibility and beauty are not mutually exclusive.
In 1988, Mark Dorrity went for a run on a 35-degree day in regional New South Wales. He was leading the race when severe heat stroke caused his body to shut down.Mark spent 70 days unconscious in intensive care. He lost most of the muscle in his body, underwent a high-level leg amputation and was given little certainty about what life after hospital could look like.But this is not simply a story about survival.In this episode of ListenABLE, Mark joins Dylan Alcott and Angus O’Loughlin to share how he rebuilt his life from the ground up. From learning to stand again, returning to full-time work and confronting inaccessible public spaces, to retraining his brain through Toastmasters decades later, Mark’s story is a powerful lesson in resilience, neuroplasticity and choosing to keep moving forward.Mark also reflects on how far disability access and inclusion have come in Australia since the late 1980s, why accessible parking matters far more than people realise, and why he refuses to live with regret.What happened when Mark collapsed from severe heat stroke during an eight-kilometre raceWaking up in intensive care 70 days laterThe moment Mark learned his leg had been amputatedRebuilding strength after losing most of his muscle massReturning to work after a life-changing injuryLiving with a high-level amputation and why a prosthesis was not sustainable for MarkHow disability access and inclusion have changed since the late 1980sThe reality behind accessible parking and public spacesNeuroplasticity, Toastmasters and retraining the brain later in lifeWhy resilience is not about avoiding difficulty, but choosing to keep showing up00:00 The moment Mark’s life changed01:31 A race, extreme heat and collapsing near the finish line04:35 Waking up 70 days later in intensive care07:14 The decision to amputate or let Mark die09:48 Accepting a new reality immediately11:10 Learning how to live again after intensive care13:06 Seeing his story on the front page of the newspaper14:55 Why a wheelchair was not practical for Mark16:39 The first time using a walking frame in public18:11 Where Mark’s resilience came from19:02 What disability access was like in Australia in the late 1980s21:42 How Mark views disability today24:59 Prosthetics, pain and adapting to life without one27:05 Returning to full-time work27:46 Cognitive recovery, speech and Toastmasters30:20 Neuroplasticity and retraining the brain32:08 Seeing his body after amputation33:25 Would Mark warn himself before the race?34:50 Mark’s message on risk, resilience and living fullyMark Dorrity, heat stroke survivor, amputation recovery, high-level amputation, disability podcast Australia, disability inclusion, accessibility Australia, neuroplasticity, resilience story, life after amputation, Dylan Alcott podcast, ListenABLE podcast, disability advocacy, rehabilitation journey, Toastmasters recovery
Spencer West returns to ListenABLE for an honest and powerful conversation about disability, accessibility and what it really means to be seen.Four years after his first appearance on the podcast, Spencer joins Angus O’Loughlin in person to talk about Melbourne’s accessibility, able-bodied assumptions, language around disability, social media advocacy and the moments from his life that people often romanticise from the outside.Spencer opens up about growing up without legs, rejecting prosthetics, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, feeling excluded from inaccessible queer spaces and learning that he does not always have to share his story just because someone asks.Guest Links: Spencer Westhttps://linktr.ee/spencer2thewesthttps://www.spencer2thewest.com/https://www.instagram.com/spencer2thewest/https://www.tiktok.com/@spencer2thewesthttps://www.youtube.com/user/Spencer2TheWest00:00 Spencer West returns to ListenABLE02:04 Melbourne accessibility and public transport03:28 When accessibility is gatekept04:42 Should people get praise for accessible spaces?05:52 Spencer explains his disability07:43 The assumption about disability people need to drop09:04 Disability language and using the word disabled11:32 Learning to advocate for his own body13:49 The truth about climbing Kilimanjaro16:21 Social media, responsibility and disability advocacy17:17 Feeling more visible than misunderstood17:47 Using humour to educate