Inclusion and Disability Advocacy from a Parent's Perspective: The Inclusive Dad

In this episode of The Inclusive Dad podcast, host AAron talks with Fleur Bryant, a wheelchair user, mother, author, and disability advocate, about finding possibility when life doesn’t go to plan. After losing her son Toby to a terminal brain disease, Fleur transformed grief into purpose, writing Never the Plan and founding The Make Way Foundation to help children access wheelchairs and build community. She shares lessons on redefining high performance, pursuing ambitious dreams, and moving forward without leaving loved ones behind. Plus, discover how asking questions, challenging assumptions, and making small changes can create meaningful disability inclusion for everyone.Key Takeaways:Choose Possibility — Instead of asking “What if?” and dwelling on how life could have been different, ask “What is possible?” and explore what you can do now.Redefine Success — High performance is possible with a disability or other challenges. Focus on your own progress rather than comparing yourself with someone whose circumstances are different.Move Forward — Grief doesn’t mean leaving loved ones behind. Find ways to carry their memory into new experiences, goals, and meaningful work.Build Community — Surround yourself with people who understand your experiences, offer support without judgment, and help you move from surviving to thriving.Ask, Don’t Assume — Every disabled person has different needs. Ask people what would help, involve them in decisions, and recognize that small changes can make a significant difference.Fleur Bryant’s definition of inclusion:inclusion is meeting people where they are, asking questions, listening, and making sure everyone has the opportunity to pursue their dreams.Fleur Bryant’s Bio:Fleur Bryant is the Amazon #1 bestselling author of Never the Plan, founder of The Make Way Foundation, and a para endurance athlete.Fleur has faced life not going to plan in more ways than most. She struggled physically from the age of five, spent decades with the wrong diagnosis and is now a full-time wheelchair user. But the biggest change came when her middle child, Toby, was diagnosed with a terminal brain disease at seven years old. He died 18 months later, aged nine.Since then, Fleur has built The Make Way Foundation, helping disabled children access the equipment and opportunities they need to achieve their potential, written her memoir Never the Plan, and most recently completed a 33.3km open-water swimming challenge using only her arms.Today, Fleur is fascinated by one question: when life looks nothing like the plan you started with, what is still possible?Connect with Fleur Bryant:Website: https://www.fleurbryant.com/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fleur.bryant.1Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fleurbryantBuy Her Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H44Z662QSPAM© Count:Host:YesCurrent Guest:NoCumulative Guest Stats:Yes - 97No - 125☕ Buy me a Coffee: ⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/theinclusivedad⁠Subscribe to Podcast Newsletter: https://www.theinclusivedadpodcast.com/newsletter/Want to be a guest on Inclusion and Advocacy from a Parent's Perspective: The Inclusive Dad? Send Aaron DeVries a message on PodMatch, here: ⁠https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/theinclusivedad⁠

In this episode of The Inclusive Dad podcast, host AAron talks with Ellie AuDHD Capstick about late-diagnosed autism and ADHD, childhood experiences, and the power of understanding neurodivergence. Ellie shares how discovering her neurodivergence after her children’s diagnoses helped explain years of feeling different, facing criticism, and struggling to fit in. She discusses the intersection of neurodivergence and trauma, why neurodivergent children need safety and understanding, and how her online community creates affordable, supportive spaces. Ellie challenges listeners to recognize their privilege, stand up for others, and remember that nobody is broken. Sometimes, people simply need different skills and support.Key Takeaways:Late Diagnosis — Ellie discovered her autism and ADHD after her children received their diagnoses, helping her understand a lifetime of feeling different.Stop the Criticism — Neurodivergent people may experience repeated criticism for behaviors others accept, making understanding and acceptance essential.Trauma and Vulnerability — Ellie discusses how neurodivergence can intersect with trauma, bullying, addiction, and unhealthy relationships, emphasizing the importance of safety, boundaries, and prevention.Inclusion Takes Action — Inclusion means accepting people as they are, recognizing privilege, and advocating for people who face discrimination or exclusion.Find Your Tribe — Nobody is broken or beyond help; with the right skills, support, and community, people can find belonging and acceptance.Ellie AuDHD Capstick’s definition of inclusion:Inclusion is where everyone is accepted.Ellie AuDHD Capstick’s Bio:I’m Ellie, an AuDHD educator, podcast host and founder of Ellie AuDHD. Like many late-diagnosed neurodivergent adults, I spent years wondering why life seemed harder for me than everyone else. Receiving my diagnosis helped me understand myself, but it also highlighted how much misinformation, shame and loneliness still surrounds ADHD and autism.I also sadly believe my a AuDHD made me susceptible to all kinds of abuse throughout my life and I’m passionate about helping protect our Neurodivergent Youth becoming part of the same statistics.Today, I use my lived experience alongside practical education to help neurodivergent people feel seen, understood and less alone. Through my podcast, AuDHD and Then Some, and my growing online community of 50,000 plus, I have honest conversations about ADHD, autism, masking, burnout, childhood trauma, relationships, executive functioning and the realities of everyday neurodivergent life.I’m known for making complex topics easy to understand with warmth, humour and honesty. Whether we’re discussing serious subjects like trauma and recovery or laughing about the everyday shit parts of AuDHD life, my aim is always the same: to help people understand themselves with a little more compassion and a lot less shame. If you’re looking for a genuine, engaging conversation that your audience will relate to, I’d love to join you. Connect with Ellie AuDHD Capstick:Linktree: https://linktr.ee/EllieaudhdFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1CVwSKLfWq/?mibextid=wwXIfrYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EllieaudhdInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ellie_audhd_and_then_some/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ellie-audhd-capstick-b8a971415/?isSelfProfile=falseSPAM© Count:Host:YesCurrent Guest:NoCumulative Guest Stats:Yes - 97No - 124☕ Buy me a Coffee: ⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/theinclusivedad⁠Subscribe to Podcast Newsletter: https://www.theinclusivedadpodcast.com/newsletter/Want to be a guest on Inclusion and Advocacy from a Parent's Perspective: The Inclusive Dad? Send Aaron DeVries a message on PodMatch, here: ⁠https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/theinclusivedad⁠

In this episode of The Inclusive Dad podcast, host AAron talks with author and disability advocate Jenn Chassman Browne and artist, educator, and activist Hope Demetriades about the power of stories to create understanding and inclusion. Jenn shares her book See Us, Know Us: Profiles of Disability, featuring 30 people with diverse disabilities and identities. Hope discusses living with an invisible disability, the challenges of being misunderstood, and why curiosity is more powerful than judgment. They explore accessibility, inclusive education, neurodiversity, allyship, and the importance of listening to people’s lived experiences. This conversation reminds us that inclusion begins when we slow down, listen, and see people for who they are. Key Takeaways:Stories Build Understanding — Personal stories can help people move past defensiveness and connect with the lived experiences of people with disabilities.Invisible Disabilities Matter — Someone who looks completely able-bodied may be experiencing significant pain or navigating challenges others simply cannot see.Curiosity Beats Judgment — Inclusion means being curious about differences rather than making assumptions, judging, or automatically deciding what someone needs.Rethink Education — Better disability awareness and teacher training can help schools recognize individual needs and create more genuinely inclusive classrooms.Allyship Requires Action — Understanding disability should lead to meaningful action, advocacy, accommodations, and a commitment to ensuring disabled people have a seat at the table.Hope Demetriades’ definition of inclusion:Inclusion is approaching others with curiosity rather than fear and judgment.Hope Demetriades’ Bio:Hope Demetriades is an artist, educator, and activist whose work explores abolition, social justice, and inclusion. Living with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a connective tissue disorder, Hope brings personal experience and advocacy to conversations about invisible disabilities, accessibility, and the importance of understanding that people’s needs aren’t always visible. She is passionate about helping educators recognize and support different ways people learn, move, and participate. Through her art and advocacy, Hope encourages people to approach differences with curiosity rather than fear or judgment—and to be slow to judge what they cannot see. Connect with Hope Demetriades:Website: https://www.hopedemetriades.com/Connect with Jennifer Chassman Browne:Website: https://jenniferchassmanbrowne.com/SPAM© Count:Host:YesCurrent Guest:YesCumulative Guest Stats:Yes - 97No - 123☕ Buy me a Coffee: ⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/theinclusivedad⁠Subscribe to Podcast Newsletter: https://www.theinclusivedadpodcast.com/newsletter/Want to be a guest on Inclusion and Advocacy from a Parent's Perspective: The Inclusive Dad? Send Aaron DeVries a message on PodMatch, here: ⁠https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/theinclusivedad⁠

In this episode of The Inclusive Dad podcast, host AAron DeVries sits down with BE Alink, inventor, author, and founder of the Alinker walking bike, for a bold and thought-provoking conversation about inclusion, identity, and systems that were never built for everyone. BE challenges the idea of “fixing bodies” and instead invites us to rethink mobility, disability, and belonging. Together, they explore why inclusion often feeds exclusionary systems, how language shapes power, and what it looks like to create something so compelling that people want to belong. This episode is an honest call to reclaim creativity, dignity, and community.Key Takeaways:Cool Over Clinical - Designing mobility tools people want to use changes how society treats disability.Systems Exclude - Inclusion exists only because systems were built to leave people out.Language Matters - Words shape power—language can liberate or reinforce harm.Identity Stories - We’re more than labels; internalized stories shape worth and behavior.Build Something Better - Real change comes from creating new, magnetic communities—not fighting broken systems.BE Alink’s definition of inclusion:Inclusion is something that is manufactured by a system that inherently excludes certain groups based on their fear.BE Alink’s Bio:BE Alink was born and raised in the Netherlands, is a trained woodworker and restoration architect who left NL, for what became 10 years of community reconstruction work in Kenya, The Sudan, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Kosovo of which 3,5 years in Afghanistan. BE is the founder and inventor of the Alinker walking bike, which she refers to as a vehicle of change. BE's reverse design practices / philosophy lead to the Alinker, which is not built for a "body-with-a-problem" but for who we are, active and engaged.BE is a gender bender, and has often been called crazy, all over the place, scattered. People told her to focus, and to comply, but BE does not fit in, just held true to her vision that the world needs something else, for and by us all, no one excluded. BE focuses on who we are, not what we have. BE has built her company into a movement of people showing up for each other. Years ago, she said: "I dream of a world where the dismissed people of today are our leaders of tomorrow”.  BE employs Alinker users (otherwise unemployed), pays everybody living wage, The Alinker has certified BCorp status, is more than carbon neutral, and practically plastic free. The Alinker company is built to create access to health, by building access to mobility, community and real food. BE is also a musician, composer and frequency /neuroscience-based soundscape recording artist creating frequency and sound healing compositions. After years of studying and practicing in my own space, this is the first time I am publicly coming out in this capacity.Connect with BE Alink:Website: https://flowwolfbiotuning.com/Music: https://bealink.bandcamp.com/Email: [email protected]© Count:Host:YesCurrent Guest:NoCumulative Guest Stats:Yes - 79No - 98Subscribe to Podcast Newsletter: https://www.theinclusivedadpodcast.com/newsletter/Want to be a guest on Inclusion and Advocacy from a Parent's Perspective: The Inclusive Dad? Send Aaron DeVries a message on PodMatch, here: ⁠https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/theinclusivedad⁠Originally Aired 02/17/26

In this episode of The Inclusive Dad Podcast, host AAron welcomes artist, activist, and art therapist Zian Chavez, producer of the award-winning documentary We Are the Most Beautiful People: Adults with Disabilities. Zian shares their journey as a queer, non-binary, neurodiverse, Spanish, Indigenous, New Mexican living with multiple sclerosis, and how lived experience fueled their global movement for disability equity and dignity. Together, Aaron and Zian explore redefining beauty, dismantling systemic barriers, and the power of empathy in everyday inclusion. This conversation is both inspiring and grounding—a call to move from inclusion to liberation for people with disabilities worldwide.Key Takeaways:Redefining Beauty – Zian’s film reframes beauty through the lived experiences of adults with disabilities, making it an act of affirmation and resistance.Inclusion vs. Liberation – Inclusion isn’t enough; Zian urges society to move toward full liberation, where everyone already belongs.Global Movement – The documentary connects stories across continents, proving disability inclusion is a universal human issue.Everyday Empathy – Simple acts like eye contact or saying hello can begin dismantling fear and stigma around disability.Indigenous Wisdom – Many Indigenous cultures naturally include all members—offering models for true belonging that modern societies can learn from.Zian Chavez’s definition of inclusion:Inclusion must be intentionally designed and maintained through specific actions, policies and practices. We need to remove systemic barriers.Zian Chavez’s Bio:Zian (she/they) is a Spanish, Indigenous, New Mexican, queer, non-binary, neurodiverse, artist, activist, Art Therapist and film producer. She was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1993. They also live with anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and a cognitive and speech impairment. They also live unapologetically with an exorbitant abundance of love and respect for all humans. She’s lived in California, New Mexico, Guam, Hawaii, Spain, England and Portland, Oregon. They went to grad school at southwestern college in Santa Fe, New Mexico for a dual degree in Art Therapy and counseling. After grad school she moved to Portland, Oregon and started working with different nonprofits working with adults with disabilities. For the past 7 years, Zian has been an Art Therapist working with HIV positive Oregonians. They are the producer of a new disability documentary called, "We are the Most Beautiful People | Adults with Disabilities".Connect with Zian Chavez:Website: https://wearethemostbeautifulpeople.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wearethemostbeautifulpeopleFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/WATMBP/?_rdrLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zianchavezwatmbpllc/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@wearethemostbeautifulpeopleSPAM© Count:Host:YesCurrent Guest:NoCumulative Guest Stats:Yes - 65No - 88☕ Buy me a Coffee: https://buymeacoffee.com/theinclusivedadSubscribe to Podcast Newsletter: https://www.theinclusivedadpodcast.com/newsletter/Want to be a guest on Inclusion and Advocacy from a Parent's Perspective: The Inclusive Dad? Send Aaron DeVries a message on PodMatch, here: ⁠https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/theinclusivedad⁠Originally Aired 11/25/25