It's not that people do not have a voice; everyone has a voice. The question is, who is willing to listen to those voices? So if my voice, relatively speaking, is heard more, then I have to be able to signpost and amplify the concerns of those that society likes to push further into the margins.
At the age of 10, I was introduced to the world of neurodivergence. In the past, I would have said I was "diagnosed" as if it were a condition that would prevent me from living a wildly wonderful and creative life.
For a really long time, I longed for someone to represent me, my experiences and what I cared about until I concluded that I was the only one who could represent and speak about all of those things truthfully.
Navigating a world that wasn't built for people who can only use one arm has led me to think more creatively, be innovative, adapt and be resilient.
We are excited to announce our partnership with KALM: Mindfulness Coach, a mindfulness and well-being app that offers guided breathing exercises, daily affirmations, and mindfulness tips to help users manage stress and anxiety and find balance in their daily lives.
I will continue to infiltrate traditional parenting spaces until stepmothers are fully acknowledged - not as an afterthought, but as an integral part of expos, seminars, and events centred around parenting. This is what makes me a Disruptor.
I also remember how stress made it even harder to manage the pain. The worst part was knowing you wanted to perform but couldn’t, especially when losing a match you could have won.
I did everything I could to hide my disability for fear I would appear non-competitive. However, when I finally ‘came out’ about being blind, it opened up so many doors I didn’t expect.
My mum taught me to always stay vigilant in understanding when the majority or the ‘trusted voices’ were falling short. She told me to be brave enough to speak power to those who couldn’t always speak so boldly for themselves or were not given the platforms to do so.