Amplifying the stories and voices of people with disabilities, their families, and advocates in our community.
Voices of ABLE2 is a podcast featuring powerful, real conversations about disability, inclusion, and community. In each episode, we share the lived experiences of people supported by ABLE2, along with insights from families, volunteers, and advocates who are helping create a more inclusive Ottawa.
This is storytelling with heart. And every story is a call to action.
Whether you’re looking to learn, feel, or be inspired, we invite you to listen in and hear what belonging sounds like.
Listen to the latest episodes below:
Pilot Episode: Amplifying Voices with Sequence Marketing featuring Agency Principal Veronique Soucy
In this heartfelt conversation, Vero shares how Sequence Marketing became a champion for ABLE2’s mission, the creative journey of renaming Citizen Advocacy to ABLE2, and why giving people a voice through storytelling is so powerful. Tune in to hear how collaboration, compassion, and creativity come together to make inclusion heard. Transcript available here.
Episode 1: The Ally That Changed Everything featuring ABLE2 Match Michael and Mike
For years, Michael lived with agoraphobia, or fear of open and crowded spaces, almost all his life. During the pandemic, he shares that these feelings of loneliness and isolation heightened even more, which shaped his daily reality. Isolated from the world and unsure if meaningful connection was still possible, everything changed when he met Mike through ABLE2’s Matching Program.
In this powerful first episode, Michael and Mike share how their match grew into a friendship that helped Michael slowly step outside again, from short moments on his balcony to standing among 17,000 people at an Ottawa Senators game. Transcript available here.
Episode 2: Navigating the Wait — A Mother and Daughter’s Journey Through Ottawa’s Housing Crisis
For many families, finding safe and affordable housing is a challenge — but for people with disabilities, the wait can stretch into years. Joelle and her mother Patti have been on Ottawa’s social housing waitlist for more than a decade. Ten years of searching, hoping, and wondering when Joelle will finally have the chance to live independently.
In this episode, Patti shares her fears about aging without knowing her daughter’s future is secure, while Joelle speaks openly about the frustration of being ready for independence but still waiting for a place to call her own. Their story sheds light on the harsh realities of being on a waitlist for a basic necessity such as housing— and how ABLE2’s Housing Support Program is helping them move toward stability, confidence, and hope. Transcript available here.
Episode 3: Nothing About Us Without Us — Centering Lived Experience in Building Inclusive Communities
For far too long, decisions about accessibility, inclusion, and community design have been made without the people most impacted by those decisions. In this episode, disability advocate, entrepreneur, and speaker Michael Lifshitz joins us to discuss why lived experience must be at the center of every conversation about disability and why “Nothing About Us Without Us” remains a vital call to action today.
Drawing from his 50 years of lived experience with disability, Michael shares real-world examples of what happens when decisions are made without consulting the community — from inaccessible infrastructure to representation that exists only on paper. He also reveals the difference it makes when leaders genuinely listen, include, and act on the insights of people with disabilities.
This honest and insightful conversation explores barriers that still limit meaningful participation, the importance of representation in media and public life, and practical ways allies can amplify disability voices to drive real change. Transcript available here.
Listen to Voices of ABLE2 on any of the podcast platforms below:
Thank you to Voices of ABLE2’s Presenting Sponsor, Sequence Marketing
As one of ABLE2’s most trusted partners, Sequence Marketing has played a vital role in amplifying ABLE2’s mission, connecting with communities, and sharing stories that matter. Known for their creative and people-focused approach, they bring a commitment to storytelling and brand excellence that makes a real impact. Their generous support has made this podcast possible.
Thank you, Sequence Marketing, for helping us make inclusion heard.
Do you have a story to share or know someone who should be featured? Contact us at events@able2.org.
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