The YDAS podcast is proudly produced by disabled young people, for disabled young people.

Join hosts Paige, Alexa and Ciri, as they chat about disabled young people and COVID-19.

Over 4 episodes, they interview guests from the disability community and explore COVID-19 vaccinations, Long COVID, mental health and advocacy.

If you are a disabled young person who is interested in self-advocacy, COVID safety and connecting with the disability community, this podcast is for you!

Season 2 of the podcast was produced and hosted by our COVID-19 Vaccination Disability Leaders. They create content about COVID-19 vaccination that centers the voices of disabled young people.

Podcast trailer

Hear some highlights of what's to come in this season of the YDAS podcast.

Episode 1: COVID Vaccinations 

Paige and Ciri chat to Heather, a disability sector consultant with National Disability Services Australia (NDS). Heather answers questions about COVID vaccination eligibility, getting vaccinated without a Medicare card, and much more.

Episode 2: Long COVID 

Our hosts chat with Kat and Darcy about Long COVID. Kat provides an in-depth explanation about Long COVID, and both Kat and Darcy share tips on how to prevent Long COVID and how to look after yourself if you get Long COVID. They highlight the importance of 3 Ps- Plan, Pace and Prioritise.

Resource shared in the podcast: https://www.meaction.net/stoprestpace/

Episode 3: Advocacy and wellbeing during COVID

Our hosts chat with Darcy and Laura about staying COVID-safe, tips to look after your mental wellbeing, and how the wider community can be fully inclusive of disabled young people.

Episode 4: Lived experience of COVID-19

Our hosts chat with Morn, a disabled young person with lived experience of COVID-19. Morn shared their experience of COVID-19, including testing positive, isolating in a hotel, slowly recovering and pacing themselves as they ease back into their daily routine.

Ways to listen

You can listen to the podcast using the SoundCloud links above or you can listen on the websites below.

Spotify

Soundcloud

Podcast transcripts

Click the links below to read the transcripts for each episode.

Meet the guests

Heather

Heather (she/her)

Heather has been working as a Disability Sector Consultant with National Disability Services Australia since 2020. Heather’s role has been to focus on COVID vaccination, prevention and management which has included sharing information from health experts with disability services and people living with disability.

Darcy

Darcy (they/them)

Darcy is a Blak, trans, mad, neurodivergent crip living on Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Country. They are passionate about seeking community liberation beyond the confines of the colonial imagination.

Darcy works across mob, disability, queer, and trans spaces. They currently work primarily in advancing mob self-determination in the water sector. Outside of this, Darcy co-leads their workplace’s disability network, and sits on the LGBTQIA+ network steering committee. They also tutor undergrad mob in Criminology, Indigenous Cultures and Histories, and Sociology.

Darcy’s key focus across their roles is empowering community through the defiance and destruction of colonial boundaries.

Kat

Kat (they/them)

Kat is queer, trans, immigrant, chronically ill and disabled. They are a third-culture, city-born country-dweller living on the lands of the Yorta Yorta Nation.

lp headshot

Laura (she/her)

Laura Pettenuzzo is a disabled writer living on Wurundjeri land. She is passionate about mental health and accessibility and was part of Express Media’s 2022 Toolkits program. Her words have appeared in various places including The Age and SBS.

Morn

Morn (they/them)

Morn is a high school student as well as an LGBT and disability advocate. Previously, they have done work with Escape Velocity, a youth-led transgender advocacy project. They are also doing work with Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA)