Kate and Mandy talk to the legendary Julie – a peafessional social worker and art therapist with her own lived experience of disability due to being born with a hand difference.

Julie has many years of experience of working in the disability field as a social worker, and currently works across two advocacy roles – one supporting people to contribute to the Disability Royal Commission and another with Voice At The Table, an organisation that aims to increase the participation of people with cognitive disabilities in government and community organisations. 

Julie is also connected with Aussie Hands – an NFP that supports kids and adults who have been born with a hand difference or have an acquired hand injury.

Julie talks about the challenges of growing up in the 80s and 90s with a hand difference. Socially things could often be hard due to bullying and exclusion, and she became good at hiding her hand in her clothing to avoid being noticed. While always being very interested in becoming a social worker, these early experiences helped fuel her interest in supporting others with their own lived experiences of social exclusion.

It wasn’t until she began working for council-based disability access and inclusion program MetroAccess that Julie began to positively identify with her disability. Here, she was celebrated and sought out for her experience, and was introduced to a strong community of amazing people who were proud of their identities, and who in turn helped her find a new world of empowerment, ownership and pride.

Julie is also an awesome cake maker, and Mandy strongly believes she needs to be on the next series of Making It – check out her Instagram for all her cake pics and if anyone knows the producers of Making It – please get in touch and let’s try to make it happen!

Plus:

·      Thanks to the wonderful person who sent Kate and Mandy #blessed tshirts

·      Book tickets to our forthcoming live shows via our website

·      Buy our book The Invisible Life Of Us 

·      Get a signed copy and deck yourself out in some excellent Too Peas merch here!

·      Listen to our Spotify playlist – Too Peas: Songs Our Guest Peas Love

·      Melbourne forecast for Thursday May 12 – Shower or two developing, 19 degrees

·      Join our Facebook Hangout

·      Find us on YouTube

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Website: www.toopeasinapodcast.com.au

Email: toopeaspodcast@gmail.com

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