Hey, welcome to an episode of Crippled by Culture, where we talk about everything in life and relate it to the disability and chronically ill community. My name is Sean Gold and I am an author, advocate, and nonverbal public speaker for the disability community.

Before we jump in, I just want to give a quick shoutout to Isabella Christine for being my voice transcriber for this episode—thank you so much. Today we’re talking about the intersections of invisible disabilities and navigating from trauma to triumph, and I’m really excited for this one.

Guest bio: Rev. Dr. Xenia Barnes is a Motivational Speaker, Co-Author of Triumph in the Trenches, Keynote Speaker, and a Social & Behavioral Scientist. As a passionate Empowerment Advocate, she inspires individuals and organizations to unlock their potential and choose resilience. With a focus on Transformational Leadership and Personal Development, she delivers dynamic workshops and seminars designed to foster growth and ignite change.

FOLLOW DR. BARNES

https://www.patreon.com/RDBSpeaks

https://youtube.com/channel/UC8JSipA2AreaSKdODtn6vDQ

https://www.rdbspeaks.com/

https://www.instagram.com/rdb_speaks/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8JSipA2AreaSKdODtn6vDQ

Sean's links:

https://linktr.ee/authorseangold

Hey, welcome to an episode of Crippled by Culture, where we talk about everything in life and relate it to the disability and chronically ill community. My name is Sean Gold and I am an author, advocate, and nonverbal public speaker for the disability community.

I just want to give a quick shoutout to Brandon Lingle for being my voice transcriber for this episode—thank you so much. Today we’re talking about the intersections of disability, self-advocacy, women with ADHD, and centers for independent living

Guest bio: Jodi Hausen, an award-winning journalist and storyteller with decades of media experience. After being diagnosed with ADHD later in life, she began focusing her work on amplifying the voices of people often left out of mainstream media. Jodi serves on the board of a Center for Independent Living in Montana and volunteers with organizations like Special Olympics and Eagle Mount Bozeman. She also writes the Substack newsletter More Than Normal, where she explores powerful stories and insights around disability and access.

FOLLOW JODI

jodihausen.com

jodihausen.substack.com

Sean's links:

https://linktr.ee/authorseangold

Hey, welcome to an episode of Crippled by Culture, where we talk about everything in life and relate it to the disability and chronically ill community. My name is Sean Gold and I am an author, advocate, and nonverbal public speaker for the disability community.

Guest bio: Derek Canas (AKA D-REK), born a sweet, cute, seemingly healthy baby, had everything going for him until the age of 3 months, when he was surrounded by many doctors talking about transposition of the great arteries, pacemakers, and blood transfusions. His parents now had, what they called a “battery operated son”. This was a scary scenario for his parents with so many touch-and-go moments. 16-years later another illness that Derek had been living with started to show symptoms: HIV. This only brought on a more terrifying roller-coaster ride. With courage, unconditional love and sheer determination, Derek was not going to let any one of his health issues get in the way of his dream of becoming a DJ! Spinning music is the passion of his soul. Today, taking his fight against HIV to new hope, He can be found on WEGO health as a patient leader. A survivor of both open heart surgery and HIV, his doctors refer to him as "The Terminator." And that he is!! He is also the creator of the #EndTheStigma Campaign and D-REK's Angels and Warriors. On the weekends he turns into the crazy DJ – living his dreams!!

FOLLOW DEREK

https://www.angelsandwarriors.org/

https://www.facebook.com/DREKSANGELSANDWARRIORS

https://www.instagram.com/dreksangelsandwarriors_/

https://x.com/DREK912

https://www.tiktok.com/@angelsandwarriors

Sean's links:

https://linktr.ee/authorseangold