This Ability Podcast

01/03/2026

💟A Mother’s Love, A Trailblazing Spirit ☮️& Unwavering Faith ✝️

We’re kicking off Season 3 of This Ability Podcast with a powerful conversation you won’t want to miss. This Monday, January 5, we sit down with Elizabeth and Elijah Duplechain, a remarkable mother-son duo from Opelousas, Louisiana. Elijah, who has been diagnosed with Down syndrome, autism, ADD, and ADHD, continues to pursue excellence with determination and heart—while his mom Elizabeth has been his constant advocate and biggest supporter every step of the way. Aunt Mandy joined us in the studio and shared some of her favorite stories with Elijah.

🎧 The audio episode drops Monday, January 5 on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeartRadio and all other major podcast platforms. 📺 The video podcast premieres on our YouTube channel Monday, January 12.

Season 3 is here—and it starts with resilience, love, and advocacy. 💙♿️ Stay tuned and be sure to listen, watch, and share!

Elizabeth Duplechain St. Landry Abilities

01/02/2026

✨ New Year. New Voices. New Possibilities. As we welcome 2026, we want to start the year by lifting up a powerful advocate in the disability community. We are honored to support Latavia, Ms. Wheelchair America 2026, and the first national titleholder from New York! 🎉

As Ms. Wheelchair America 2026, Latavia is using her platform to advocate for the more than 64 million Americans living with disabilities. This year, she will be traveling across the country to meet with lawmakers, organizations, and communities to raise awareness, promote inclusion, and ensure disabled voices are seen, heard, and valued. 👑

💙 This fundraiser supports her advocacy work, including:
⭐️Travel and lodging
⭐️Meals
⭐️A care companion
⭐️The ability to show up fully and amplify the voices of her “wheel sisters & brothers” nationwide

When you donate, you’re not just supporting one woman—you’re investing in accessibility, representation, and lasting change for our entire community.🌏

🔗 Donate here: https://gofund.me/127381a01
Ms. Wheelchair America Ms. Wheelchair America 2026 Latavia Sturdivant

01/02/2026

☕🤟 Start the New Year with Connection & Conversation! 🤟☕

Join us for Lafayette ASL Coffee Chat on Friday, January 9th at 6:00 PM at Jet Coffee. Whether you’re: brand new to ASL, know the ASL alphabet and want to learn more or already signing and looking to connect.👉 This space is for YOU.

The new year is the perfect time to:
✨ Make new friends
✨ Practice and improve your ASL skills
✨ Learn in a relaxed, welcoming environment
✨ Be part of an inclusive community

No pressure. No perfection. Just coffee, conversation, and community 💙 Bring a friend (or come solo!) and start 2026 signing with confidence. We can’t wait to see you there!

01/02/2026

☕🤟 Start the New Year with Connection & Conversation! 🤟☕
Join us for Lafayette ASL Coffee Chat on Friday, January 9th at 6:00 PM at Jet Coffee.

Whether you’re: brand new to ASL, know the ASL alphabet and want to learn more or already signing and looking to connect.
👉 This space is for YOU.

The new year is the perfect time to:
✨ Make new friends
✨ Practice and improve your ASL skills
✨ Learn in a relaxed, welcoming environment
✨ Be part of an inclusive community

No pressure. No perfection. Just coffee, conversation, and community 💙 Bring a friend (or come solo!) and start 2026 signing with confidence. We can’t wait to see you there!

01/01/2026

✨ New Year. New Voices. New Possibilities. As we welcome 2026, we want to start the year by lifting up a powerful advocate in the disability community. We are honored to support Latavia, Ms. Wheelchair America 2026, and the first national titleholder from New York! 🎉

As Ms. Wheelchair America 2026, Latavia is using her platform to advocate for the more than 64 million Americans living with disabilities. This year, she will be traveling across the country to meet with lawmakers, organizations, and communities to raise awareness, promote inclusion, and ensure disabled voices are seen, heard, and valued. 👑

💙 This fundraiser supports her advocacy work, including:
⭐️Travel and lodging
⭐️Meals
⭐️A care companion
⭐️The ability to show up fully and amplify the voices of her “wheel sisters & brothers” nationwide

When you donate, you’re not just supporting one woman—you’re investing in accessibility, representation, and lasting change for our entire community.🌏

As the host of This Ability Podcast, I know my followers believe in the power of advocacy and community. If you’re able, please consider supporting Latavia’s journey and sharing this post. Let’s begin the New Year by standing up for the disability community—together. ♿✨

🔗 Donate here: https://gofund.me/127381a01

Ms. Wheelchair America 2026 Latavia Sturdivant Ms. Wheelchair America

Hi! I am Ms. Wheelchair America 2026 and I am the first National titleholder… Latavia Sturdivant needs your support for Ms. Wheelchair America 26 Goes On Tour

01/01/2026

✨ Goodbye 2025. Hello 2026. As the year comes to a close, we want to pause and say thank you to every single person who supported This Ability Podcast in 2025.💛

💫 This year, we shared powerful stories, lifted disabled voices, celebrated advocacy wins, highlighted incredible books, organizations, and leaders, and continued important conversations about accessibility, inclusion, and lived experience. 2025 was a year of growth, learning, and community—and we couldn’t have done it without you. 💙

✨ Looking ahead…We’re excited to announce that Season 3 of This Ability Podcast launches in January 2026! 🎙️

📚 New stories. New voices. New conversations that continue to educate, inspire, and connect our disability community and allies.
As we step into the New Year, we remain committed to amplifying voices that deserve to be heard and creating space where everyone belongs. 💖

🥰 Thank you for being part of this journey. Stay tuned… 2026 is just getting started. ♿

From our family to yours—Happy New Year! ☮️💟✝️

12/31/2025

Happy New Year's Eve Y'all!

12/31/2025

♿️ What was the Capitol Crawl? ♿️ This short excerpt is from our recent book reading of "All the Way to the Top" with Lexi and me—and the book highlights one of the most powerful moments in disability rights history: the Capitol Crawl. 📚

On March 12, 1990, dozens of people with disabilities gathered at the steps of the U.S. Capitol to protest barriers that denied them access, opportunity, and basic civil rights. With no ramps and no accessible entrance, activists did the unthinkable—they left their wheelchairs, crutches, and walkers behind and crawled up all 78 marble steps. ⚖️

Among them was Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins, just 8 years old, who said simply: “I’ll take all night if I have to.”
That image—people physically struggling to reach the seat of American democracy—shook the nation. Just four months later, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was passed. ♿️

The Capitol Crawl wasn’t just a protest.
It was a declaration of human dignity.
A reminder that accessibility is not charity—it’s a right. 🌟

🎥 This clip is just a preview.
👉 Visit our YouTube channel to watch the full book reading with Lexi and experience the entire story together. https://youtu.be/EfZEj_K9Xks

12/30/2025

📢 Reposting to highlight important work by the FISA Foundation

FISA Foundation is a nonprofit organization based in southwestern Pennsylvania that champions equity, justice, safety, and inclusion for women, girls, and people with disabilities. Their work actively confronts systemic racism and barriers that prevent these communities from fully accessing resources, opportunities, and safety—especially during times of crisis.

🎥 Webinar Recording Now Available!

In November, FISA Foundation’s Race and Disability team hosted an important webinar titled: “Building Inclusive Emergency Preparedness: Centering Resilience in the Disability Community.”

This conversation focused on the disproportionate impact of disasters on people with disabilities and highlighted practical, inclusive strategies for emergency preparedness, response, and resilience—ensuring disabled people are not left out of disaster planning.

👏 Panelists included:
• Shaylin Sluzalis & Germán Parodi — The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies
• Ciawanda McDonald — Disability Solutions for Independent Living, Inc.
• Misty Dion — Roads to Freedom Center for Independent Living

Huge thanks to these presenters for sharing their expertise, lived experience, and commitment to inclusive disaster planning.

👉 Watch the full webinar recording here:
https://disabilityinclusionpgh.org/recordings/

This is an important resource for advocates, families, emergency planners, and anyone committed to disability inclusion and preparedness. Please take a moment to watch and share. 💙 FISA Foundation

Webinar Recording Available!
In November, the Race and Disability team hosted a webinar on “Building Inclusive Emergency Preparedness: Centering Resilience in the Disability Community.” The recording is now available to view! The webinar focused on the disproportionate impact of disasters on people with disabilities, and efforts to prepare and respond to support people with disabilities when such events occur.

Panelists included:
-Shaylin Sluzalis and Germán Parodi from The Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies
- Ciawanda McDonald from Disability Solutions for Independent Living, Inc.
- Misty Dion from Roads to Freedom Center for Independent Living

Thank you to our amazing presenters for sharing their expertise and insights.
View the full webinar recording here: https://disabilityinclusionpgh.org/recordings/

12/30/2025

📚 Why Disability History Matters—Now More Than Ever ⚖️ I just finished reading "Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist" by Judith Heumann. This book is powerful, honest, and deeply moving.

Judith Heumann’s story is not just history; it’s a reminder of how much advocacy, courage, and persistence it has taken (and still takes) to fight for disability rights, access, and dignity. Her voice challenges the reader to think differently about inclusion and justice.

Over the next few days, I’ll be sharing my full review of the book—and when I do, I’ll also be revealing a secret project I’ve been working on 👀✨ One that is very much inspired by the themes of this memoir and the ongoing work of disability advocacy.

Stay tuned… and if “Being Heumann” is on your reading list (or already on your shelf), I’d love to hear your thoughts too 💙

12/29/2025

We are so excited to now be accepting applications for our 2026 camp session!
Apply now at layouthleadershipforum.org/del-app to have the best summer ever!