Always Looking Up

In this week’s episode I sat down with Hannah Bonam-Young. Hannah is a writer of romance novels including Next of Kin, Next to You, and Out On A Limb that feature a cast of diverse, disabled, marginalized, and LGBTQIA+ folks in romantic storylines that blend with the beautiful, messy, and challenging realities of life. We discuss how she got into writing, why she wanted to write romance, the need for more diverse, disabled authors in the genre, how beautiful it is to be loved for who you are, that disabled people are worthy of a happy ever after and much, much more.

Hannah's Books:

Next of Kin

Next to You

Out On A Limb

Follow Hannah: Instagram: @authorhannahby TikTok: @hannahby_writes Website: https://www.hannahbywrites.com/

Follow Me: Instagram:@jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website: https://www.jillianilana.com/ Email: [email protected]

This podcast was edited and produced by Ben Curwin

In this week’s episode I sat down with Emma Vogelmann. Emma, also known as The Wheelchair Activist, is a disability activist based in the UK. She is the Policy, Public Affairs and Research Manager at Transport for All and host of The Wheelchair Activist Podcast. We discuss the differences in the US vs the UK in regards to disability representation, some of the impossible beauty standards that exist and the impact they have on the disability community, that disabled people are the experts on disability, how the world can change yet continuously tries to change us and much, much more.

Listen To The Wheelchair Activist Podcast:

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

Listen To My Episode Of The Wheelchair Activist Podcast:

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

Follow Emma: Instagram: @emma.vogelmann Website: https://www.thewheelchairactivist.com

Follow Me: Instagram:@jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilanaWebsite: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin

In this week’s episode I sat down with Matthew August Jeffers. Matthew is an actor of stage and screen, having appeared on shows such as New Amsterdam, FBI, and The Blacklist and can currently be seen portraying Nat on the AMC show The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live and is about to be making his Broadway debut in the play An Enemy Of The People. We discuss the dance between recognizing limitations and accepting challenges, that dwarfism is not a monolith, seizing opportunities to affect the most change, what it means to him to be an actor with dwarfism and much, much more.

Follow Matthew: Instagram: @matthewaugustjeffers

Follow Me: Instagram:@jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilanaWebsite: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin

In this week’s episode I sat down with Dom Kelly. Dom is the Co-Founder, President & CEO of New Disabled South, a non-profit working to achieve liberation and justice for disabled people in the South. and New Disabled South Rising, its advocacy arm. Prior to that he served as both the Georgia Fundraising Director and the Senior Advisor for Disability for Stacey Abrams’ campaign for governor of Georgia and was the Senior Fundraising Manager and a Strategic Advisor for Disability at Fair Fight Action, where he also created and led the organization’s Disability Council composed of prominent disability advocates and policy experts from across the country. We discuss understanding disability from a political perspective, the importance of base-building, how New Disabled South is achieving its mission and much, much more.

Follow Dom: Instagram: @the_tattoedjew Twitter/X: @the_tattoedjew

Follow New Disabled South: Instagram:@newdisabledsouth Twitter/X: @DisabledSouth LinkedIn: New Disabled South Facebook: New Disabled South Website: https://www.newdisabledsouth.org

Follow New Disabled South Rising: Instagram: @newdisabledsouthrising Twitter/X: @DisSouthRising LinkedIn: New Disabled South Rising Website: https://www.newdisabledsouthrising.org

Follow Me: Instagram:@jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast Twitter/X: @jillx3456 Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin

In this week’s episode I sat down with Shelby Holloway. Shelby, in addition to being one of my best friends, is a content creator on TikTok and an advocate for dwarfism awareness. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner we have a heart-to-heart about the realities of dating as a little person, dating as a disabled person, the importance of looking for a safe space to find those relationships, and much, much more.

Follow Shelby: Instagram:@shelbyhollowayy TikTok: shelby_holloway

Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast Twitter: @jillx3456 Website: https://www.jillianilana.com Email: [email protected]

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin

In this week’s episode I sat down with Rebecca Cokley. Rebecca is the program officer for the Ford Foundation’s first-ever U.S. Disability Rights program, which is focused on strengthening the field, building a pipeline of diverse leadership, promoting disability pride, and mobilizing resources toward disability rights work. Prior to joining the foundation Rebecca was the co-founder of the Disability Justice Initiative at the Center for American Progress and is a three-time presidential appointee under President Obama. With 2024 being a pivotal election year we discuss the disability rights and disability justice issues on the ballot, as well as ways in which the disability community can get involved, highlighting the work that is being done by individuals and organizations, the fact that visibility is often confused for impact when it doesn’t have to be and much, much more.

Follow Rebecca Cokley: Twitter: @RebeccaCokley

Organizations Mentioned:

AAPD RevUp Campaign

Center American Progress

Data For Progress

Disability Victory

New Disabled South

Follow Me: Instagram:@jill_ilana,@alwayslookingup.podcast TikTok: @jillian_ilana Website:https://www.jillianilana.comEmail:[email protected]

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin

In this week’s episode I sat down with Amy Roloff. Amy is a reality TV star, appearing on the show Little People Big World, an a cookbook author and a motivational speaker. We discuss having to contextualize what it means to be a little person, the power of sport in the little person community, life through a camera lens and much, much more.

Follow Amy: Instagram: @amyjroloff Website: https://amyroloffslittlekitchen.com

Follow Me: Instagram:@jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast Website: https://www.jillianilana.comEmail: [email protected]

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.

In this week’s episode I sat down with Bradley Rose. Bradley is a Peloton Instructor, and teaches cycling classes from Peloton Studios London, bringing his unique British charm and eternally optimistic attitude to every ride. Prior to joining Peloton, Bradley spent the last ten years in the USA, working as an actor, appearing in both films and TV shows. After sharing his story we discuss how he defines being a survivor, how he came into fitness and becoming a Peloton instructor, what it means to be a part of the disabled, survivor, and Peloton communities and much, much more.

Follow Bradley: Instagram: @bradley_rose23 TikTok: @bradrose23

Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast Website: https://www.jillianilana.comEmail: [email protected]

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.

In this week’s episode I sat down with Professor Javier Robles. Professor Robles is a professor at Rutgers University in the Kinesiology and Health Department, is the Director of the Center for Disability Sports, Health and Wellness at Rutgers, and is the Chair of the New Jersey Disabilities Covid-19 Action Committee. We discuss the differences between equality vs. equity, the importance of disability education, what is needed in order to have a society that is truly inclusive for people with disabilities, why his class is the reason I transferred to Rutgers and much, much more.

Follow Me: Instagram:@jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast Website: https://www.jillianilana.comEmail: [email protected]

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.

In this week’s episode I sat down with Caitlin Conner. Caitlin, in addition to being the founder and CEO of Be More Adaptive, a global disability database, is a mom, a model, an advocate, and an athlete. After sharing her beautifully impactful story we discuss what it means to be a T-Rex and a chameleon, the differences between adaptive and universal design, the ability to be strong with a disability, the fact that we are worthy of joy and much, much more.

Follow Caitlin: Instagram: @caitlin.andherlegnamed.rex LinkedIn Newsletter: Adversity Is Your Super Power

Follow Be More Adaptive: Instagram: @bemoreadaptive Website: https://www.bemoreadaptive.org

Follow Me: Instagram: @jill_ilana , @alwayslookingup.podcast Website: https://www.jillianilana.comEmail: [email protected]

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.