Always Looking Up

In this week’s episode I sat down with Violet aka hi its vi. Violet is a disability advocate, filmmaker, and content creator with almost 70 thousand followers on TikTok. Violet’s advocacy focuses on the representation of people with dwarfism in the media. In light of some recent at the time of recording comments made by actor Hugh Grant regarding the film Wonka we discuss how modern remakes of classic films are perpetuating harmful stereotypes, what Peter Dinklage actually said when discussing the upcoming Snow White film, the dwarfism representation we are hoping to see on screen and behind the camera in 2024 and much, much more.

Follow Violet: TikTok: @hi.itsvi Instagram: @hello.itsvi

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 Kylie Miller. Kylie is an audio journalist and social media curator. She is dedicated to advocating for disability rights and amplifying disability pride through podcasting and social media. She is the former producer of Judy Heumann’s podcast The Heumann Perspective and currently manages social media for Judy Heumann Legacy and Lachi Music. To celebrate Judy Heumann’s birthday we discuss Judy’s life, legacy, and what it was like to be working for and now continuously empowered by her.

Follow Kylie: Instagram: @ky__mills

Follow Judy Heumann's Legacy: Instagram: @theheumannperspective Website: https://judithheumann.com/heumann-perspective/

Listen to The Heumann Perspective:

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

YouTube

Follow Lachi: @lachimusic

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 Chris Ruden. Chris is an amputee, Type 1 diabetic record-holding powerlifter, motivational keynote speaker, author, and disabled model who was featured on The Rock’s hit TV show “Titan Games”. Through his platforms, his message of “creating your world without limits” has made a global impact. We discuss what it means to be respectfully curious, the feelings of not being disabled enough, how disability protects us and much, much more.

Follow Chris: Instagram: @chrisruden LinkedIn: Chis Ruden Website:https://chrisruden.com

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

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.

To start I would like to issue a trigger warning. In this conversation we do discuss disordered eating and eating disorders. If these are triggers for you please feel free to skip this episode.

I sat down with Jackie Silver. Jackie is a Registered Dietitian with a Masters of Health Science (MHSc) in Nutrition Communications. In her practice she works with kids, teens, and adults with autism, ADHD, and intellectual/developmental disabilities. We discuss her approach to nutrition and wellness and how she applies it to her practice, the necessary unpacking that needs to be done when it comes to understanding disability, how it still seems like there is no room when it comes to disability in regards to health and much, much more.

Follow Jackie: Instagram: @accessiblewellness Facebook: Accessible Wellness TikTok: @jackiesilvernutrition Website:https://jackiesilvernutrition.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 Katharine Quinn. Katherine is a multi-hypenated theatre creative and content creator. She served as the writing associate on Shucked and is currently working on The Great Gatsby at the Papermill Playhouse and How To Dance in Ohio, which is now in previews and opens on Broadway December 10th. We discuss how Broadway has both changed and remained the same since the pandemic, the ways Broadway could be more accessible through technology, the importance of a show like How To Dance In Ohio and authentic disability representation and much, much more.

Follow Katherine: TikTok: @itskatharinequinn Instagram: @itskatharinequinn YouTube: Katharine Quinn - Broadway and Beyond Website: https://www.katharinequinn.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 Wildine Aumoithe. Wildine is a content creator in the fashion and beauty space and holds the Guinness World Record for World’s Shortest Non-Mobile Woman. We discuss the importance of dwarfism representation in the fashion and beauty spaces, blocking out the negativity, how the unique type of dwarfism shapes the dwarfism experience and much, much more.

Follow Wildine: Instagram: @wavy.wildine TikTok: @wildinetok YouTube:Life Of Wildine

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

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.

To start I would like to issue a trigger warning. In this conversation we do discuss sexual assault and violent crime. If these are triggers for you please feel free to skip this episode.

I sat down with Katherine Yoder and Leigha Shoup, the executive and deputy director of the Adult Advocacy Centers. The Adult Advocacy Centers (AACs) work within the disability, victim services, and criminal justice systems to improve access and equity for adult crime victims with disabilities and to educate and train professionals within these systems on the unique needs of survivors with disabilities. We discuss the work of the Adult Advocacy Centers, the ways in which the criminal justice system is inaccessible for adult disabled victims of crime, the importance of having individualized victim services and much more.

Follow The Adult Advocacy Centers: Website: https://www.adultadvocacycenters.org Facebook: Adult Advocacy Centers Twitter/X: @AdultAdvocacyOH Instagram: @adultadvocacycenters

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 Emily Voorde. Emily is the Founder and CEO of INTO Strategies, a disability-led inclusion consultancy committed to bringing people with disabilities into campaigns, moments, and movements. Prior to starting INTO Strategies Emily was an Associate Director with NEWCO Strategies, a majority-women, majority-LGBTQ progressive consulting firm, served in the White House as the Associate Director in the White House Office of Public Engagement under President Biden, and worked on Mayor Pete’s 2020 Presidential campaign. We discuss our shared experiences with the Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) Foundation and Little People of America respectively, who these organizations are actually for and serve, the role advocacy does and should play within these types of organizations and much, much more.

Follow Emily: Instagram: @shortyvoorde LinkedIn: Emily Voorde

Follow INTO Strategies: @intostrategies LinkedIn: INTO Strategies Website: https://www.intostrategies.com Email: [email protected]

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 Bekah Bailey. Bekah, along with being one of my best friends, is a queer and disabled activist and organizer from Minneapolis. As Dwarfism Awareness Month draws to a close we discuss what it means having to accommodate our identity, the accessibility to advocacy within our own community, the differences in advocating for dwarfism vs. disability awareness, who and what Dwarfism Awareness Month is actually for and much, much more.

Follow Bekah: Instagram: @_poopatraitor_ Linktree: https://linktr.ee/bekahb

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 Brandon Farbstein. Brandon is a 24-year-old renowned speaker, Gen Z activist and author. He inspires millions of people across the globe with his universal message of living life on your own terms and building the framework for self-acceptance. With Dwarfism Awareness Day this week, October 25, we discuss the realities of being a little person in an average-height world when it comes to school, dating, work, etc., the cost, the power, and the influence in sharing our stories, in building a platform, what it means to allow ourselves to be all of who we are, and much, much more.

TRIGGER WARNING:In this conversation we do talk about bullying and some of the darker aspects of mental health. If these are triggers for you please feel free to skip this episode.

Follow Brandon: Instagram: @farbstein FaceBook: Brandon Farbstein LinkedIn: Brandon Farbstein Website: https://brandonfarbstein.com

Watch Brandon's TED Talk

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

This episode was edited and produced by Ben Curwin.