WEIGHT LOSS HICCUPS – BY BILL FULLER
What happens when your weight loss journey hits a hiccup? Everything is going along perfectly, but the scales totally refuse to play the game any longer. In my last blog post I wrote about losing weight and gaining fitness, and life at that stage was just peachy! Weight was falling off me, and I felt 10 feet tall and bulletproof!
But as often happens in life, one has to expect the unexpected, and this is exactly what happened – the plateau effect.
So let’s look at what was then in the wonderful world of weight loss and what is now in the world of the stuck scales!
Navigating Medical Trauma as a Lifelong Healthcare User - by Anja Christoffersen
This may be one of the most vulnerable pieces I have ever written. I feel uncomfortable and exposed, but in 2018, I had a realisation that led me to understand something that would become a bigger part of my life as my experiences compounded: Medical trauma.
Travelling overseas with a disability – by Natasha Astill
I had the opportunity to travel with my partner for the first time overseas. We travel to Gold Coast for a music festival.
We had planned this trip last year. Back in November. We did some of the planning by ourselves but needed some assistance.
We got through security/border control on the departing airport smoothly and quickly. Unfortunately there was delays in departing. We were able to get pre-board.
When we arrived at Gold Coast Airport the passport control person was super helpful and so was the baggage collection security person.
What Took Me So Long to Use a Mobility Aid?– by Raimy Rose
I remember being on crutches every year from grade 3 to grade 7. Like clockwork, it was a yearly event, with torn ligaments and sprained ankles. They were uncomfortable, a little painful and annoying to use but it never felt weird using them. It wasn’t uncommon to see someone hobbling around on crutches, especially an active child. As a kid, you would even get praised for having crutches. It was new and different, everyone wanted to have a turn with them and you would receive extra attention as if you had achieved something incredible by injuring yourself.
Journey to a Wheelchair Part 6 – by Ferris Knight
(image by Romain Virtuel)
Am I leaning into the fact that every title has been different because of brain fog? Absolutely. Did I initially miscount, so made a 5ive joke which no longer works? Kinda. Maybe. Definitely.
I thought we were near the end of this journey. I felt comfortable going out with support workers as well as independently with the chair. I’d even made significant – not steps, but wheels – towards conquering fears of getting on trains and in elevators, both of which had reduced me to tears early on. Still afraid of buses, but we’re all works in progress.
Just call me “disabled” because disability isn’t a dirty word – by Zoe Simmons
Disabled people represent 20% of Australia’s population, and yet, despite being it 2025, I’d say a lot of people still feel uncomfortable when it comes to talking about disability. As a disabled person, I can say this, because I experience it often, despite how powerful it was for me to actually identify as disabled.
Navigating Assistive Technology for Neurodivergence: A Personal Perspective – by Michelle Worthington
As a late-diagnosed autistic woman with ADHD and OCD, navigating life has often felt like solving a puzzle without the picture on the box. Adding to that, I am also a carer for my two autistic children, one now 23 and the other 10, which means I’ve witnessed first-hand how much support, understanding, and technology have evolved over the years.
Reflections on the Paris Paralympics Part 2 – by Susan Seipel
My Paris Paralympic campaign was going to plan until I tested positive to Covid after the opening ceremony.
Covid:
Summer Cruising to the Land of the Long White Cloud – by Lindsay Nott
Visiting New Zealand, the "Land of the Long White Cloud," had always been a bucket list of mine. Recently, I had the chance to turn that dream into a reality aboard the Diamond Princess with Princess Cruises. This 14-day roundtrip cruise from Brisbane was the perfect way to experience New Zealand’s beauty, with stops in Fiordland National Park (including Milford Sound), Dunedin, Wellington, Tauranga, and Auckland.
Till the wheels fall off – by Alicia Kapa
Running marathons is one thing, but running marathons while pushing a wheelchair is another. You may wonder who would be crazy enough to do that, well let me tell you my dad is!! My dad and I have been running together for about 2 years with the Christchurch Marathon being our annual event.