True Tales By Disability Advocates

True Tales by Disability Advocates Podcast logo featuring various cartoon style characters centered in the logo.

True Tales by Disability advocates

Where advocates harness the power of storytelling to build community with their peers and hope to develop empathy in others. A team of disability advocates creates this True Tales podcast to share personal stories by disabled storytellers and add their voices to the growing community of podcast listeners.

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Transcripts for all episodes can be found on our podcast hosting website here

Latest from our Blog

Waiting for the Bus, November 14-23rd at Ground Floor Theater. An original play by James Burnside, directed by Liz Ross.

Waiting for the Bus Cast and Crew Full Bios

by Art Spark TexasBios (alphabetical)Nano Boye – Dorothea Dix/Asylum Director/DramaturgMsBoye is a writer, actor, playwright, poet, Podcast producer, drum guardian and trainer. She lives in Austin, with the […]

Waiting for the Bus, November 14-23rd at Ground Floor Theater. An original play by James Burnside, directed by Liz Ross.

Waiting for the Bus Research Materials for Scenes in the Play

by Art Spark Texas Waiting for the Bus was created based on research into the history of disabled people in America. Here are some of the links and […]

Artist of the Month Kaye Love

Kaye Love: Inclusion, Belonging, and The Multi-Faceted Artist by MsBoye Our May 2023 Artist of the Month is Kaye Love, MSSW/MBA, LPC. Kaye is a Psychotherapist, Life Coach, […]

Advocacy Through Faith with Kaye Love

By Walter Greene Kaye Love’s relationship with faith and spirituality has taken many shapes over the years. Kaye grew up agnostic, but with Methodist grandparents and a father […]

a woman poses for a selfie with a long braid draped over her left shoulder.

The Power of Perception

By Walter Greene Whether it’s living with a disability, working past other people’s perceptions, or learning how to raise honeybees, Brittany Sessum believes you can figure a way […]

The Advocate’s Journey, Politics, Podcasts, and Pushing for Change

By Walter Greene Working on the True Tales by Disability Advocates podcast has been just one of the many projects Joey has taken on as part of their […]

The Value of Storytelling, A Conversation with Kamand Alaghehband

By Walter Greene   You’re hard-pressed to find a better case for the importance of storytelling than in the words of Kamand Alaghehband. While sitting down to talk […]

Acting as Advocacy

By Walter Greene Acting has always been a part of Kristen Gooch’s life. Her mother encouraged her to be involved in the arts from an early age, bringing […]

Breaking New Ground, Professional Performer Meets Podcast

By Walter Greene As an actor and writer, Toby Al-Trabulsi is well acquainted with storytelling–but when it comes to working on a podcast, he’s found himself in new […]

Behind the MIC

a woman poses for a selfie with a long braid draped over her left shoulder.

BRITTANY SESSUM

Brittany Sessum is a Houston native and Army veteran that loves making connections with others. She has a passion to serve her family, the community, and her country by giving back in any capacity. She believes that her passions and actions live beyond herself. Brittany loves writing poetry, reading, traveling, and working as an entrepreneur.

A caucasian young woman with shoulder-length red hair and pink lipstick smiling. She is wearing a pink short sleeved dress with gray triangles and a black zig zag pattern, a black beaded necklace, and hoop earrings. The background is light brown and yellow.

Kristen Gooch

Kristen Gooch is an Actress, Poet and Advocate from Austin, Tx with Cerebral Palsy and uses a wheelchair for mobility.  She hopes to broaden her horizons and branch out into film and television someday.  She currently facilitates a peer support group called Adapting Sheros for women with mobility disabilities through Imagineart.  She is a company member of TILT performance group and Paradox Players.

An individual poses with a plate of food

TOBY Al-trabusi

Toby Al-Trabulsi is an actor, writer, and creative access advocate for performers with disabilities based out of Austin, TX. Toby is a member of TILT performance group and ScriptWorks and is currently pursuing podcasting through Art Spark's podcasting workshop, True Tales by Disability Advocates. He is eager to see where this journey takes him.

A caucasian man smiles, while seated. He has brown hair and a brown mustache, and a brown and white beard. He is wearing a patterned green, black and white shirt that is unbuttoned at the neck and a pale yellow hat with a wide brim and a black band around it. In the background are multiple people. A young boy with blonde hair, a red shirt and black shorts with a white stripe walks next to a woman in a pink and white dress. There is also another person wearing a white t-shirt and khaki shorts.

John Beer

John Beer profiles the people with disabilities and volunteers who enforce accessible parking for all in the upcoming issue of New Mobility magazine. You can also find him on TheMighty.com – and he's wheelie excited about being on the team creating Art Spark Texas' new podcast, True Tales by Disability Advocates.

Photo of Jennifer Howell, a white woman with short silver hair. Jennifer is smiling, and wearing a beige shirt with an elephant print and black, square-frame glasses. She is standing in front of a black and white mural.

Jennifer Howell

Jennifer Howell has a lifetime of personal experience with disability – as a caregiver, a teacher and a person with disabilities herself. Those experiences now ignite her passion and inform her work as an accessibility and creative placemaking consultant.

Photo of Joey Gidseg, a white nonbinary person with short blonde curly hair and big red glasses, resting their chin on their hand with a slight smile. Joey is wearing a light blue shirt with pink and white stripes and is in front of a wood paneled background.

Joey Gidseg

Joey Gidseg is an enthusiast of podcasts and disability policy who works to close the gaps in Access to Justice for disabled Texans. As chair of a statewide disability caucus and former multimedia producer, Joey is thrilled to collaborate with other disabled creators on Art Spark Texas' podcast, True Tales by Disability Advocates.

A woman with long brown hair, dangling earrings, and red headband smiles in a pumpkin patch while holding a guard.

Kamand Alaghehband

Kamand Alaghehband was born in Austin, TX, and has autism. She has spent her life supporting all generations with disabilities. She loves the Special Olympics, and is a member of the executive committee of Special Olympics Athletes Leadership in Texas. Her mission is to bring peace today and create a vision for tomorrow’s disabled population. She hopes that she’ll teach others to turn denial into acceptance.

A woman with circular framed glasses and shoulder length brown hair smiles for the camera. She is wearing a scarf with a variety of religious symbols on it.

Kaye Love

Kaye has over eight years of experience working with individuals with developmental and learning disabilities, including Intellectual Disability and Autism Spectrum Disorder, in Special Education and Vocational Rehabilitation. She has experience providing spiritually sensitive counseling to clients who identify with diverse belief systems, including Buddhism, Christianity, Ethical Humanism, Hinduism, Islam, Judaism, and Wicca.

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Do you want to learn about disability? Want company on a long drive or while you're getting ready in the morning? Want to listen to magnificent storytellers? Then we have a podcast for you! Subscribe on any podcast platform and tune in at your convenience. 

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