Brooke talks to the amazing Sami Dar about his experiences growing up with cerebral palsy, navigating school and social norms. Sami shares hisjourney of resilience and adaptability, from attending a school within a hospital during his recovery to excelling in university and pursuing a career in finance.

Sami also talks about the creation of 10,000 Disabled Interns, a program that matches disabled students with internships, providing valuable opportunities and challenging the notion that disabled individuals lack ambition. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Being proud of your disability and embracing it can lead to greater self-confidence and a more fulfilling life.
• Ambition and drive: Disabled individuals can be just as ambitious and driven as anyone else. Having goals and aspirations can provide meaning and purpose in life.
• Disability often requires adaptability and problem-solving skills. Being adaptable can help navigate challenges and overcome barriers.
• 10,000 Disabled Interns is a valuable resource that matches disabled students with internships, addressing the lack of accessibility and time constraints that often hinder disabled individuals from pursuing internships.
• Teenage years can be challenging: Adolescence can be a difficult time for anyone, and being a disabled teenager adds an extra layer of complexity. However, staying true to oneself and riding the wave can lead to personal growth and a brighter future.

BEST MOMENTS

"I think if you're not proud or you're ashamed of that, or you shy away from that, then you're only making life more difficult for yourself."

"There's no need for you to conform to narrow expectations." 

"I think it's really wonderful that you're able to provide that service and make sure that disabled people are still thought about when it comes to internships." 

"I think a lot of people don't realise that disabled people can also be ambitious and that disability and ambition can coexist." 

"I think if you're willing to focus on the positives and be...ignore it and just live your life how you would have done any other way, then you're able to commit to it and achieve so much." 

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/disabled-and-proud/id1621152878

HOST BIO

Disabled and Proud is the show that brings listeners a different perspective on disability. Each week this podcast highlights an awesome disabled guest speaking about their own disability; why they are proud to be disabled and why they are proud to be themselves. 

The conversations in this show will look at what challenges these amazing people face socially, mentally, physically and life in general. This show is raw, open, honest, funny, welcoming and educational. 

Disabled & Proud does exactly what it says on the tin! And whilst we are creating this space for disabled people to be unashamedly themselves, without the need to conform to society, this is also not about toxic positivity. This show will be shining a big, bright light on disability without it being “Paralympic or pity”. 

As you will hear disability is WHOLE, COMPLETE & PERFECT and whilst the topic of disability can be quite heavy - and we definitely don't shy away from the bad days - this podcast is also about having fun too! Our aim is to play a part in reclaiming the word disability - turning it from inadequacy to perfection!