Brooke welcomes Jordan Jarrett Bryan to discuss his experiences as a below-the-knee amputee, looking at topics such as the journey of learning to walk, and the impact of his disability on their childhood and teenage years.

They also explore the positive impact of Jordan's disability on his career, particularly in the media industry, touching on the importance of representation and Jordan's own production company, Blackademic, which aims to empower and provide opportunities for underrepresented voices in the media. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Being a below-the-knee amputee, has had a positive impact on his career. It opened doors for Jordan in the media industry, particularly in TV presenting, due to Channel 4's focus on hiring disabled talent for their Paralympics coverage.
• Jordan's experience as a below-the-knee amputee from a young age allowed him to adapt to his disability without having to relearn how to walk. This early adaptation made it easier for him to navigate his disability and participate in activities like sports.
• Jordan's positive experience with his disability during his childhood and teenage years can be attributed to the support and acceptance he received from his friends. While there were some instances of teasing, overall, his friends treated him no differently and he did not face significant negative experiences.
• Jordan's journey of accepting and embracing his disability has led him to redefine his understanding of what it means to be disabled. He now recognises that even though his disability may be less severe compared to others, it is still valid and he can use his platform and privilege to advocate for those who face more significant challenges.

BEST MOMENTS

"I think I was lucky in that it happening very early... If you're going to lose your leg, I'd rather lose it early than later." 

"The quality of it is not important... The quality is not important. That's where the BBC come in. They're saying, don't worry, we'll look after the lighting. We'll look after the sound." 

"So let's get the good, but let's broaden the net to find not just, you know, your Daves and your Johns who are white men."

"Representation is only half the job. I think it's more about implementation. What are those people actually doing?" 

VALUABLE RESOURCES

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

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!