New podcast airs candid conversations on disability

Disability Done Different hosted by father and daughter team, Roland and Evie Naufal, will explore the amazing people within the disability sector, through a fresh approach.

Roland Naufal is DSC’s co-Director and has worked in the sector for 30 years, while Evie works as the  Manager of Online and Training at DSC.

“For the past four years we have both been living, eating and breathing the NDIS in our roles at Disability Services Consulting, a highly specialised consulting and training group,” Ms Naufal explains.

She says both her and her father were looking for a different way to reach the people they wanted to talk to and explains the podcast was a fun and new progression from DSC’s weekly newsletter.

“The idea behind “Disability Done Different” was to talk to people who’ve carved their own path in the sector and who really challenge the traditional ways of doing things.”

“In our work, we are lucky enough to meet some really fascinating people who are doing amazing work and so we wanted to bring those conversations to a wider audience to really explore and celebrate those journeys.”

As for the father daughter dynamic, Ms Naufal says she “butts heads” with her dad often.

“My dad I bicker a lot and people think it is funny, so we figured let’s share our dysfunctional family dynamics with a wider audience.”

The first episode, which is available to listen online, features Autism Awareness Australia Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nicole Rogerson as she explains what it took to build one of Australia’s most successful for-profit service providers and reflects on what she would do differently given another chance.

Mrs Rogerson says she has worked with both Evie and Roland on and off for the last three years, describing them as her “kind of people.”

“They are a very rare beast…a group of consultants prepared to tell it how it really is in the disability sector. They are bold and honest to a fault.”

“When they mentioned a podcast, I was delighted, as I got to chat with them and share things we are mutually passionate about.”

She highlights the disability sector is still largely hidden from a lot of regulation and public scrutiny and loves to says it could do with a fresh and modern change.

“I love talking about how the disability community could modernise and really change the future for people with disabilities and their families.”

An open advocate for autism, Mrs Rogerson says she is “nervous” about reflecting on running a business as a service provider in the first episode.

“After selling the company in 2014, I know have the benefit of hindsight….and know clearly what I would do differently is I was to do it again,” she explains.

“I am very passionate about service provision and building ‘true’ customer focused businesses….so always happy to talk about that!”

The line-up of podcast guests are being kept under wraps, but diverse and candid discussions are a given.

“We’ve wanted to have our candid conversations with a good mix of people so we have a pretty diverse line up, including advocates, service providers, policy makers and of course people with a lived experience of disability,” Ms Naufal says.

“I think that’s all I can say right now!”

A new podcast episode will be released weekly on Tuesday for the next six weeks.

You can listen and subscribe to Disability Done Different on the DSC website or on any podcast app.

For more information on the podcast click here.