Podcast appearances and mentions of naomi ortiz

What happens when you stop trying to become the person the world expects and finally begin choosing who you want to be? In Episode 152 of Pushing Forward with Alycia, host Alycia Anderson welcomes global speaker, bestselling author, disability advocate, activist, and content creator Spencer West for a powerful conversation about disability identity, autonomy, interdependence, and breaking free from expectations. Spencer is the author of Breaking Free: Stop Following Expectations and Start Following Yourself, a new book that invites readers to question the expectations shaping their lives and begin choosing a more authentic path. Born with a genetic condition that prevented the muscles in his legs from functioning, Spencer underwent surgeries that resulted in the amputation of both legs just below his pelvis. Growing up, he was repeatedly told that he was “just like everyone else” and that every child wanted to walk. But prosthetic legs were not the best mobility choice for Spencer. By sixth grade, his parents and therapist gave him the opportunity to decide for himself how he wanted to navigate the world. Choosing to stop using prosthetic legs became one of his earliest lessons in bodily autonomy. “The moment I realized I could choose how I wanted to navigate the world, everything started to change.” That decision did not eliminate the pressure to fit in. Spencer shares how he continued confronting internalized ableism, social expectations, and the confusing message that disability should be ignored rather than embraced as part of his identity. The Life Changing Power of Autonomy Spencer and Alycia discuss why disabled children deserve the opportunity to participate in decisions about their own bodies, mobility, healthcare, and lives. Spencer credits his parents with giving him choices instead of assuming they always knew what was best for him. Looking back, he recognizes that this early experience helped him understand that he could make other meaningful choices too. For parents, educators, medical professionals, and leaders, his story offers an important reminder: supporting disabled people does not mean controlling every decision. It means creating space for autonomy, self discovery, and informed choice. Climbing Kilimanjaro and Redefining Help Spencer also shares the story behind climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. He was not motivated by a desire to prove that “anything is possible.” In fact, Spencer openly admits that he does not like camping and had never dreamed of becoming a mountain climber. The climb became part of a larger campaign called Redefine Possible, which raised more than its original $500,000 goal for clean water initiatives in East Africa. Spencer trained for a year alongside two of his closest friends. Although the original plan was to use both his wheelchair and his hands to climb, the terrain required him to navigate much more of the mountain on his hands than expected. Throughout the expedition, Spencer relied on his friends for physical support. But on summit day, both friends became sick from the altitude. Suddenly, the person who assumed he would need the most assistance became the person helping them continue. Spencer could not physically carry his friends, but he could stay beside them, encourage them, and keep moving forward with them. That experience transformed how he viewed strength. “We all need help. We all need to ask for help, and we all need to offer help.” Rather than celebrating the myth of the self made person, Spencer encourages people to embrace interdependence, the understanding that every person depends on support, relationships, community, and collaboration. Moving Beyond Inspiration Porn Spencer and Alycia examine the harmful narratives that often surround disabled people who accomplish highly visible goals. Spencer never wanted his Kilimanjaro climb reduced to a message suggesting that if a disabled person can climb a mountain, everyone should be able to overcome every barrier. That framing ignores systemic ableism, access needs, privilege, support, and the reality that every disabled person has a different body and experience. Spencer shares how disability justice advocate Naomi Ortiz challenged him to reconsider the way he talked about the climb. The true story was not that he overcame disability alone. It was that he reached the summit through community and interdependence. That conversation led Spencer to study disability history, disability justice, and the advocates who have shaped the movement. Today, much of his content reflects what he continues to learn and unlearn in real time. What Does It Mean to Break Free? Spencer's new book, Breaking Free: Stop Following Expectations and Start Following Yourself, examines the expectations people absorb from the moment they enter the world. For Spencer, those expectations included: Do not think of yourself as disabled Overcome your disability Use prosthetic legs Follow a traditional career path Marry a woman Measure success through productivity Live according to society's definition of a successful life As a disabled gay man growing up in a conservative Wyoming community, Spencer gradually realized that many of those expectations did not reflect who he was or what he wanted. Breaking free became the process of identifying which expectations belonged to him and which ones had been placed upon him by others. “My value and success are not tied up in what my body can produce.” Spencer explains that breaking free does not always require climbing a mountain or completely changing your career. It can begin with one small decision, such as leaving an unhealthy relationship, exploring a new passion, moving to another city, or making room for something that brings joy. Disability as Identity During a volunteer trip to Kenya, Spencer spoke with students about his disability. A young girl told him she had not realized that the loss of limbs could happen to a white person too. Her observation sparked a major realization. Until that moment, Spencer had viewed disability primarily as something that happened to him. He had not yet embraced it as part of his identity. That experience helped him begin connecting disability with the other layers of who he is, including being queer, a speaker, a creator, and an advocate. Spencer and Alycia reflect on how long it can take to fully embrace disability identity after growing up in environments that treated disability as something negative, shameful, or separate from the self. A Book Designed to Become a Tool Breaking Free is more than a memoir. Spencer designed the book as a practical guide for readers who are questioning the expectations shaping their lives. Each chapter includes exercises, reflection questions, key concepts, and opportunities for readers to begin their own process of change. The book also gives Spencer an opportunity to share parts of his life that he had not discussed publicly before, including the pressure he experienced to hide his queer identity while working within an organization concerned about conservative donors and religious partners. After years of advocacy from Spencer, queer colleagues, and allies, he eventually shared his coming out story publicly on June 26, 2015, the day marriage equality became law across the United States. For Spencer, that moment represented years of persistence, truth telling, and breaking free. Spencer West's North Star Today, Spencer continues speaking, creating digital content, and helping organizations understand the value of hiring disabled talent. His work challenges myths about disabled employees and highlights the unnecessary ableism many disabled people face while trying to find meaningful employment. His current North Star is clear: get Breaking Free into the hands of people who need permission to question expectations, embrace their identities, and begin choosing themselves. In This Episode Why bodily autonomy matters for disabled children and adults Spencer's decision to stop using prosthetic legs Unlearning internalized ableism The deeper story behind climbing Mount Kilimanjaro Why no one is truly self made Interdependence and the courage to ask for help How inspiration porn harms disabled people Learning from disability justice advocates Disability and queer identity Breaking free from society's expectations Separating personal value from productivity Why Spencer wrote Breaking Free Disability inclusion and employment Memorable Quotes from Spencer West “The moment I realized I could choose how I wanted to navigate the world, everything started to change.” “The story was not that I reached the top alone. The story was interdependence.” The Pushing Forward Moment “Maybe our job is not to become anything. Maybe our job is to unbecome all the things that do not belong to us so we can become the person we were meant to be.” Spencer explains that this idea, inspired by a passage associated with Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, became the guiding thesis behind Breaking Free. Connect with Spencer West Visit Spencer2TheWest.com to learn more about Spencer, book him to speak, and find his new book. Follow Spencer on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube at @spencer2thewest. Book: Breaking Free: Stop Following Expectations and Start Following Yourself Available wherever books are sold. Connect with Alycia Anderson Visit AlyciaAnderson.com to learn more about Alycia's keynotes, disability inclusion programs, accessibility resources, and consulting services. Explore more episodes of Pushing Forward with Alycia. Pushing Forward is how we roll. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Naomi Ortiz (they/she) explores the cultivation of care and connection within states of stress. Reimagining our relationship with land and challenging who is an environmentalist in the Arizona U.S./Mexico borderlands, is investigated in their new poetry/essay collection, Rituals for Climate Change: A Crip Struggle for Ecojustice. Their non-fiction book, Sustaining Spirit: Self-Care for Social Justice, provides informative tools and insightful strategies for diverse communities on addressing burnout. Nominated and selected as a 2022 Disability Futures Fellow and a 2021-2023 Reclaiming the US/Mexico Border Narrative Grant Awardee, they emphasize interdependence and spiritual growth through their poetry, writing, facilitation, and visual art. In this special episode, we discuss:Slowing downWhat makes a good lifeCare workStorytellingDissonanceRelationship with the landAcknowledging and honoring capacityRefuge and synchronicityConnect with Naomi on their website or on Instagram @naomiortizwriterartistLearn more about Naomi's books, Sustaining Spirit: Self Care for Social Justice and Rituals for Climate Change: A Crip Struggle for EcojusticePodcast music by Charles Kurtz+ Read transcript

Mazi is joined by San Antonio Business woman Naomi Ortiz owner of the uber popular La Elotera a local female Owned RUN an OPERATED food truck that is serving up good ol corn on the cob with a new school twist. Mazi and Naomi talk about taking that leap of faith from the 9 to 5 to dealing with loss and the driving force that loss may bring out of someone. All in all the conversation was INFORMATIVE but VERY MUCH FUN! Shout out to a FIRE BEAN-n-CHEESE Taco!

Andrés, one our of our co-hosts, shares an update about Season 2 and the work we are currently doing. Andrés mentioned a couple of things during this update and you can learn more about them here: - Our Episode with Naomi Ortiz and the quotes they shared on their IG account. - Our Spanish episodes, which you can listen to here. - Learn more about The Nap Ministry and their book. Continue the conversation with us on Instagram. Thank you!

Join us this week for our conversation with Naomi Ortiz, author of Sustaining Spirit: Self-Care for Social Justice (Reclamation Press), which offers a powerful insight into self-care. Naomi is a Poet, Writer, and Visual Artist whose intersectional work focuses on self-care for activists, disability justice, climate action, and relationship with place. During this episode we talked about how to practice self-care in practical ways, what is disability justice and Naomi's relationship with spirituality, place, and the process of writing. Learn more about Naomi here and follow us on Instagram @faithfromthemargins to give us your feedback.

At the end of July, the Ford Foundation and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation announced a new cohort of Disability Futures Fellows. The fellows are supported by a grant designed to spotlight a group of visual and performing artists and writers who live with disabilities. We spoke with one of the new fellows, Naomi Ortiz, who is a poet, writer, and visual artist whose intersectional work focuses on self-care for activists, disability justice, climate action, and relationship with place. They are also the author of the book, "Sustaining Spirit: Self-Care for Social Justice" and the forthcoming book, "Rituals for Climate Change: A Crip Struggle for Ecojustice."  

At the end of July, the Ford Foundation and Andrew W. Mellon Foundation announced a new cohort of Disability Futures Fellows. The fellows are supported by a grant designed to spotlight a group of visual and performing artists and writers who live with disabilities. We spoke with one of the new fellows, Naomi Ortiz, who is a poet, writer, and visual artist whose intersectional work focuses on self-care for activists, disability justice, climate action, and relationship with place. They are also the author of the book, "Sustaining Spirit: Self-Care for Social Justice" and the forthcoming book, "Rituals for Climate Change: A Crip Struggle for Ecojustice."  

Invitada: Naomi Ortiz Edad: 29 años Pueblo: Humacao, Puerto Rico Actucalmente reside en Houston, Texas. Cuenta con su negocio llamado Sunflour Street Treats, donde vendecupcakes, galletas de chocolate chips, macarons, paletas y galletas cubiertas de chocolate, y otros postres puertorriqueños como flanes, polvorones, panetela, quesitos, entre otros. Contacto: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunflourstreettreats/ ----------------------- Contacto Enfoque Juventud: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/enfoquejuventudpr Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/enfoquejuventud/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPfeRFbhD3jJkHeBva06Wrw Página web: https://enfoquejuventud.com/ E-mail: enfoquejuventudpr@gmail.com Programa de Radio: WUPR Exitos 1530 AM & 98.3 FM en Utuado / sábados 11:00 AM WGDL Radio Grito 1200 AM en Lares & 93.3 FM en Aguadilla / sábados 1:00 PM WKUM Cumbre 1470 AM & 106.3 FM en Orocovis / sábados 5:00 PM Escucha el programa en internet por: www.exitos1530.com, www.cumbre1470am.com, ricotele.net y por la aplicación móvil de Radio Grito Aplicación: TuneIn Radio --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/enfoque-juventud/support

Naomi Ortiz is the author of Sustaining Spirit: Self-Care for Social Justice and lives in Tucson, Arizona. In this piece, Naomi explores the role of ancestral work – as mending work, witnessing work, and grief work. Geez 60: Signs of Dawn invites us to enter the cave, the compost bin, the sidewalk crack. It dares us to believe in new life and the power of green, growing hope to bring even the mightiest walls crumbling down.

Welcome to 30 Minutes from 91.3 KXCI Tucson. I’m Amanda Shauger. This week we are proud to continue with a…

Welcome to 30 Minutes from 91.3 KXCI Tucson. I’m Amanda Shauger. This week we are proud to feature a session…

Naomi Ortiz is a writer, poet, facilitator and visual artist whose work focuses on self-care for activists, disability justice and living in multiple worlds (intersectionality). Her book, Sustaining Spirit: Self-Care for Social Justice invites readers to explore the relationships between mind, body, spirit, heart and place.

In this episode, artist, poet, writer and facilitator Naomi Ortiz speaks to the intersection of place, ancestors, activism embodiment and disability justice. Naomi is a Disabled, Mestiza (Latina/Indigenous/White), raised in Latinx culture, living in the U.S./Mexico borderlands. For information on visit: www.NaomiOrtiz.com Twitter: @ThinkFreestyle Instagram: NaomiOrtizWriterArtist    

In this episode, the amazing Naomi Ortiz discusses her contribution to the new anthology "Resistance and Hope: Essays by Disabled People", edited by Alice Wong. This anthology includes 16 essays by 17 disabled writers, activists, & artists. As Alice twitted "This is crip wisdom for the people"! Naomi Ortiz is a facilitator, writer, poet, and visual artist who cracks apart common beliefs and spills out beauty. Naomi is a nationally known writer, speaker and trainer on self-care, disability justice, and living in multiple worlds (intersectionality). She is a Disabled, Mestiza (Latina/Indigenous/White), raised in Latinx culture, living in the U.S./Mexico borderlands. Naomi’s book, Sustaining Spirit: Self Care for Social Justice invites readers to delve into what self-care means in their lives by exploring the relationships between body, mind, spirit, heart, and place to integrate self-care to survive and thrive. Caring about the world should not burn us out. Sustaining Spirit: Self-Care for Social Justice shows us how to balance activism with self-care. "Every page of this spiritual book is a gift, full of poignant stories, poetic metaphors, insightful questions, and practical suggestions to sustain ourselves as activists over the long-term." - Lisa Hoffman, International Human Rights activist. To find out more about Naomi, you can visit: www.NaomiOrtiz.com, follow her on Twitter @ThinkFreestyle and on Instagram @NaomiOrtizWriterArtistTo find out more about and order the anthology edited by Alice Wong, please visit: https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/resist/Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/genderstories)

Preparing Food at the East Bay Center for the Blind. Naomi Ortiz talks with Adrienne Lauby about how caring for others affects people with disabilities.  What kinds of questions arise as we offer help?  What trade offs do we make? Then, we visit the East Bay Center for the Blind in Berkeley to talk to those who enjoy, staff and manage this innovative grassroots community center. Naomi Ortiz is a writer, poet, and painter living in the US/Mexico Borderlands. She is currently writing a book on self-care for social justice activists. Naomi Ortiz Check out her blog: Self Care for Social Justice: Deep Thinking About Self-Care and Living in Multiple Worlds (Intersectionality) The post Dancing at the East Bay Center for the Blind and an interview with Naomi Ortiz appeared first on KPFA.

Preparing Food at the East Bay Center for the Blind. Those of us who live with a disability are often typecast as burdens.  Because we're limited in some ways, the ways we give to others and participate in community work often go unnoticed. Naomi Ortiz talks with Adrienne Lauby about how caring for others affects people with disabilities.  What kinds of questions arise as we offer help?  What trade offs do we make?   Then, we visit the East Bay Center for the Blind in Berkeley to talk to those who enjoy, staff and manage this grassroots community center. Naomi Ortiz Naomi Ortiz is a writer, poet, and painter living in the US/Mexico Borderlands. She is currently writing a book on self-care for social justice activists. Check out her blog: Self Care for Social Justice: Deep Thinking About Self-Care and Living in Multiple Worlds (Intersectionality) The East Bay Center for the Blind in Berkeley California, offers services and social activities to a diverse group of people who are blind or low vision, many of whom are not assisted by other agencies. Dancing at the East Bay Center for the Blind Among its many offerings are a newly upgraded computer lab, classes in braille, ceramics and music appreciation, as well as dances and other social events.  The East Bay Center for the Blind (EBCB) is highly praised for its individualized programs and principled governance system. It is run entirely by the membership it serves. East Bay Center for the Blind, 2928 Adeline Street, Berkeley, CA Tuesday – Friday, 10 am – 3 pm (510) 843-6935 eastbaycenterfortheblind@gmail.com   The Front Door of the East Bay Center for the Blind At the EBCB, Adrienne talks with Laurie and Mike Castner, a member named Connie Thomas and the Senior Access Technology Instructor, Leah Gardner.   The post Caring: Naomi Ortiz & East Bay Center for the Blind appeared first on KPFA.