21: Brave Together Podcast - Jessica Patay, Susanna Peace Lovell and Dr. Zoe Shaw & guest Dan Habib21: Brave Together Podcast - Jessica Patay, Susanna Peace Lovell and Dr. Zoe Shaw & guest Dan Habib
UK Health Radio Podcast
Documentary filmmaker Dan Habib talks with the Brave Together team about raising his disabled son Samuel, building a life rooted in inclusion, and the role of storytelling and mentorship in shaping disability pride. The conversation touches on marriage, support systems, and practical ways families can imagine richer futures beyond an initial diagnosis.
48:11•17 Jun 2026
Raising Disabled Kids, Finding Belonging and Building a Life With Dan Habib
Episode Overview
- Your child is the same person before and after a diagnosis; the label may guide decisions, but it does not define who they are.
- Person-centred planning and a visioning process can open up creative living and support options, rather than defaulting to what services offer by habit.
- Interdependence is a healthy goal: everyone relies on others, and support can be framed as mutual and dignified, not as failure to be “independent enough.”
- Disabled mentors can offer guidance and honesty that parents simply cannot, especially around adulthood, work, relationships and identity.
- Strong partnerships in caregiving families depend on exceptional communication, naming your own fears and frustrations, and resisting the urge to blame the other person.
““They’re the same kid. They are not their diagnosis… it does not change who your child is as a person.””
How do people find strength in their journey to sobriety, parenting, and everything in between? This conversation on UK Health Radio’s Brave Together Podcast shines a light on life as a parent of a disabled young adult, with a focus on real talk, humour, and hard-earned wisdom rather than sugar-coating. Host Susanna Peace-Lavelle, alongside co-hosts Jessica Patay and Dr. Zoe Shaw, chat with documentary filmmaker and disability advocate Dan Habib.
Dan shares how his son Samuel’s birth shifted his career from photojournalism into making films about disability, inclusion and belonging. Through projects like *Including Samuel*, *My Disability Roadmap* and the Emmy-nominated *The Ride Ahead*, he shows how stories can change public attitudes and systems around disability. Parents of disabled or neurodivergent children will hear about grief, fear and overwhelm, but also about love, pride and unexpected richness.
Dan talks about Partners in Policymaking, the idea of interdependence rather than pure independence, and the practical process of person-centred planning that helped Samuel move into his own nearby home with support. He also opens up about marriage pressures and what has kept his relationship with his wife Betsy strong, saying that when tension rises, "it’s usually more about you than it is about them." A big theme is disability identity and mentorship.
Samuel’s film journey connected him with disabled mentors who spoke frankly about work, dating, sexuality and justice. One viewer story shows how seeing *My Disability Roadmap* helped a young autistic woman shift from shame to pride in her identity. If you’re raising a child with additional needs, wondering about their adult future, or just wanting to understand disability and inclusion more honestly, this episode offers reassurance, practical ideas and a sense that you’re far from alone.
What might change for your family if you started planning around belonging rather than limitation?
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