A conversation about how to welcome and include people of all abilities at Waypoint Church.

WTP - Ep. 110 - Intro to the Embrace Ministry

An expert panel of Japan's health ministry on Thursday approved over-the-counter sales of a drug to treat erectile dysfunction. It is expected that OTC sales of the drug will help spread opportunities for erectile dysfunction treatment as the male sexual dysfunction has major impacts on society, such as being a factor for declining birthrates.

Episode notes:

‘Japan Panel OKs 1st OTC Sales of Erectile Dysfunction Drug’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2025/09/19/japan-panel-oks-1st-otc-sales-of-erectile-dysfunction-drug/




Japan Panel OKs 1st OTC Sales of Erectile Dysfunction Drug

“Too Hard for Help” was written out of lived experience in rural New South Wales where being autistic often means being left behind. In small towns, support systems are scarce, and when they do exist, they can turn people away for being “too complex” or “too hard.” This song gives voice to that silence.

The lyrics tell the story of calling for help and being met with rejection, of doors closing quietly while pain is hidden away. It’s about what happens when disability and geography collide, when distance, stigma, and misunderstanding leave people isolated.

This is not just a personal song; it’s a call for change. It’s about showing the reality of what autistic people in regional Australia go through every day, and asking listeners to step closer rather than turn away.

Shared under Creative Commons, “Too Hard for Help” is free for others to sing and carry forward. All that’s asked is that the words remain true, the songwriter is credited, and the message of the song — that no one is too hard for help — continues to be heard.

#autism #autistic #autismawareness #autismacceptance #neurodivergent #actuallyautistic #neurodiversity #disability #disabilityrights #disabled #invisibledisability #mentalhealth #mentalhealthmatters #support #inclusion #advocacy #socialchange #changethesystem #justice #truth #livedexperience #outsider #vulnerability #raw #emotional #isolation #ruralaustralia #regionalvoices #newsouthwales #ruralhealth #NSW #NSWpolice #NSWparamedics #paramedics

Too Hard for Help

Retired visually impaired swimmer Junichi Kawai was named the next commissioner of the Japan Sports Agency on Friday and will become the first Paralympian to assume the post when his appointment takes effect Oct. 1. Kawai expressed his determination to fulfill his role, saying at a press conference in Tokyo, “My goal is to build a society where citizens recognize the value and appeal of sports.” As it is rare for a government body to be led by someone who is totally visually impaired, he added, “The fact that someone like me has been appointed to this position shows that times have changed, and I hope this means a lot to many people.”

Episode notes:

‘Japan names 5-time Paralympic gold medalist Kawai to head sports agency’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2025/09/19/japan-names-5-time-paralympic-gold-medalist-kawai-to-head-sports-agency/


Japan names 5-time Paralympic gold medalist Junichi Kawai to head sports agency



CELLULOID DREAMS THE MOVIE SHOW host TIM SIKA talks movies on THE AFTER PARTY LIVE! with program host KIM MCCALLISTER:

#PaperBagPlan 
#Allihopa: The Dalkurd Story 
#Megadoc
#TheHistoryofSound
#DowntonAbbey: The Grand Finale
#TheLongWalk

Classic Movie Rec of the Week: The Sound of Music (1959)  It's back in theaters with a 4K restoration, 9/12/25 through 9/17/25

Film Critic TIM SIKA talks MOVIES with KIM MCCALLISTER on THE AFTER PARTY LIVE! (9-12-25)

Subscribe on Patreon and hear this week's full patron-exclusive episode here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/139496883

Beatrice speaks with China Mills and John Pring about how the structure of welfare benefits in the United Kingdom leads to the death of disabled people, the difficulties in documenting such administrative violence and the process of “slow death,” and their project Deaths by Welfare that attempts to expose it.

Runtime 1:21:55

Get Health Communism here: www.versobooks.com/books/4081-health-communism

Find Tracy's book Abolish Rent here: www.haymarketbooks.org/books/2443-abolish-rent

Unlock full episode

Teaser - Deaths by Welfare w/ China Mills and John Pring

In response to the higher rate of disability pension denials last fiscal year compared to the year before, the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare conducted a detailed review of over 2,800 claims that had been denied between April and July last year. As a result, 124 of these cases were re-evaluated and will now be approved for payment. The ministry has announced it will continue to investigate recognition decisions and publish monthly updates on the progress.

Episode notes:

‘124 Previously Denied Disability Pension Claims Approved, Japan’s Health Ministry to Continue Review and Publish Monthly Updates’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2025/09/20/124-previously-denied-disability-pension-claims-approved-japans-health-ministry-to-continue-review-and-publish-monthly-updates/


124 Previously Denied Disability Pension Claims Approved, Japan’s Health Ministry to Continue Review and Publish Monthly Updates

Never Seen the Stars					
Written by Kate Korsh
Narrated by Aria Mia Loberti

Hattie Murphy thinks the universe hates her.

She has a secret: she has the same genetic eye disease as her father and is slowly going blind, just like he did. Nobody knows. Not her friends. Not her family. As if that weren't hard enough, Hattie's good friend Mason drowns unexpectedly, leaving their friend group shattered.

After Mason's death, Hattie isn't ready to let go. There are too many things left unsaid between them. But while it's hard for her to find her seat in the dim light of the church at Mason's funeral, Hattie finds that she can see something no one else can: Mason's ghost. And when he speaks, teasing her the way he always did, it's clear their chemistry hasn't changed. Sometimes, when Mason visits her, Hattie can pretend that everything is how it used to be.

But the longer Hattie keeps her secrets, the harder it is to deny the truth. Her eyesight is getting worse, and she's mourning not just Mason, but the life she thought she'd have. Hattie's sick of being told that the only way to heal is to move on . . . because how can she move on if it means losing Mason forever?

Print Edition Published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc. Text Copyright 2025 by Kate Korsh. Production Copyright 2025 by Schoalstic Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Formats Available:
Digital Trade		979-8-2250-0122-3		$24.99
Digital Library		979-8-2250-0123-0		$74.99

Never Seen The Stars - Audiobook Clip

To promote social participation for people with disabilities, on August 30th, the Yamanashi prefectural government held a fashion show at the Aeon Mall Kofu Showa in the town of Showa in the prefecture, featuring both professional models and models with disabilities.

Episode notes:

‘Models with Disabilities Walk Runway in Yamanashi Fashion Show, 14 People Participate in 4th Event’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2025/09/18/models-with-disabilities-walk-runway-in-yamanashi-fashion-show-14-people-participate-in-4th-event/


Models with Disabilities Walk Runway in Yamanashi Fashion Show

To kick off our new series that explores disability from a range of perspectives, Dorinda ‘t Hart sits down for a chat with Monique Power, founder and Director of Ripple Ability, a company set up to help families caring for young children with disability to navigate the National Disability Insurance Scheme to ensure that both the children and their families can lead fulfilling and healthy lives. 

Monique discusses her lived experience as a mother and carer of a child with a rare disability, and the gaps that currently exist for early childhood education and care for young children diagnosed with complex, lifelong disabilities. She also shares examples of some of the work being done to identify the issues, and potential strategies for improving the services on offer to ensure that people diagnosed with disability at early ages are given the best possible opportunities to lead fulfilling and productive lives in the community.

Read more about Ripple Ability and Monique here: https://rippleability.org

As always, if you want to get in touch with the podcast, you can contact us at: meaningofhealth@outlook.com  
Instagram Twitter/X  Bluesky @healthmeanswhat  
FaceBook @MeaningofHealth 
Visit our website: https://meaningofhealth.com.au/ 


Episode 133 - Disability and Early Childhood Education and Care with Monique Power [disability series]

Autistic Adult writing lyrics for songs for healing from PTSD, Domestic Violence, and Coercive Control and Trauma Informed Care For Front Liners. All my songs are FREE, I invite artists in Australia to record my songs as long as words not changed and attribution given to AusticZone. Still building this platform so please be patient while I organise things. Bless you

Waypoint Church exists to advance the kingdom of God by making disciples of every tribe, tongue, and nation for the glory of God and the sake of the Gospel.

Hosted by Michael Gillan Peckitt, who resides in Kobe, Japan, the Disability News Japan Podcast is News website 'Barrier Free Japan's podcast, a weekly digest of some of the news about disability in Japan in audio form. New episodes will usually be available every Friday at 6am Japan Time.

Politics, culture, and public policy from the left. Stay alive another week.

w/ Beatrice Adler-Bolton, Artie Vierkant, Phil Rocco and Jules Gill-Peterson. 

https://www.patreon.com/deathpanelpod

A podcast that explores a range of health and health-related issues that affect people in the community. We sit down with lived experience, academic, and practitioner experts to take a deep dive into many different areas of health. We are based at the School of Population and Global Health at the University of Western Australia.

New tracks tagged #disability