Out of Sync - Exploring Life Through Disability

In this episode, we meet Chris Sciabarra—a writer whose sense of freedom began not in the body, but in the mind. Inspired early on by thinkers like Ayn Rand and later shaped by the dialectical ideas of Bertell Ollman, Chris built an inner world grounded in reason, inquiry, and intellectual independence. But while his mind roamed freely, his body told a different story. Living with the rare condition Superior Mesenteric Artery Syndrome, Chris faced lifelong physical limitations that made everyday life a constant negotiation.What emerges is a powerful contrast—and ultimately, a reconciliation—between independence as an idea and interdependence as a reality. Raised in a close-knit Brooklyn family, Chris’s story reveals how freedom is often sustained not alone, but through deep bonds of care and mutual support.This is a conversation about philosophy, illness, and the quiet strength of family—the kind that makes survival, and even flourishing, possible.I'm Léa Hirschfeld, and this is Out of Sync: exploring life through disability, one story at a time.New episodes drop every Tuesday on all platforms - for transcripts, check out our YouTube channel.🇫🇷for French stories: Décalés !You can support this independent podcast here!Chris's blog & essays are available here : https://notablog.net/“Born Again”: Fifty Years Ago Today (24 April 2024): https://medium.com/@cms10_7549/born-again-fifty-years-ago-today-32bd3935241cBack to Life from the Brink (28 April 2026):On Medium: https://medium.com/@cms10_7549/back-to-life-from-the-brink-9651105cbbc0On Substack: https://chrismatthewsciabarra.substack.com/p/153e7046-0763-48db-b764-57e047730828Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

After the sudden passing of her mother, Isabel finds herself stepping into a role she never expected to take on so early: caring for her brother Tony, who has autism, while grieving a profound loss of her own. In this conversation, she reflects on their lifelong bond, the family dynamics that shaped them, and the delicate dance of being — and staying — a sister when the line between sisterhood and mothering begins to blur.I'm Léa Hirschfeld, and this is Out of Sync: exploring life through disability, one story at a time.New episodes drop every Tuesday on all platforms - for transcripts, check out our YouTube channel.🇫🇷for French stories: Décalés !You can support this independent podcast here!Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

At 10, Marina survived a horseback riding accident that left her in a three-month coma. Recovery meant relearning basic skills, navigating school and friendships, and adjusting to a new way of living. A natural competitor and self-described overachiever, she performs in theater at Zeno Mountain Farm, hand-cycles marathons, and gains more independence every day—even when it’s hard.Her story explores finding freedom in unexpected places. What does it take to rebuild your life? How do small victories shape who we are?I'm Léa Hirschfeld, and this is Out of Sync: exploring life through disability, one story at a time.New episodes drop every Tuesday on all platforms - for transcripts, check out our YouTube channel.🇫🇷for French stories: Décalés !You can support this independent podcast on Patreon.Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

In this episode, I meet Ross, whose life changed when his son Josh was born with cerebral palsy. What began as a father’s determination to include his child in everyday life grew into a larger mission: creating Access Sport America - an adaptive sports program - that rethinks what the world expects people with physical disabilities to be capable of.As our conversation unfolds, our stories begin to echo—his as a parent, mine as a sibling. Together, we explore what it really means to support, challenge, and believe in someone. A story about raising expectations, redefining ability, and building a life that refuses to be limited.I'm Léa Hirschfeld, and this is Out of Sync: exploring life through disability, one story at a time.New episodes drop every Tuesday on all platforms - for transcripts, check out our YouTube channel.🇫🇷for French stories: Décalés !You can support this independent podcast here!Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Everyone’s story is shaped by family, whether they’re present or not. Noble is no exception. He reflects on the dynamics with his parents and sisters, one of whom has Down syndrome. As a child, he noticed small cues others might miss. As a teenager, those moments became more intense — realizations about difference, responsibility, and connection.In this episode, we wonder: are these experiences related to his relationship with addiction? Did those years lay the foundations for the work he does today as a substance abuse counselor?I’m Léa Hirschfeld, and this is Episode 9 of Out of Sync - exploring life through disability, one story at a time, opening a new chapter of the podcast recorded in Boston.New episodes drop every Tuesday on all platforms - for transcripts, check out our YouTube channel.🇫🇷for French stories: Décalés !You can support this independent podcast here!Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Independence doesn’t happen overnight—it’s something built slowly, through work, community, and learning how to navigate the world at your own rhythm. From friendships and creative projects at Zeno Mountain Farm to the quiet moments of figuring things out alone, Lucy reflects on what it means to grow up, leave home, and imagine a life that is fully hers.Moving out also means asking bigger questions: about love, belonging, and the simple desire to live a fulfilling life.Independence can feel exciting, uncertain, sometimes lonely—but also full of possibility.I'm Léa Hirschfeld, and this is Out of Sync: exploring life through disability, one story at a time.New episodes drop every Tuesday on all platforms - for transcripts, check out our YouTube channel.🇫🇷for French stories: Décalés !You can support this independent podcast here!Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

When I asked Grace what it was like raising a toddler in a tipi with no running water or electricity in Vermont, she laughed and said she was lucky—because Ian didn’t toddle very much. Babies with Down syndrome often take things slower than most, and as Ian grew, Grace made a point of taking everything slowly but seriously, focusing on life skills.An experienced educator, she knew a lot about kids—but advocating for her own taught her something new: the power of community and common sense.I'm Léa Hirschfeld, and this is Out of Sync: exploring life through disability, one story at a time.New episodes drop every Tuesday on all platforms - for transcripts, check out our YouTube channel.🇫🇷for French stories: Décalés !You can support this independent podcast here!Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Kate describes herself as intensely social, deeply connected to music, sometimes too trusting — and many other things. This is her life with Williams syndrome, a rare genetic condition she reflects on. We talk about growing up alongside her siblings and peers at different rhythms, navigating school and work while often being underestimated, competing at the Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi, and her hopes for a partner and maybe a family.I'm Léa Hirschfeld, and this is Out of Sync: exploring life through disability, one story at a time.New episodes drop every Tuesday on all platforms - for transcripts, check out our YouTube channel.🇫🇷for French stories: Décalés !You can support this independent podcast here!Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Ila, an occupational therapist and co-founder of Zeno Mountain Farm, shares what it takes to build a community in Vermont where people with and without disabilities live, work, and create together. She also dives into the films Zeno makes—not just about disability, but about real stories and people—showing why representation in culture matters. This episode is about the messy, joyful work of inclusion and the friendships that make it real.I'm Léa Hirschfeld, and this is Out of Sync: exploring life through disability, one story at a time.New episodes drop every Tuesday on all platforms - for transcripts, check out our YouTube channel.🇫🇷for French stories: Décalés !You can support this independent podcast here!Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Have you ever had breakfast across from someone wearing a princess costume, spent the afternoon sliding through the woods on a 200-foot slide into a pond, turned dishwashing into a party, or stripped off your clothes to lie in a storm? Welcome to Zeno Mountain Farm, where we put as much energy into having fun as most people put into work. Where having fun is the work. Where everything we do implies seriously thinking through how everyone, with and without disabilities, can participate in the meaningful things of life: eating with friends, jamming on instruments, shaving outside, attending open-air concerts, making plays and movies, and even windsurfing in a wheelchair. What Will Halby and his family started as a small film camp in California has become a year-round community in Vermont, where all bodies and minds are represented on stage and on screen, participating in life to the fullest of their abilities. It is free, secular, and grounded in friendship and common sense: we all have needs that must be met—so let’s take it to another level.I’m Léa Hirschfeld, and this is Out of Sync: exploring life through disability, one story at a time.New episodes drop every Tuesday on all platforms - for transcripts, check out our YouTube channel.🇫🇷for French stories: Décalés !You can support this independent podcast here!Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

This is Krista. Becoming a mother of twins at 35 changed everything, and even more so when one of them suffered a brain injury at birth. She learned to balance grief with problem-solving, to lean on her husband while advocating together, and to trust schools and professionals while finding her own ways to support her children. A neighbor of Zeno Mountain Farm, she discovered a community that expanded her sense of what’s possible. Now, with the twins heading off to college, she reflects on raising children with and without disabilities—and what it has taught her about letting go.Listen to Krista's daughters, Isabelle and Hannah, in episodes 1 & 2.I’m Léa Hirschfeld, and this is Out of Sync: exploring life through disability, one story at a time.New episodes drop every Tuesday on all platforms - for transcripts, check out our YouTube channel.🇫🇷for French stories: Décalés !You can support this independent podcast here!Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Hannah was seventeen when we recorded this. She grew up doing community theater, with her mobility aids as part of her character. Living with cerebral palsy meant learning to step onto a stage even when auditions felt like judgment, and discovering the freedom to be herself—unedited. At Zeno Mountain Farm, she learned to reach out when she needed support, to support others, and to navigate challenges in her own rhythm. Now 20, she can still feel out of sync—but who doesn’t?Listen to her twin Isabelle in the previous episode, and to her mother Krista in the next one.I’m Léa Hirschfeld, and this is Out of Sync: exploring life through disability, one story at a time.New episodes drop every Tuesday on all platforms - for transcripts, check out our YouTube channel.🇫🇷for French stories: Décalés !You can support this independent podcast here!Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

Isabelle was seventeen when they shared this. They’re the sibling without a disability, learning to navigate feelings of responsibility and powerlessness, gratitude and doubt, and to recognize when their own emotions matter. Thoughtful and honest, Isabelle reflects on identity, independence, love, and the resilience life asks for in a world not built for everyone, as they and their twin Hannah, who has cerebral palsy, prepare to head off to college in different states. Now 20, they’re still figuring it out—but who isn’t?Listen to Isabelle's twin Hannah in episode 2, and their mother Krista in episode 3.I’m Léa Hirschfeld, and this is Out of Sync: exploring life through disability, one story at a time.New episodes drop every Tuesday on all platforms - for transcripts, check out our YouTube channel.🇫🇷for French stories: Décalés !You can support this independent podcast here!Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.

I’m Léa Hirschfeld, sharing how discovering Zeno Mountain Farm and growing up with my brother sparked the journey that became this podcast.Out of Sync: Exploring life with disability — one story at a time.You can support this independent podcast here!Hosted on Ausha. See ausha.co/privacy-policy for more information.