Two Identities, One Fight—Danise Sugita on Surviving and Speaking Out Artwork

Twenty-First Century Disability

Let's be honest. Life with a disability can be difficult. Luckily, we are living in the twenty-first century. This podcast is about how living in the modern world has helped people with disabilities to have fairly "normal" lives. Join me as we explore why this is and as I try to look at disability from a social model perspective and change how the world sees disability.

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Twenty-First Century Disability

Two Identities, One Fight—Danise Sugita on Surviving and Speaking Out

March 17, 2026 • Hollis Peirce • Season 5 • Episode 5

0:00 | 27:59

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Content warning: This episode contains discussions of suicide and suicidal thoughts. If you or someone you know is struggling and you are living in Canada or the United States, please call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline). You can also find support and resources at https://helpguide.org/.

Guest: Danise Sugita

What You’ll Learn:
•How Danise’s lived experience shaped her work and her approach to healing and support
•What suicidal thoughts can look like (and why they’re often hidden or misunderstood)
•Whether Danise identifies more closely with being a disabled Asian American or a disabled person
•How the dual identity impacts her ability to seek help
•The frustration and challenges of living with an invisible disability (including being doubted, misunderstood, or having to repeatedly self-advocate)
•How a passion for disability rights and justice can stem from multiple things that are not related to being disabled
•What the relationship between attendants and their clients are like

Topics We Cover:
•How trauma can lead to suicidal thoughts
•Lived experience
•Recovery and resilience
•Identity
•Disability justice
•Attendant care

Who This Episode Is For:
•Anyone who’s personally navigating suicidal thoughts or mental health challenges
•Anyone who has or wants to know more about living with an invisible disability
•Listeners who want to know more about the struggle of being a member of two minority groups
•Those interested in mental health advocacy and stigma reduction
•Anyone who wants to know more about the relationship between an attendant and client

Follow Danise:
•LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danisesugita/
•Podcast — The Voices That Propel Us: Stories of Justice, Action, and Community: https://open.spotify.com/show/0pcM5LWXexnuWNKpsndYjb?si=c4e6fb0338fe4be3
•Episode (Spotify) — The Voices That Propel Us (with me as a guest): https://open.spotify.com/episode/0It5mDi7BvWXVYd2iPzAvj?si=944baae856b04779
•Episode (Apple Podcasts) — Beyond the Barriers: Hollis Peirce on Disability: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/beyond-the-barriers-hollis-peirce-on-disability/id1832052249?i=1000741675477

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