Hot Seat With Cognizant Clay

I had a great chat with Victoria Berezovich today. She is the branch leader of the leading and only branch for Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease in Canada and a cast member of CBC Push. She is also a model and has made several public speeches for CMT awareness.

Natasha Urkow is a cast member of the CBC Docuseries Push. She has her Masters Degree in Fine Arts in Theatre and is a loving wife and mother. She is also the co-host of the podcast called The Mixed Crips.

Kyle Lewis Jordan is a freelance curator and archaeologist. Born with Cerebral Palsy, Kyle has been passionate about Egyptology since the age of six, and has aimed to be Director of the British Museum since the age of ten. He went on to study a BA in Ancient History and Egyptology and an MA in the Archaeology and Heritage of Egypt and the Middle East at UCL, where he specialised in the study of disability in antiquity. He most recently completed a curatorial post at the Ashmolean Museum and Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, where he curated two displays on disability within the museum's collections, and is currently working as a Guest Curator for the Verulamium Museum to produce a temporary exhibition on Health and Disability in the Roman World. 

Brittney Neunzig is a content creator and part-time substitute teacher. At the age of 13 she became a T6 paraplegic following a snowmobile accident. After many years of feeling insecure and unworthy as a person with a disability, Brittney flipped her perspective and now sees her disability as her greatest asset. She has channeled her strength into creating the "Empowered Para" YouTube channel, dedicated to supporting and empowering individuals with disabilities. Through her content, Brittney inspires others to overcome challenges, fostering a community of resilience and encouragement. Brittney lives in Edmonton with her husband and 2 kids.

Roneel Gounder is a Bollywood dancer. He founded Bollywheels, a dance group that includes dancers with disabilities. The group includes fellow CBC Push star Bean Gill.

Aleem Jaffer is a public speaker, model, and one of the stars of the new docu-series PUSH on CBC and CBC Gem. PUSH is an unscripted series that takes audiences into the inner world of the “Wheelie Peeps,” an unlikely group of friends and wheelchair users, bonded by their shared experience of navigating life on wheels which currently is streaming on CBC Gem & AMI+. Additionally, Aleem is a Job Developer where he helps people with barriers to find meaningful employment.

Brian McPherson is a former athlete. He has competed as a member of the Canadian national bobsledding and sledge hockey teams. He is also a former machinery operator and mechanic who currently works fixing mobility devices. He is featured in CBC's docuseries Push.

Riccardo Baldini is an entrepreneur and pianist from Italy currently living in Alberta. He is the cofounder of Strathcona Microgreens. He also cofounded Resonate, an adaptive piano pedal that helps people press the pedals of a piano without using their legs. He was featured on the CBC docuseries Push.

Benveet "Bean" Gill is an actress, entrepreneur and model. In 2017 she co-founded ReYu Paralysis Recovery Center - a non-profit she started with her Neuro-Exercise Specialist and zero capital. The wellness center exists to inspire, motivate, and promote recovery with increased function for individuals with spinal cord injuries and associated neurological disorders. "We show them that they can do the things that they were told they were never going to do." Gill’s work has earned her local and national recognition, including Top 40 Under 40, RBC Canadian Women Entrepreneur Award, and Global’s Woman of Vision Award. Bean is the reigning Miss Wheelchair Canada and was recognized by Mattel as one of Canada's top 60 inspiring women as part of Barbie's 60th Anniversary. Thanks for tuning in to my channel! I appreciate the support and I hope I provide some decent entertainment for you. If you are new to my page, my name is Clayton. I am a 31 year old Canadian living with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. I started my page to raise awareness for the disabled community. I stream video games and also host a video podcast called Hot Seat with Cognizant Clay. For those interested, there are links to my Instagram and website below! Instagram: https://instagram.com/cognizantclay?i... Donate to Defeat Duchenne Canada: https://defeatduchenne.akaraisin.com/... Website: www.cognizantclay.com In July my accessible van lost brakes and when we took it for a service our mechanic told us the repairs needed would exceed $10,000. It's a 1997 Econoline so there is no point in fixing it. We are now looking to buy a newer van to replace it. The Econoline was the 3rd van we have purchased. This will be van number four! Without a van I am unable to travel for my medical appointments. As someone on ODSP, financing a van is unobtainable. It would mean a lot to me if you donate or share my cause! Any amount donated is greatly appreciated! https://gofund.me/5ba654f7

Sean Towgood is the creator, writer, co-executive producer and star of You're My Hero, a new CBC Gem original comedy series about navigating life with cerebral palsy. He is a Radio Broadcasting graduate from Humber College, and won an Emerge Media Award for the short radio documentary Stigma. Towgood is also the creator and co-producer of the audio documentaries Independence Day and Welcome To The Party for CBC's The Doc Project.