Voices Making Change

Ruby Sturt

Hey everyone, welcome back to Beyond the Label! I'm Ruby Sturt, and as always, I'm joined by the ever-thoughtful Eric Marquette. Today, we're diving into something that honestly gets me fired up—real advocacy, the kind that actually changes things, not just hashtags and good intentions.

Eric Marquette

Absolutely, Ruby. And I think it's fair to say, advocacy can look a bit different depending on where you are and what you're fighting for. Take the 2021 Accessible Cities Campaign, for example—Maria Chen and her team really set the bar. They didn't just talk about making cities more accessible; they actually got policies changed. That's the sort of impact we're talking about today.

Ruby Sturt

Yeah, and what I love is how it wasn't just one approach. You had grassroots folks, people on the ground, doing the hard yards—petitions, rallies, all that. Then you had these big national campaigns, and even smaller, local organizing. It's like, no matter the scale, if you get enough people together, you can actually move the needle.

Eric Marquette

Right, and sometimes it's those local efforts that really surprise you. I mean, the big campaigns get the headlines, but it's the community-level stuff that often lays the groundwork. Ruby, didn't you mention once about a petition in your city?

Ruby Sturt

Oh, totally! So, a couple years back, there was this viral petition in my city—just a bunch of parents and students, really, who were sick of the buses being impossible for wheelchair users. It blew up online, and suddenly the council was like, "Oh, maybe we should actually do something." And they did! They rolled out new accessible buses within the year. It was wild to see how quickly things can shift when people get loud together.

Eric Marquette

That’s a brilliant example. It just goes to show, whether it’s a city-wide campaign or a handful of determined locals, advocacy is about persistence and, well, a bit of creativity, isn’t it?

Ruby Sturt

Exactly! And I think that’s a good segue into how leadership plays into all this, because sometimes it just takes one person to get the ball rolling, and suddenly you’ve got a movement.

Eric Marquette

Yeah, leadership is such a fascinating piece of the puzzle. You get these advocates who aren’t necessarily famous, but they know how to bring people together. Like, take Jordan Patel and the Green Schools Initiative back in 2019. He wasn’t a household name, but he managed to rally students, teachers, and even local businesses to push for greener, more accessible schools. And it worked—they got new legislation passed. That’s measurable change.

Ruby Sturt

I love that story. And it’s not just about the big wins, either. Sometimes it’s about shifting how people think. Like, you get enough people talking about something, and suddenly it’s not “radical” anymore—it’s just common sense. That’s real leadership, right? Making the impossible seem, well, possible.

Eric Marquette

Absolutely. And, you know, I’ve got a case study from here in the UK that always sticks with me. There was this advocacy group—small, but mighty—that lobbied for disability-friendly workplace policies. They didn’t have a massive budget or anything, but they were relentless. They met with MPs, they shared stories from employees, and eventually, they got a new set of guidelines adopted by several major companies. It’s not always about changing the law; sometimes it’s about changing the culture.

Ruby Sturt

That’s so true. And it reminds me of what we talked about in our episode on workplace rights—sometimes the law is there, but it takes real people pushing for it to actually mean something in practice.

Eric Marquette

Exactly, and it’s that collective action—people coming together, sharing their experiences, and refusing to back down—that really drives things forward. It’s inspiring, honestly.

Ruby Sturt

Yeah, and it’s a good reminder that you don’t have to be a “leader” in the traditional sense to make a difference. Sometimes just showing up and speaking out is enough to start a ripple effect.

Ruby Sturt

So, speaking of ripple effects, let’s talk about some of those big milestones—the moments where everything kind of shifts. Like, the passage of the Inclusive Education Act. That was huge, right? Suddenly, schools had to actually include everyone, not just say they would. It was a real turning point.

Eric Marquette

Yeah, and those milestones don’t just happen out of nowhere. They’re the result of years—sometimes decades—of people pushing, sharing their stories, and refusing to let things slide. It’s that collective voice that makes the difference. And, as we’ve seen in previous episodes, especially when we talked about inclusive classrooms, it’s those legal changes that really open doors for people.

Ruby Sturt

Totally. And honestly, one of my favourite parts of doing this podcast is getting to hear those stories firsthand. Like, I interviewed this young advocate last year—she was, I think, seventeen?—and her story about struggling to access her school’s tech went viral. Next thing you know, there’s a nationwide campaign for accessible technology in schools. It’s wild how one person’s experience can spark something so much bigger.

Eric Marquette

That’s the power of sharing, isn’t it? When people hear a story they relate to, or even just empathise with, it can inspire them to act. And that’s how change keeps rolling forward—one story, one milestone at a time.

Ruby Sturt

Exactly. And I guess that’s what we’re hoping to do here, too—keep those stories going, keep the momentum up. So, thanks for tuning in, everyone. We’ll be back with more voices, more stories, and hopefully, more change.

Eric Marquette

Thanks, Ruby. And thanks to all of you for listening. Take care, and we’ll catch you next time on Beyond the Label.

Ruby Sturt

See ya, Eric. Bye everyone!