EP. 84 | Jo-Ann D'Costa Manuel | Autism Advocacy and Social Change

In this episode of Relight Your Fire, host Anita Goyal engages in an enlightening and moving conversation with Jo-Ann D'Costa-Manuel OBE, a tireless advocate for autism, and a beacon of inspiration in the areas of leadership, advocacy, and social change.    In their enriching conversation, they cover Jo-Ann’s journey of passion and purpose; her initiatives for creating quieter, autism-friendly environments in supermarkets and airports; and her personal experiences as a parent of a child with autism.    Also highlighted are her work with Caldwell Children and John Caldwell Foundation, her faith as a guiding force, and her plans for a confidential, upcoming project related to health and wellbeing.   Finally, she introduces her online course, 'Autism Parent Empower', aimed at guiding parents of autistic children.   To find out more about myself, the work I am involved in or the show – visit www.anitagoyal.com Or to get in touch with me you can email [email protected].  Thank you for listening and for all your support.   01:26 Jo-Ann's Journey to OBE 02:18 Personal Experiences with Autism 03:45 Advocacy for Autism: Supermarket Campaign 05:55 Advocacy for Autism: Air Travel 09:57 Impact of Advocacy and Recognition 11:50 Career Journey and Current Role 18:07 Influence of Faith and Family 22:56 Upcoming Projects and Future Goals 26:48 Advice for Parents with Autistic Children 29:45 Connecting with Jo-Ann and Final Thoughts

Om Podcasten

Relight Your Fire; to fuel your passions and purpose and rejuvenate your fire for life. While this may sound like a mountain of a task, in reality, it takes a few actions and new ways of thinking compounded over days, weeks and years. In this series, we explore the minds, values and habits of high performing individuals to find what they do to relight their fire. We dive into their stories, how they got to where they are and most importantly, how they’ve stayed motivated, inspired and passionate. I hope you enjoy the podcasts. To get in touch with Anita about the show or any other queries, you can e-mail: [email protected] Relight your fire is hosted by Anita Goyal. Anita is the CEO and trustee of The Hemraj Goyal Foundation and the Hallmark Care homes foundation. Also serving as the Vice President of Barnardo’s, Patron of Binti International and an Ambassador of the Alzheimer’s Society. She is an award-winning philanthropist, community champion and author of Voices from Punjab and Voices from Gujarat. Anita’s passion for teaching led her to become a teacher in science and an Assistant Headteacher. She has completed her MA in Special and Inclusive Education in London and is pioneering personal development workshops in schools across the UK. She is passionate about making a difference and believes in doing everything with passion and purpose.