The SwagAbility Show features real conversations, "the newest" in adaptive resources, amazing stories of overcoming and encouragement, for individuals, caregivers, veterans and families navigating Disability, Trauma, PTSD and Life-altering adversity. Hosted by Stephen Wagstaff, a C5 quadriplegic from a diving accident at age 19 (August 2, 1996), each episode offers insight, education, practical tools/services, assistive technology and hope from someone who has real insight from years of lived experience. At Swagability, it's our mission to see you— thrive where life finds you!
The SwagAbility Show features real conversations, "the newest" in adaptive resources, amazing stories of overcoming and encouragement, for individuals, caregivers, veterans and families navigating Disability, Trauma, PTSD and Life-altering adversity. Hosted by Stephen Wagstaff, a C5 quadriplegic from a diving accident at age 19 (August 2, 1996), each episode offers insight, education, practical tools/services, assistive technology and hope from someone who has real insight from years of lived experience. At Swagability, it's our mission to see you— thrive where life finds you!
Disability changes more than your body—it changes how the world sees you.
A powerful conversation about identity, resilience, and rebuilding life after loss.
In this episode of The Swagability Show, Peter Toress shares his lived experience navigating disability, identity, and resilience after life-altering change. With honesty and depth, Peter reflects on what it means to adapt when your sense of self is challenged—and how meaning is rebuilt through vulnerability, support, and persistence.
This conversation explores the emotional realities of disability, the grief that often follows loss of ability or independence, and the pressure to redefine who you are in a world that wasn’t built for difference. Peter speaks to the importance of dignity, mental health, and being seen as a whole person—not a diagnosis.
If you or someone you love is living with disability, chronic illness, or a major life transition, this episode offers validation, insight, and hope grounded in real experience.
Topics include:
• Disability and identity
• Mental health and resilience
• Grief, loss, and adaptation
• Living with uncertainty
• Finding purpose after life changes
• Why representation and empathy matter
🎧 The Swagability Show is a trauma-informed podcast amplifying lived experience at the intersection of disability, mental health, and human dignity.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction: Identity and Life Change
02:42 When Disability Redefines Your World
06:11 The Emotional Impact No One Prepares You For
09:58 Grief, Loss, and Letting Go of Old Versions
13:44 Mental Health and the Cost of Silence
17:26 Rebuilding Identity After Disability
21:08 The Role of Support and Community
24:57 Living With Uncertainty Day to Day
28:41 Redefining Strength and Success
32:15 Words of Hope for Anyone Struggling
35:40 What Living Fully Really Means
• Disability often reshapes identity, not just daily life
• Grief is a natural response to life-altering change
• Mental health support is essential, not optional
• Strength looks different for everyone
• Dignity and representation matter
• Lived experience deserves to be heard and respected
#PodMatch #SwagAbility #DisabilityAwareness
#MentalHealthMatters #Resilience
📸 Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/swagabilitylive/
🎵 TikTok
https://www.tiktok.com/@swagabilitylive
💼 LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-wagstaff-1a780a279/
▶️ YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@SwagAbilityLive
Support The Swagability Show and help us continue creating trauma-informed, inclusive conversations that center lived experience and dignity:
👉 https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/donation-form/donate-to-change-lives-today