Welcome to DisabiliTEA: Conversations for Change. This special video edition of the Finding Avalon Podcast features authentic chats over hot cups of tea with Disabled, chronically ill and neurodivergent changemakers, citizens and our allies.
In Episode 4, during World Autism Acceptance Month, Ro Clarke joined me from across the pond in England!Ro is an autistic ADHDer who lives with OCD, Complex PTSD, General Anxiety Disorder, chronic pain and mild scoliosis. She’s an advocate and content creator who shares her lived experience as a survivor who used alcohol and drugs to cope with trauma and years of unrealized autistic distress.
Ro is passionate about raising awareness about Autism, ADHD and mental health. She shares authentically and vulnerably about her life with disability, helping her large following feel seen in the process.
Animal welfare matters a great deal to Ro. She and her partner love animals and have a number of pets, who are central to their family life, and who have been crucial to supporting her health and wellbeing.
“As an autistic ADHDer who loves to just be at home with her pets and needs that time to themselves, I would just ask that people give people space to recover and to rest. And to understand that just because we need time by ourselves, it doesn’t mean that we’re selfish or rude or unkind.
Ro Clarke
I’ve had so many people in my life be offended by the fact that I can’t see them really often or that I don’t want to go and do this thing with them and it’s not that I don’t like them, it’s just that it’s exhausting. Seeing people in person for me really really tires me out. I don’t do it that often because I mask even if they’re my loved ones, family members…
I was only diagnosed last year, so I’m still very much in the early stages of learning myself. It is really exhausting to be out in the world. And even if you’re not meeting up with anybody, just going to the shop or going to work or even just driving exhausts me. So I would just ask that people understand and respect my need for time, space and quiet.”
About this Episode
DisabiliTEA: “Small Creatures, Big Support: How Pets Enhance my Life with Autism” with Ro Clarke (S1E4)
In this heartfelt interview, Ro Clarke shares her journey as an autistic ADHDer living with multiple disabilities and how her pets play a vital role in her mental health, wellness and daily routine.
Discover insights into the therapeutic power of animals, the importance of routine, actionable steps for improved disability inclusion, and learn about Ro’s journey to a neuroaffirming, sensory relieving and mental health supportive surgery.
Watch Ro’s Episode here
Episode Sponsor
Marmalade Boutique kindly sponsored this episode. They have the most beautifully curated seaside shop in gorgeous St. Andrews by the Sea, New Brunswick. One of my favourite places in Atlantic Canada, hands down. The amazing ladies at Marmalade sent a pair of “Cat and Garden Vine” stoneware mugs by a Prince Edward Island based artisan, LINKO. Ro was delighted to add this to her cat mug collection!
They also kindly sent along some of their signature Marmalade Tea blend, created in collaboration with another woman-owned Atlantic business, Garden by the Sea. It’s an organic black tea with warm chai spices and a little kick of lemongrass. Marmalade Boutique was my favourite shop to get cozily lost in on my last visit to St. Andrews by the Sea and I’m overdue for a visit to this charming little 19th century seaside town with whale watching tidal tours on the Bay of Fundy, boutique shopping, and a grand selection of fine dining.
Learn More
- Ro Clarke’s @TismAndCats Instagram and TikTok
- Ro’s Fundraiser
- Subscribe to DisabiliTEA on YouTube
- Follow DisabiliTEA on Spotify
- DisabiliTEA Series Episode List
- Marmalade Boutique website and Instagram
- Regions mentioned: New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, England, UK
Thank You / Support a Disabled Creator
Thank you for supporting DisabiliTEA – an award-winning, Disabled-led, Atlantic Canadian program! Every like, share and comment really matters to Disabled creators, helping build a stronger, more inclusive community.
This is an entirely grassroots project creating accessible, cost-free public educational resources, with absolutely no assistance or funding. Here are ways to support me to continue contributing to inclusive change, community empowerment and disabled justice. Donations are gladly accepted to help cover basic operational costs to keep the podcast going.
Atlantic Canadian Pride
If you can, please consider supporting Atlantic Canadian makers, artisans and storytellers like the ones mentioned in this episode, and think about planning your next adventure to the East Coast travel destinations our guests live and make change in. We are blessed to live in Atlantic Canada where community, storytelling, art and nature connect in intricate, organic ways to support our unforgettable culture and land.
From Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick to Nova Scotia and my home Newfoundland and Labrador, we are a fine destination for food, craft, nature, locally-made products, excursions, outdoor pursuits, roadtrip fun and memory making — and the classic warmth of humour and hospitality the East Coast has become legendary for.
Finding Avalon: Storytelling, Advocacy & Life 
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