Platforming narratives and stories surrounding disability on community radio vital in destigmatising mental health

Annabelle ‘Belle’ Behan has never been known to downplay her personal emotional, psychiatric, and psychological health struggles that have sidestepped her academic, social, and professional endeavours for many years. But despite being diagnosed with bipolar disorder and depression while studying law at university, Behan has not relented in passionately advocating for better awareness on mental health and fighting to eliminate stigmatisation against those with disabilities.

Whilst focusing most of her time volunteering as a paralegal, Behan is widely recognised as one of the current co-presenters and Executive Producer of 4ZZZ 102.1 FM’s social justice and disability rights focused show, Only Human. Behan is also the Facilitator and Trainer for the CMTO’s Audio Ability Program Project, where over the last ten weeks she has held online professional development training sessions with the current diverse team of mentors from across South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland every Wednesday night. Previously, she was a member of the course’s reference group and had also participated in the pilot/inaugural round as another of the twenty-five original mentees.

Behan unveils to De-Stigmatised‘s Jarad McLoughlin how she had managed to stride a certain level of equilibrium through providing a platform on community radio for disabled people to share their narratives and stories with listeners, comprehending the vitality of destigmatising mental health and why she felt that her confidence was lacking when it came to recording and editing her own audio content before making the decision to join Audio Ability.