Ian Harvey: Unlocking Experiences and Rewriting What's Possible in Disability

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Ian Harvey: Unlocking Experiences and Rewriting What's Possible in Disability

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SUMMARYA diving accident on a Boxing Day cricket trip changed everything — for an 18-year-old named Jason, and for Ian Harvey, the young rugby coach standing beside him. In this episode of Golden Threads, host Daniel Dougherty sits down with Ian — National Foundation Manager for the WhatAbility Foundation in Perth — to trace a 20-year journey from fitness manager to one of Australia's most quietly powerful advocates for inclusion. Ian shares two friendships that reshaped his life (Jason and Doug, both quadriplegic after sudden injuries), the lessons they taught him about honesty, friendship, and fun, and his work today gifting tickets, experiences, and joy to families living with disability across Australia.EPISODE PILLARSThe phone call that changed everythingIan unpacks the day Jason — a 17-year-old he coached — broke his neck diving into a wave, and how that single moment rewired his understanding of disability, friendship, and luck.Friendship as the real teacherThe lesson Jason gave a mental health nurse from a hospital bed — "I feel fine, I've got my mates here" — and what 20+ years of friendship has taught Ian about showing up, honesty, and not turning away from hard conversations.Why fun is the missing piece in disability supportIan explains why WhatAbility is built around joy, jet skis, footy and four-wheel-driving — and why "fun" is too often the first thing stripped from disability service models.Like Santa Claus every dayInside the WhatAbility Foundation: gifting up to six tickets a month per family, and partnering with the Australian Grand Prix, the Australian Open, Fun Lab and Bounce to unlock experiences usually out of reach.One million experiences by 2035Ian's bold goal — and why his vision for an inclusive Australia means building events so good that people without disability in their lives feel like they're missing out.GUEST BIOIan Harvey is the National Foundation Manager at the WhatAbility Foundation, based in Perth, Western Australia. After two decades managing health clubs and gyms across Australia, Ian pivoted into the disability sector — drawing on more than 20 years of personal experience supporting two close friends, Jason and Doug, both of whom acquired spinal injuries in their late teens and early twenties. Ian leads the Foundation's national mission to unlock one million inclusive experiences for people with disability and their families by 2035.LINKSWhatAbility Foundation — https://whatabilityfoundation.org.auWhatAbility (NDIS provider) — https://whatability.com.auRESOURCES MENTIONEDRiding for the Disabled Association (RDA) — https://www.rda.org.auAustralian Grand Prix sensory pit-lane toursAustralian Open accessibility programmingFun Lab and Bounce inclusive sessionsNDIS — https://www.ndis.gov.auTIMESTAMPS00:00 Welcome to Golden Threads00:43 Meet Ian Harvey01:21 What is the WhatAbility Foundation02:43 The fitness years04:50 COVID burnout and the career pivot05:41 "Two Steves" — meeting WhatAbility07:38 First experience with disability — Jason09:09 The diving accident12:06 The phone call and the guilt13:41 Mum's volunteer work with RDA14:06 Doug's accident in Canada16:08 Standing on the family's doorstep20:00 The 20-year journey with Jason22:18 "I feel fine" — what Jason said in hospital24:27 Jason today — chartered accountant via voice control27:39 The true value of friendship30:02 Beyond physical reciprocity33:25 Hidden disabilities and being comfortable with hard questions36:31 Feeling like you get more than you give40:09 Like Santa Claus every day40:42 The Australian Grand Prix collaboration42:42 Inside the WhatAbility model46:06 No such thing as a barrier49:22 Meeting WhatAbility — the night at the footy52:18 Society and hidden disabilities53:55 The future — 1 million experiences by 203555:34 Building a one-stop platform for inclusion58:40 Closing words and gratitudeCALL TO ACTIONIf this episode moved you, please follow Kintsugi Heroes on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your preferred app, leave a rating or review, and share it with someone who needs to hear it. To support our not-for-profit mission to share more stories like Ian's, visit kintsugiheroes.com.au and make a tax-deductible donation, or get in touch about partnering with us.THE KINTSUGI CONNECTIONWatch every episode on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/@kintsugiheroesIf this story resonated, explore more from our Disability Series — honest conversations with advocates, carers, and people with lived experience reshaping what inclusion looks like in Australia.ABOUT KINTSUGI HEROESKintsugi Heroes is a not-for-profit storytelling platform sharing real stories of resilience, disability and transformation. Inspired by the Japanese art of kintsugi — repairing broken pottery with gold so the cracks become the most beautiful part — we believe every life can be made more beautiful through what it has survived.PARTNER WITH USWe work with NDIS providers, advocacy organisations,...

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