Akii Ngo: Chronic Pain & Intersections

Chronically Chilled

Akii Ngo spoke with Naomi Chainey and Marijo Požega about Chronic Pain Australia, the many systemic barriers faced by people living with chronic pain, their own lived experience, COVID-19 and the Royal Comission into Disability. Akii also discussed mental health and the way it is connected with chronic pain/illness, as well as how gender, culture and sexuality intersect with disability. Akii recently joined Chronic Pain Australia as executive director. They are a public health nutritionist and health promotion practitioner with 10 years’ experience in advocacy, health policy, and systemic health promotion practice. Akii is also a board director and treasurer of Disability Justice Australia. Akii is deeply passionate about representation and is a fierce advocate for people with chronic pain, chronic illness, and disabilities due to their own lifetime of lived experiences. Akii lives with h-Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, Spinal Stenosis, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome, Mast Cell Activation, Bilateral Carpal Tunnel, RSI, Neuropathy, Osteoarthritis, Migraines, Interstitial Cystitis, Vulvodynia & Hypersomnia. Akii also deals with gastrointestinal pain related to being born with necrotising enterocolitis and thoracic pain due to a thymectomy. You can watch the Disability Royal Commission hearings debrief that Akii participated in with Senator Jordan Steele-John and Nicole Lee here: https://www.facebook.com/JordonSteeleJohn/videos/365755658155003/?extid=kyytoCNYgt4awvtX Find out more about Chronic Pain Australia at: http://chronicpainaustralia.org.au/index.php And on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/ChronicPainAustraliaSee their recent 'Faces of Pain' videos and resources for National Pain Week at: http://www.nationalpainweek.org.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&layout=edit&id=374 You can find Akii on Instagram at: adventuress.akii or on Twitter at: @Akii_Ngo