The Hero’s Journey: A Blueprint for Disability Advocacy Storytelling
We now approach the most famous of storytelling formats: The Hero’s Journey. This format is at the heart of sooooo much of world literature it would be remiss of me to ignore it. I approach this episode with a touch of trepidation, I am not Homer nor George Lucas nor the writer of the Epic of Gilgamesh but I do craft stories and have a view on this format.
So the Hero’s Journey, one of the most recognised storytelling arcs, it serves as a useful technique for organizations aiming to show how their work assists individuals to effect change. It is therefore worth considering in conjunction with the previous two discussions: “A Day in the Life of” and “Before and After”. Either of these can be the lens through wi=hich the Hero’s Journey is travelled.
Understanding the Hero’s Journey
At its core, the Hero’s Journey is a storytelling template that follows a character as they embark on an adventure, face trials, overcome obstacles and emerge transformed. This arc resonates because it mirrors human experience: the struggle to achieve, the hardships endured and the triumph of perseverance.
Joseph Campbell, who popularized this framework, outlined its stages:
- The Ordinary World: The hero begins in their familiar environment, unaware of the adventure ahead. This is where your client or even staff member lives their life not knowing it could be significantly better. For a client that might be their SIL situation. For the staff member it could be the work they are doing at another service.
- The Call to Adventure: A challenge or opportunity disrupts their routine, compelling them to act. This is where the client realises the way they are being treated is not acceptable any more. The staff member discovers your service, doing things your way and actually making a real difference in the lives of others.
- Crossing the Threshold: The hero steps out of their comfort zone, embarking on a journey. For the client this could mean they feel they are risking their home and its safety. For the staff member they could have doubts about giving up seniority, long service leave, friendships to move employers.
- Trials and Tribulations: They face challenges, gaining wisdom and strength along the way. For a client, initiating change, well for anyone really, initiating change, especially with the help of a guide can lead to turmoil and disruption as the old way of doing things disintegrates and the new patterns are yet to establish.
- The Climax: The hero confronts their greatest challenge and achieves a pivotal victory. Our client works towards their better life by facing the terrors, disharmonies and failings of their past circumstances to make decisions for their betterment.
- The Return: The hero brings their newfound knowledge or success back to their community, completing the transformation. Our client still lives in the same domestic setting but now has greater agency in their lives. Certain staff are replaced with the ones who get it, as a personal client of mine, Emma once described me as “One of the good ones.” The transformation in the client’s and the guide’s life is profound.
Why the Hero’s Journey Resonates in Disability Advocacy
- It Humanizes Complex Issues Abstract concepts like discrimination, accessibility and systemic inequities can feel distant or overwhelming. By centering stories around individuals, the Hero’s Journey makes these challenges tangible and we can place ourselves, emotionally, in their shoes.
- It Evokes Empathy and Action Guiding audiences through the highs and lows of a protagonist’s journey, fosters that strong emotional connection we discussed in all previous episodes of this season. People are more likely to take action when they feel a personal investment in the hero’s success. They can see the work your service does and not surprisingly would like a piece of that for themselves.
- It Showcases Transformation The hero’s journey is one of the ultimate “Show Don’t Tell!” formats. Disability advocacy revolves around creating change—whether it’s breaking down barriers or empowering individuals. The Hero’s Journey highlights these transformations, reinforcing your service’s mission and impact.
Crafting the Hero’s Journey for Your Service
Here’s how disability advocacy service can use the Hero’s Journey to shape narratives:
Identify Your Hero
Every journey needs a protagonist. In this story we’ll call her Alison. Alison is verbal, with a relatively high level of capacity but full of self doubt and anxiety. She is living at home and aged 30. Her life is fairly set with day programs, study and recreation. Alison speaks about her situation, how she’s basically in a good space but something is nagging in the back of her mind. She has protective parents, understandably but Alison feels she could be living so much bigger. Whilst this character is an amalgam of people I know, yours should be a real person. Authenticity is key—audiences need to feel the reality of your protagonist at the center of the story.
Set the Stage
Alison speaks directly to tape or in an interview situation. She discusses her current life. How much it means to her, how much she wishes to please her parents and how she sees others at her day program living “independently”.
Introduce the Catalyst
The call to adventure is the moment when the hero’s life changes. In Alison’s case she’s invited to spend a weekend with a peer who lives in supported accommodation. Alison sees the possibility for change in her life. To be supported by, well, support workers, funnily enough who know they are not there to parent but support. Her peer’s life, let’s call her Emma, Emma’s life is deeper and with more choices. The banality of independence, having to decide on what’s for dinner, every night, doing her own washing and so on appeals to Alison. Alison discusses this with Emma and her support workers.
Depict the Challenges
No journey is complete without obstacles. Alison decides to bring the possibility of change up with her parents on her return home. The challenge is convincing her parents to redirect their protective instincts without needing to supervise Alison’s entire life. This is a huge challenge for Alison. But Alison is not alone! She has your service as her guide and advocate in this matter. You guide both Alison and her parents through a range of options. Things stay as they are, Alison transitions to a respite situation one week a month so both see and her parents can assess what a taste of independent living might feel like for all parties. ANother alternative is to jump in feet first with a trial period of one to three months with Alison making visits to her parent’s home on the weekends.
This is the crisis for Alison in this story. She cannot go back to how she was living as she has seen a new way of being. She has trouble moving forward as she doesn’t want to hurt or disappoint her parents. Her guide, your service, is the conduit through which change is effected.
Celebrate the Victory
The climax of the story should showcase the hero’s triumph. Alison decides she wants to take the ultimate step and move out. She is interviewed in her new home. The kicker is, she’s moved in to share with Emma. Alison’s parents know Emma’s and have been reassured the changes are for the best. They can drop around whenever they wish, without notice and have nothing but good things to say about how Emma is supported. Alison discusses the changes she’s going through, how her life boundaries have extended and how her parents were not the obstacle she had imagined.
Show the Ripple Effect
The hero’s return isn’t just about their personal growth—it’s about the broader impact. How does their journey inspire others? Alison’s parents could be interviewed to discuss how their feelings changed through the process, how Alison had surprised them and opened their eyes to the possibilities their child could have in life they had never conceived..
Leveraging the Hero’s Journey for Maximum Impact
- Use Multimedia Storytelling Complement your podcast narrative with visuals, blog posts and socials pointing back to your show. Seeing the hero’s journey unfold adds authenticity and emotional resonance.
- Focus on Call-to-Action The resolution should inspire audiences to act. Whether it’s a call for listeners to ask your service for support and a call for people to join your service because they’ve seen the work you do and, in Alison’s case, see the results of your work.
- Be Authentic Avoid exaggeration or manipulation. Genuine stories build trust and your authority in the sector.
Conclusion
The Hero’s Journey is more than a storytelling framework—it’s a tool for transformation. For a disability advocacy service, this arc can humanize complex issues, inspire action and showcase the real, lasting changes you bring to individuals and communities.
By embracing this approach, a disability advocacy service can craft narratives that not only inform but also empower. Every hero’s journey has the potential to ignite change in others—and your next story might just be the spark.