Ardra Shephard

Ardra Shephard is a writer, speaker, and creator reshaping how we talk about chronic illness and disability. Her debut memoir, Fallosophy (Douglas & McIntyre, 2025), is an unflitered, hilarious, and deeply personal story about falling down and showing up – both literally and metaphorically. Ardra is the sassy but wise voice behind the award-winning Tripping on Air blog and podcast about life with multiple sclerosis (MS). She is the creator and host of Fashion Dis (AMI-TV), the world’s first makeover show to centre disability and adaptive fashion and beauty brands. Fashion Dis earned international recognition with a 2023 Global Production Award from Screen International in Cannes. A trusted voice in the MS community, Ardra is a columnist for Healthline’s BezzyMS. She has contributed to FASHION magazine, InStyle, Momentum magazine, LivedHealth, WebMD and more. Named one of The Kit’s 2023 Changemakers and ranked the #1 chronic illness influencer on Instagram by Yahoo Lifestyle, Ardra brings authenticity, advocacy, and style to everything she does. Ardra also works as a creative consultant, speaker, and accessibility advisor working across media to elevate disabled voices. Ardra lives in Toronto with her husband, and their very good dog, Tilly.

Photo credit: Alkan Emin