On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast, we explore the concept of presuming competence in individuals with disabilities while challenging societal assumptions and biases. By embracing this mindset, we are able to foster inclusion, autonomy, and empowerment while transforming the perception of how society views intellectual disability.

Back to school season is here, and for many of our children who use wheelchairs - they'll be transported to school on a bus. But so many of these children are transported unsafely, and without proper restraints! On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast, we sit down and talk about proper restraint and transportation for wheelchair users!

https://wc-transportation-safety.umtri.umich.edu/

https://www.transit.dot.gov/regulations-and-guidance/civil-rights-ada/questions-and-answers-concerning-wheelchairs-and-bus-and

https://www.karmamedical.com/2022/04/how-to-safely-transport-a-wheelchair-user-in-a-vehicle/

Self care...if you're a parent you know the typical narrative: "take care of yourself, take time for yourself, if mom (or dad) isnt ok, no one is ok" but it feels like an an impossible goal to obtain. One where the goal post is constantly being moved. "No, a shower doesn't count, that is a human need, no you can't do self care in the house, you need to leave and spend time away from your kids. A haircut is nice, but what about an entire day at the spa, or a weekend trip?".

On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast, we sit down to discuss how we can reframe self care in a way that doesn't set us up for failure. So grab your face mask, or glass (bottle) of wine, and let's get to bitching!

Most parents feel as though accessible travel may be off-limits when they receive their child's diagnosis, especially when mobility aids are involved. While, for some, not traveling is the safest option, for others travel can still be obtainable with a little bit of extra planning. While we may not be experts on traveling, we've had our share of going out-and-about with our interabled children. On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast we sit down and talk about our own experiences with traveling both in and out of the country!

For more incredible information on traveling with disabilities, or being a caretaker while traveling with someone who has disabilities follow:

https://curbfreewithcorylee.com/

https://havewheelchairwilltravel.net/

There's no hood quite like siblinghood! As parents of interabled children, watching our children grown and learn side by side is a beautiful thing - even if they're doing it at difference paces. There is a natural routine that falls into place between the siblings, and oftentimes the non-disabled child is happy to offer support to their disabled brother or sister. Many parents choose to use terms like "supersib" to describe this relationship simply because the non-disabled sibling is helping out. But what happens when we begin to use language that "others" someone within the family? On this episode we take a deep-dive into the potential effects that can come from the phenomenon of labeling a non-disabled sibling, and what we can do to make ensure equity between our children.

Interabled Sibling Representation that we love - Hannah & Becky

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Family planning can be complicated even in the most straight-forward of situations, but when parents have a child with a disability family planning can feel even more challenging to navigate. On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast we sit down to discuss how we waded through the waters of pregnancy after HIE, the challenges we faced, and where we are now with our family dynamics.

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Marketing campaigns are an important way for companies to sell products or services to customers, including the disabled community. These companies , however, have a responsibility to create campaigns that provide respectful and ethical representation. When these companies fail to do this, they put their own target audience at risk.

On this episode of The Bitching and Bolusing Podcast, we sit own to discuss just what can happen when a company fails to maintain ethics in marketing.

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Fallout may be a smash hit on Amazon Prime, but it got us to thinking...."what would we ACTUALLY do in the event of nuclear bomb?". No, we couldn't just strap our kids and their wheelchairs to the back of a horse and go galloping off to a Vault the way Cooper Howard did. Chances are those Vaults wouldn't be stocked with our kids medications anyhow. In this episode we sit down and chat about our extremely unrealistic plans if we were to live in Fallout! So grab your iodine pills and let's get to bitchin'!

From the moment we learn of our children's disability - be it before or after birth - we are told go do as much therapy for them as possible. Physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, all of the therapy. While therapy is a useful and necessary medical intervention, it can sometimes become overwhelming and completely consuming. Where do we draw the line of "improving quality of life" and "fixing the disability"? Disability is not something that needs to be fixed, yet so often the narrative surrounding therapy can feel as such. We sit down with Clare (that.feisty.disabled.girl on Instagram) to discuss a different perspective on therapy for disabled children. Clare is currently in school to earn her degree in Occupational Therapy where they hope to eventually open their own private clinic working in pediatrics.

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@That.Fiesty.Disabled.Girl

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All parents are faced with making medical decisions for their children, but when your child is disabled or medically fragile those decisions can be more frequent and oftentimes carry more weight. As parents we are faced with hard decisions surrounding irreversible surgeries, medications that could have negative side affects or withdrawals, and trying to draw the line between the necessity of medical interventions and the potential impact on quality of life that intervention could have. So come sit down and bitch with us over the frustrations we sometimes feel surrounding these potential life-altering decisions.

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Thanks to our sponsors Adapted Design and The Recess Project

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