Note: To watch the YouTube video with Open captions, please visit: https://youtu.be/CwEtOcqOlQQ

In this honest, reflective episode, Chandy and Emma explore what happens when caring, advocating, and showing up for others starts to take its toll. From personal grief and burnout to the constant pressure on disabled and neurodivergent people to educate the world, they unpack the emotional weight of advocacy and why it’s okay to rest.

They talk about self-advocacy, emotional privilege, and how “empathy fatigue” isn’t a personal flaw, it’s often a systemic issue born from a world that still resists change. Expect candid conversation, real-life examples, laughter in the middle of heavy topics, and a reminder that taking a break doesn’t make you any less committed to the cause.

Themes: Disability justice · burnout · self-advocacy · mental health · grief · emotional labour

Trigger note: Contains discussion of bereavement, mental health, and ableism.

If anything discussed in this episode brings up difficult emotions, please know you’re not alone. Support is available:

🇬🇧 UK:

Mind – mental health support and information: mind.org.uk / 0300 123 3393

Samaritans – free 24/7 helpline if you’re struggling: 116 123

Shout – text support in a crisis: Text SHOUT to 85258

Scope – disability advice and advocacy: scope.org.uk

🇺🇸 USA:

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline – call or text 988 (24/7, free, confidential)

NAMI Helpline – mental health support and education: 1-800-950-6264 / nami.org/help

Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF) – legal advocacy and resources: dredf.org

Love, awkward first dates, and the weird world of access barriers—this week we dive into dating while disabled. From hilarious horror stories to heartwarming wins, we’re talking about what it’s really like to navigate romance, rejection, and representation when access isn’t always guaranteed.

🧠 Mental Health Support UK

Emergency: 999 Samaritans – 116 123

Mind – 0300 123 3393/ text 86463

SHOUT – Text SHOUT to 85258

USA

988 Lifeline – Call/text 988

NAMI – 1-800-950-NAMI

Crisis Text Line – Text HELLO to 741741

New episodes weekly – more stories, more laughs, and more rants about ramps. Subscribe & share to amplify disabled voices.

In this episode of Dude, Where’s My Ramp?, Chandy and Emma explore how disabled people's emotional responses—like anger, grief, or assertiveness—are often misunderstood, dismissed, or pathologized. Drawing from personal stories and community insights, they unpack how resistance to ableism is frequently reframed as a symptom of mental illness, rather than a rational response to injustice.

Together, they discuss:

The overlap between ableism and sanism

How emotional expression by disabled people is socially and medically policed

The toll of being misread as “unstable” for advocating for yourself or others

The need for mental health frameworks that recognize systemic trauma

Why honoring disabled people's discomfort and dissent matters

They close with powerful reflection questions to carry with you—and a reminder that your feelings are real, valid, and deserve space.

Have a story or insight to share? Connect with us on social media (links in the show notes) or send us a DM. We’d love to hear from you.

If this episode brought up difficult emotions or memories, you're not alone. Please reach out to one of these trusted support organizations:

Samaritans – Call 116 123 or visit samaritans.org

Mind – Call 0300 123 3393 or text 86463 | mind.org.uk

SHOUT (24/7 crisis text line) – Text SHOUT to 85258

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Call or text 988 | 988lifeline.org

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) – Call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or visit nami.org/help

Crisis Text Line – Text HELLO to 741741

🔔 New episodes every week— with more stories, more laughs, and yes, probably more rants about ramps. Subscribe, share, and support disabled voices.

In this honest and powerful episode of Dude, Where’s My Ramp?, Chandy and Emma unpack the deceptively simple phrase, “You’re so strong.” While often meant as a compliment, it can quietly dismiss the real, complex experiences of disabled people — shifting attention from systemic barriers to personal perseverance.

Through open conversation and lived experience, they explore the emotional weight of being expected to “cope,” the pressures of masking, the gendered politics of vulnerability, and the harmful impact of “inspiration porn.” With humour, heart, and sharp insight, they challenge what society sees as strength — and reclaim the right to define their own stories.

Whether you’ve been called “strong,” said it to someone else, or questioned what it really means — this episode invites reflection, connection, and a more human understanding of disability.

If any part of this episode stirred up difficult feelings, please know you're not alone. Support is available — and you deserve it.

Hub of Hope – National mental health services directory 🌐

Samaritans – Free, 24/7 listening service 📞 Call 116 123

Mind – Mental health advocacy and resources 🌐 mind.org.uk | 📞 0300 123 3393

In an emergency – Call 999 or go to A&E

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Call or text 988 for 24/7 support 🌐

NAMI – Mental health advocacy and resources 🌐 nami.org | 📞 1-800-950-NAMI (6264)

Crisis Text Line – Text HELLO to 741741 for free, confidential support

You matter. You are not alone. And it's okay to ask for help — anytime. 💛

In this episode of Dude, Where’s My Ramp?, Chandy and Emma dive deep into the different models of disability — the Medical Model, Charity Model, and Social Model — exploring how each one shapes society's treatment of disabled people.

From personal experiences with health systems, job interviews, and birthdays to Lilo & Stitch live-action critiques (yes, really), the episode blends real talk, laughs, and thoughtful analysis on what it means to be disabled in an often inaccessible world.

We explore:

What the Medical Model gets wrong — and what it misses

Why the Charity Model can feel patronising or disempowering

The liberation potential of the Social Model

Intersectionality, ableism, and lived experience

Why there’s no one way to understand disability

The power of language, autonomy, and access

Whether you're disabled, neurodivergent, an ally, or new to these conversations, this is a rich, honest, and affirming listen.

If anything in this episode brings up difficult feelings or memories, please know you're not alone. There are people and organisations ready to listen and support you.

Samaritans – 24/7 emotional support: 📞 116 123 | samaritans.org

Shout – Text-based crisis support (24/7): 📱 Text SHOUT to 85258 | giveusashout.org

Mind – Mental health info & support: 📞 0300 123 3393 | mind.org.uk

Disability Rights UK – Advocacy & info: disabilityrightsuk.org

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Free, 24/7 mental health support: 📞 Call or text 988 | 988lifeline.org

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) – Helpline & peer support: 📞 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) | nami.org

Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund (DREDF) – dredf.org

The Trevor Project – LGBTQ+ youth support: 📞 1-866-488-7386 or text START to 678678 | thetrevorproject.org

In this powerful and deeply personal episode, Chandy and Emma explore the layered and often misunderstood realities of ableism—from external discrimination to internalised shame and lateral ableism within the disabled community.

They unpack how media stereotypes, childhood conditioning, assumptions in healthcare, and even well-meaning “inspiration porn” shape the way society and disabled people view themselves. Through real-life stories and raw reflection, they dig into what it means to navigate the world with dignity in a society not built with you in mind.

With moments of vulnerability, humour, and connection, this episode invites listeners to rethink what we’ve all been taught about “normal.”

🎧 Call to Action:

If anything discussed in this episode brought up difficult feelings or you’re in need of support, please know you’re not alone. Here are some places you can reach out to:

🇬🇧 UK Mental Health Support

Hub of Hope – A national mental health support database

Samaritans – 24/7 free support

Mind – Information and mental health advocacy

In an emergency? – Call 999 or go to A&E

🇺🇸 US Mental Health Support

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline – Free, 24/7 support

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness)

Crisis Text Line – Text support from trained counselors

You deserve support. Always.

In our very first episode, we lay it all out — who we are, why this podcast exists, and what it’s really like navigating life with a disability. From theory to lived experience, we kick off the convo on access, identity, and everything in between.