Brooke interviews Aoife Madden, who lives with Fowler's Syndrome, a chronic bladder condition. They discuss the challenges and misconceptions surrounding invisible disabilities, as well as the importance of understanding and empathy.

Aoife shares her personal journey of being diagnosed with Fowler's Syndrome at 16 and how it has impacted her life and career as a primary school teacher. She also talks about the importance of normalising conversations about bladder health and disability, and the need for representation in mainstream media and toys. 

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Disability is a wide spectrum, and it is important to recognise and understand the individual experiences and challenges faced by people with disabilities.
• Invisible disabilities can be particularly challenging because they are not immediately apparent to others, leading to misconceptions and misunderstandings.
• Normalising conversations about toileting and bodily functions is important to break down taboos and create a more inclusive society.
• The diagnosis of a disability at a young age can be overwhelming and impact future plans, but it is possible to adapt and achieve goals with determination and support.
• Listening to your body and taking care of yourself is crucial, and it is important to recognise your own limits and make necessary adjustments to maintain your well-being.

BEST MOMENTS

"Disability is very much an umbrella term that houses so many different things, so many different spectrums."

"I'm very open with talking about it, and I do refer to it as a disability. You know, it's bladder failure, effectively."

"I think it's great that companies like Lego are jumping into that. But like a lot of stuff I see online, there's a woman that makes bears and she'll like do a teddy bear with a colostomy bag or a teddy bear with catheters."

"I'm here to break all that with what I'm doing. I'm trying to like, you know, change the narrative and yeah, let's talk about our toilet habits, poo or wee, either way, let's keep it in the conversation. It's important."

VALUABLE RESOURCES

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/disabled-and-proud/id1621152878

Disabled and Proud is the show that brings listeners a different perspective on disability. Each week this podcast highlights an awesome disabled guest speaking about their own disability; why they are proud to be disabled and why they are proud to be themselves. 

The conversations in this show will look at what challenges these amazing people face socially, mentally, physically and life in general. This show is raw, open, honest, funny, welcoming and educational. 

Disabled & Proud does exactly what it says on the tin! And whilst we are creating this space for disabled people to be unashamedly themselves, without the need to conform to society, this is also not about toxic positivity. This show will be shining a big, bright light on disability without it being “Paralympic or pity”. 

As you will hear disability is WHOLE, COMPLETE & PERFECT and whilst the topic of disability can be quite heavy - and we definitely don't shy away from the bad days - this podcast is also about having fun too! Our aim is to play a part in reclaiming the word disability - turning it from inadequacy to perfection!

INSTAGRAM! https://www.instagram.com/disabledandproudpodcast/?hl=en: https://www.instagram.com/disabledandproudpodcast/?hl=en