Everything You Know About Disability Is Wrong

ChiChi White, a content creator, therapist, and social advocate, joins Lily and Erin to explore the world of cozy gaming, mindful streaming, and collective care. Known online as HummingMints, ChiChi plays games like Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing, combining sensory-friendly gameplay with open conversations about neurodiversity, mental health, and authentic connection.

In this episode, ChiChi breaks down the meaning of soft content from creating relaxing, sensory-friendly gaming experiences that prioritize comfort, accessibility, and community over competition. They share how mindfulness shows up in gaming, how cozy spaces allow for meaningful conversation, and why it’s okay to play for joy rather than mastery.

ChiChi also opens up about founding the Disabled Content Creators Collective (DC3), a growing hub for disabled streamers and creators. Through DC3, he organizes raid trains, charity events, and collaborative streams that help disabled creators connect, share resources, and grow their audiences.

From discussions on masking and authenticity to harm reduction and self-acceptance, this conversation offers a grounded look at how online spaces can become real sources of healing, joy, and purpose.

Key Moments

03:05 What people get wrong about direct communication and tone

04:46 Balancing authenticity and “masking” in streaming

10:05 What soft content means and why sensory-friendly gaming matters

11:55 How cozy games create calm for both players and viewers

19:24 Creating safe spaces for teens in streaming and mental health

24:17 Founding the Disabled Content Creators Collective (DC3)

28:26 What a raid train is and why it matters for disabled creators

41:57 Understanding harm reduction in therapy and daily life

44:01 Why self-acceptance is a lifelong cycle, not a finish line

49:51 Collective wellness: how community helps us thrive

Connect with ChiChi White

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chichi-white-929350297 
• Twitch: twitch.tv/HummingMints 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@hummingmints 
• TikTok: tiktok.com/@HummingMints 
• Instagram: instagram.com/HummingMints 

Pop artist and model Austin Halls joins Lily and Erin for a funny, candid conversation about music, face difference, and building a career that actually works. Born with Möbius syndrome (complete facial paralysis at birth), Austin talks about growing up with media that coded face differences as villainy, and how that shaped first impressions, assumptions, and everyday interactions.

Austin’s answer is art and access. His dance-pop track “Disabled” flips the script with a hook that invites everyone onto the floor, shifting from pity narratives to unapologetic confidence. He shares how fashion and stagecraft became tools of self-expression, why “success ≠ cured,” and how to handle lateral ableism when visibility rises.

From Runway of Dreams and New York Fashion Week to mentorship with RAMPD and a seat at the GRAMMYs (now a Recording Academy voting member), Austin shows what practical pathways look like: make the room workable, choose teams who get it, and insist on authentic casting rather than performances of disability. 

Key Moments

02:20 Audio descriptions and why on-mic context matters

03:11 Writing “Disabled”: reclaiming a word with a dance-pop hook

08:39 Breaking the villain trope for face difference in media

11:47 “Command the room”: reframing visibility as an advantage

18:01 Beyond pity narratives: success for talent, not sympathy clicks

27:46 Runway of Dreams to NYFW: firsts and why fashion became a tool

31:08 Success doesn’t cancel disability: on lateral ableism

40:46 RAMPD mentorship to the GRAMMYs: from guest to voting member

45:45 Why empathy and perspective shape the work (and the wins)

49:51 Finding community: from resisting it to the Möbius Conference pivot

55:53 Real-world friendship and the lift of being in the same room

Connect with Austin Halls

Website: https://austinhalls.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/austinhalls
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theaustinhalls/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@austinhalls?lang=en
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AustinHalls
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1wuAlAwVjnnmeNJ1NiaMSF?autoplay=true
RAMPD: https://rampd.org/profile/austin-halls 

Voice actor Maria Pendolino joins Lily for an episode that challenges the narrow way society views disability. Maria shares her experiences as an ambulatory mobility-aid user, explaining how fluctuating conditions are often misunderstood or erased in media and medicine. With candid honesty, she connects her journey of psoriatic arthritis, knee replacements, and self-advocacy to building a career that truly works for her body, through voiceover and a fully accessible home studio.

The conversation also takes on fat bias in healthcare, how outdated tools like BMI continue to be used to deny or delay care, and the scripts Maria uses to set boundaries in appointments. Her message: you deserve to be treated as a whole person, not reduced to a number or assumption.

Maria details the creation of the Disabled Voice Actors Directory, now housed under the National Association of Voice Actors, which helps casting directors find authentic talent. It’s a resource born out of a belief that disabled people don’t just deserve representation on-screen, they should be hired behind the microphone, too.

Key Moments

02:50 Breaking the myth of disability as “all or nothing”

06:02 What fluctuating disability really looks like in practice

14:16 Age bias in surgery: when doctors refuse joint replacements under 50

21:31 Why BMI is flawed and how it blocks real care

29:46 Self-advocacy scripts: “I will not be weighed”

42:34 The audition turning point: “Are you limping?”

46:54 Building an accessible home studio and thriving as a voice actor

54:11 Founding the Disabled Voice Actors Directory

1:04:11 Know the Facts: fat phobia and systemic barriers

Connect with Maria Pendolino

Website: https://www.voicebymaria.com/ 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGkmvgiBP89fHUl9-8awQRA/videos 

Maria Pendolino - London Voice Over: https://www.londonvoiceover.com/artists/maria-pendolino/ 

Maria Pendolino - London Voice Over: https://voice123.com/voice-actor/voicebymaria 

Matthew Shapiro, founder and CEO of Six Wheels Consulting, joins hosts Lily Newton and Erin Hawley for a candid conversation about language, work culture, and the everyday practice of access. Matthew unpacks how assumptions show up in daily life, why “disabled” is a valuable identifier, and what it means to balance personal energy with public advocacy.

The conversation moves from nuance in calling out ableism to concrete advice for workplaces. Matthew shares practical examples that help everyone, like standing desks and curb cuts, and invites leaders to start with simple changes that reduce friction. He challenges listeners to rethink design from the ground up and to see access as standard, not a special add-on.

Across the episode, Lily and Erin connect language to outcomes. They underline that asking for what you need benefits teams, and that many improvements cost more thought than money. The result is a grounded roadmap for anyone ready to begin, learn, and keep going.

Key Moments

• 03:36 Assumptions and the myth of “needing to be fixed”

• 07:18 The push-pull of advocacy and fatigue

• 13:31 “Own the word”: why Matthew identifies as a disabled person

• 17:08 Ableism on social media and finding useful nuance

• 31:15 Standing desks, curb cuts and designing spaces that work for all

• 41:42 How to begin: start, listen, and make a plan you will actually use

• 45:19 It is not as daunting as people think

Connect with Matthew Shapiro

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-shapiro-16abb932 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/6wheelsconsulting/ 

Six Wheels Consulting website: https://www.6wheelsconsulting.com/ 

Your co-hosts Erin & Lily bring another “Just Between Us” conversation to Everything You Know About Disability Is Wrong. This time, they’re diving into disability language: why euphemisms like “differently abled” miss the mark, how identity-first vs. person-first language is used, and why words matter.

They share stories from their own journeys—how language has shaped their identities, how it can affirm or erase, and why offering grace and education is often the most powerful tool. With humor, honesty, and a few reframes, Erin and Lily show how shared vocabulary can build connection and strengthen advocacy.

Timestamps

00:38 Just Between Us: why language matters

01:40 Creating a disability language guide for Easterseals

02:40 Why euphemisms like “differently abled” don’t work

03:09 Identity-first vs. person-first explained

04:25 The importance of respecting personal preference

05:41 Autistic identity and self-definition

07:12 Erin’s shift from person-first to identity-first

08:55 Why treatment matters more than terminology

10:15 Writing and marketing with respectful language

Connect with Lily Newton

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lily-newton-3b0b5b229

Website: https://www.easterseals.com/

Connect with Erin Hawley

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/erinhawley2

Website: https://www.easterseals.com/

Dylan M. Rafaty, President and CEO of the North Texas Disability Chamber, joins Lily Newton and Erin Hawley to talk about disability acceptance and advocacy. With clarity and conviction, Dylan outlines why disability should never be treated as an act of charity. Instead, he frames it as a strategic investment that drives innovation, empowers communities and strengthens organizations from within.

Dylan reflects on his personal experience navigating the world as someone who is deaf and hard of hearing.. He explains that advocacy is often misunderstood as self-promotion, when in reality it is rooted in service to the broader disability community. His message is clear: individual success stories matter, but collective action is where lasting change begins. 

Through storytelling, policy engagement and local civic work, Dylan models what authentic opportunity can look like in practice.This episode is a deeper understanding of how to move beyond performative allyship and into meaningful participation for all policymakers, business leaders or members of the public.

Key Moments

05:47 “Disability is not a charity”: why it must be built into planning from the start

08:16 The business case for investing in accessibility and representation

12:38 Understanding the emotional labor behind self-advocacy

23:07 Why access means freedom of choice

28:58 Policy and personal experience: how one drives the other

Connect with Dylan M. Rafaty

Website: northtexasdisabilitychamber.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylanrafaty

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dylan_rafaty 

Dylan M. Rafaty website:https://dylanrafaty.com/
Podcast: Let’s Work Inclusively

• Listen on Spotify

Amanda Steijlen is a therapist, lifestyle creator, and founder of Wheelie Big Dreams, a nonprofit that helps people with disabilities pursue their goals. She also leads True Bloom Therapy, supporting clients through life transitions with strategies that are both practical and grounded.

In this episode, Amanda shares her path to mental health work, the ways we misunderstand independence, and how caregiving can be reciprocal. She speaks candidly about online self-image, burnout, and the importance of showing up as your real self especially when people expect you to hide what you’re going through.

Amanda also reflects on Disability Pride Month and how it intersects with mental health, personal growth, and finding purpose. Whether she's guiding clients through the five core human needs or cultivating supportive friendships, Amanda emphasizes the power of real connection and redefining what success looks like.

Key Moments

02:46 Redefining independence and interdependence

10:48 Becoming a therapist after anxiety and loss

16:18 Balancing Disability Pride with grief

25:39 Managing self-image as a content creator

33:00 Finding community with other disabled creators

41:36 Rethinking mental health care in schools

47:43 Know the facts: 1 in 4 people are disabled

Connect with Amanda Steijlen

Instagram: @amandasteijlen
Website: https://www.truebloomtherapy.com
Nonprofit: https://www.wheeliebigdreams.org

Courn Ahn is a designer, content creator, and advocate who cares deeply about accessibility and social justice. Their work focuses on helping people see disability, identity, and community support in a new way, especially through the lens of queerness, race, and being neurodivergent.

As a Queer, nonbinary, mixed-race Korean creative, Courn shares from personal experience and speaks honestly about the challenges that come with being disabled in a world full of assumptions. Courn's journey has been about unlearning shame, accepting who they are, and understanding that using visible accommodations isn’t something to hide, it’s a powerful way to take care of yourself.

Courn also talks about how people often assume you don’t need help if you look like you’re doing well, and how sharing online as a disabled person can be both meaningful and exhausting. Through their design work and presence on social media, Courn is not just creating content, Courn Ahn is also  creating space for real conversations, celebrating differences, and reminding us that accessibility should matter to everyone

Key Moments
 00:00  What people get wrong about autistic people
 06:43  Struggling with what to share online
 14:18  Tools that make life easier
 20:42  How style helps show who I am
 27:01  Feeling free to be myself
 33:13  How different parts of my identity connect
 52:57  Finding confidence through disability

Connect with Courn Ahn
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/courtneyahndesign 

Website: https://www.courtneyahndesign.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/candy.courn/

Jillian Curwin, Director of Communications for the Mascots Matter Campaign, is an advocate, storyteller, and content creator reshaping the conversation around disability, access, and representation. In this episode of Everything You Know About Disability Is Wrong, she joins hosts Lily Newton and Erin Hawley for an insightful discussion.

Jillian shares her experience as a little person navigating an often inaccessible world, particularly in the fashion industry. She reflects on what sparked her advocacy, how misperceptions about disability motivated her, and why authentic representation matters. Jillian also talks about embracing a disabled identity, the value of lived experience, and the role of community in fostering self-acceptance and empowerment.

Her story offers fresh perspectives on adaptive fashion, confidence, and finding one’s voice, both in the disability community and beyond. Listeners will gain valuable insights that challenge perceptions of disability and redefine what it means to be seen and heard.

Key Moments

06:01 Awakening to Advocacy

07:11 Diverse Representation in Fashion

19:02 My Disability Advocacy Journey

23:44 Redefining Disability Through Experience

34:37 Issues in Disability Fashion Inclusion

45:00 Empowering Disability Representation

Connect with Jillian Curwin

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jillian-curwin-04827056 

Website: https://mascotsmatter.net/about-page/  

Kyla and Jedidiah Mora are a neurodivergent couple, writers, and advocates. They are the authors of “Today My Brain Is a Dinosaur,” a popular children’s book that helps kids understand autism, ADHD, and different ways of thinking.  Their journey started with their own diagnoses of autism and ADHD as adults. After years of confusion and challenges, they found clarity, self-acceptance, and a desire to help others feel less alone.  

Kyla is a high school teacher and journalist who is passionate about education and storytelling. Jedidiah works in the water industry and has a strong interest in mechanical engineering. Together, they combine their skills and personal experiences to create stories that celebrate neurodivergent kids and families. Through their writing, they aim to break down stigma and spark conversations. 

Key Moments

00:00 Intro and Audio Descriptions

06:53 Own Voices, Own Stories Award for Disabled Authors

12:33 Internalizing Blame; Autism, ADHD, and Trauma

21:50 Autism and Learning to Be Your True Self

26:49 Embracing Hyperfocus in a Positive Way

28:21 Job Challenges and Personal Struggles

44:44 Unique Traits of Autistic Girls

59:09 Understanding and Accepting 

Connect with Kyla Mora 

Twitter: https://x.com/kylapmora 

Website: https://cherrylakepublishing.com/shop/show/54094 

Jedidiah Mora

Website: https://cherrylakepublishing.com/shop/show/54094