Everything You Know About Disability Is Wrong

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 con...

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 but shouldn’t overshadow the bigger fights for access, benefits, and equity.

They share stories from their own journ...

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 pe...

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 recipro...

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 com...

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,...

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 a...

Tiffany Yu is a disability advocate, entrepreneur, and author of The Anti-Ableist Manifesto. She started her career at Goldman Sachs before becoming a leader in disability inclusion.  

After acquiring a disability as a child, she struggled with loneliness and self-doubt. Over time, she turned her experiences into advocacy and founded Diversability, a community that celebrates disability pride and fights stigma.  

She...

Experiencing the world isn’t just about sight, it's about tasting, touching, hearing, and smelling, too. Using all our senses helps us connect more deeply to the world around us.

Dr. Hoby Wedler is a chemist, entrepreneur, and advocate for inclusivity. He holds a Ph.D. in physical organic chemistry from UC Davis and founded the Wedland Group to explore how our senses shape emotions and connections. He creates unique foo...

"Just because you can’t see it, doesn’t mean it’s not real."

Onyinye Udokporo, CEO and founder of Enrich Learning, dives into a conversation that’s both eye-opening and deeply personal, exploring the differences between UK and US disability cultures. From how each country approaches accessibility and support to the ways people talk about neurodivergence, it’s clear that culture shapes the disability experience in ways w...

Richard Jacobs is a dedicated gamer and member of the esports team QuadGods. He discusses his journey of resilience, the pivotal role gaming plays in his life, and the misconceptions he faces as a disabled individual.

Richard shares about the power of community and how his streaming “family” has allowed him to harness his competitive spirit and embrace his emotions. 

Key Moments

13:32 - Inspiration and belonging.

2...

Humor can educate and challenge, but it must highlight issues without mocking the disability community. In this episode, we explore how satire can play into advocacy and ask, “What exactly makes good satire?”. 

Steven Verdile, Founder of Squeaky Wheel Media, shares his insights on the critical intersection of disability and content creation. Steven discusses the significance of focusing on specific issues, particularly thos...

Navigating a medical system that dismisses your pain ignites a fire to advocate for others who are overlooked.

Annie Segarra is an activist and content creator dedicated to disability rights, body positivity, and social justice. Annie opens up about her deeply personal experience living with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), discussing the emotional and physical toll of navigating a medical system that often dismisses or misdia...

Your co-hosts Lily Newton and Erin Hawley return with a candid "Just Between Us" segment on this episode of Everything You Know. They discuss the importance of authentic storytelling in media, using recent casting choices in "Wicked" and Disney adaptations as a jumping-off point. The hosts explore why representation isn’t enough without real inclusion and the need for self-accommodation to destigmatize accessibility. Lily ...

Advocacy is not just about raising awareness; it’s about creating real change.

Madison Tevlin is an actor, Host, Model, and Advocate. She is known for her impactful work in the "Assume That I Can" campaign for World Down Syndrome Day and her role in "Champions" alongside Woody Harrelson. Madison shares her wonderful journey and passion for music and storytelling.

Madison talks about her upcoming podcast, "21 Question...

Humor is a bridge to understanding; it transforms conversations about disability into moments of connection.

Pamela Schuller is a passionate disability advocate and stand-up comedian. Pamela shares her journey with Tourette syndrome and how humor has helped her tackle tough conversations about disabilities.

Pamela opens up about finding the right balance between vulnerability and oversharing, the challenges of accomm...

Rachel Lowenstein, Founder and Culture Expert at Rachel Lowenstein Consulting and Divergent Convergent, joins Lily Newton and Erin Hawley on the show. Rachel talks about why neuro-inclusion is a crucial part of workplace accessibility and how her work with Divergent Convergent is making a difference. 

Rachel also opens up about her own experiences with finding her true identity, avoiding burnout, and shifting from a cor...

"The journey of self-acceptance is ongoing and deeply personal."

Jennifer Gasner, author of *My Unexpected Life: Finding Balance Beyond My Diagnosis*,

shares her journey of self-acceptance and understanding of her own identity. She explores the importance of supportive workplaces, the power of tell your own story, and addressing misconceptions about disability.

Jennifer also highlights her personal growth in accepting...

Author and Activist, Lauren Melissa, shares a powerful story of resilience and creativity. Diagnosed with autism in her twenties, Lauren Melissa turned the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic into an opportunity, hand-writing a novel that was later accepted by Bold Strokes Books. 

Based in New York City, she passionately advocates for the representation of queer, BIPOC, and disabled individuals in fiction, bringing to l...