Telling It Our Way

It’s the holidays here at Telling It Our Way! First, we hear from Molly about the best Christmas present she ever received. Then Jen tells us about being thoroughly unimpressed with basketball player Charles Barkley during a particularly memorable holiday in the hospital when she was a teenager. Full Episode Transcript

This episode is all about food! Diana describes how a regular lunch on the way to the doctor's office became a lifelong favorite. JoRita tells us how her mother's cooking growing up was an expression of love. Becca and Ally chat about their favorite foods and the privilege of choosing to eat what you like. Full Episode Transcript

Brandon and Leah both discuss what it means to find confidence through performance. Brandon shares his experience becoming the "music man" in his local dance troop and Leah talks about challenging negative stereotypes about disabled people through a recent theatre performance. Full Episode Transcript

We hear two different takes on the meaning of home. In the first, Darick and Becca tell us about how they have been unhoused and managed to find housing despite difficult circumstances; Christopher reflects on the importance of his neighborhood, particularly being able to take a short walk to his grocery store, coffee shop, and nearest SmashBurger. Full Episode Transcript

In this episode, Davina shares how a moment of forced interaction in high school led to a life-long friendship. Matthew talks about his deep connection to animals, something he learned from his mother. Ally and Becca talk about what community means, and the barriers people with intellectual and developmental disabilities face in forming strong community relationships. Full Episode Transcript

Jordan and Courtney talk about their bond as twins and how they’ve maintained it even in times they’ve been separated. Paul shares how he found a chosen family at his day program. Ally and Becca talk about families of all stripes and how, until recently, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities were often separated from their families. Full Episode Transcript

Darius shares how his passion for Special Olympics drives him to work toward becoming a coach. Tyler talks about his love of anime, where he can escape to imagine better worlds when he doesn’t feel like he fits in. Ally and Becca talk hobbies, productivity, and the art of doing nothing. Full Episode Transcript

In this episode, we hear two different perspectives of navigating school and work environments; we hear from Jordan, who shares how he navigated school bullying and found a creative outlet perfect for his work at the Toledo Zoo. We also hear from Zoe, whose confidence in her contributions to her workplace is a breath of fresh air in a world where women are taught to devalue their workplace contrib...

Taylor shares a story about losing his grandfather and the connection they still share. Sophie talks about honoring and remembering a high school friend she lost just before graduation. Ally and Becca discuss complicated grief, how people with intellectual and developmental disabilities get left out of conversations about death and dying and finding accessible language to talk about loss. Episode...

In this episode, Phillis tells us about her experience moving in and planning to marry her partner, something particularly difficult for people who receive government benefits. We also talk to Cassandra and Brad about their time dating as a young couple. Episode Full Transcript