Atypical Dikkatein: A Conversation Podcast

Disabled people are not denied choice only by law, but by stigma, surveillance, exhaustion, and inaccessible systems. In the final episode of Atypical Dikkatein Season 2, we speak with Amna Nasir about disability, desire, reproductive justice, chronic illness, mental health, and the politics of care. This conversation challenges the idea that disability is fixed, visible, or singular. It asks us t...

When the nearest clinic is far away, inaccessible, and unaffordable, SRHR becomes a privilege, not a right. In this episode of Atypical Dikkatein , Savina Nongebatu brings us into the realities of disability and SRHR in the Pacific, where distance, transport costs, rural isolation, and weak infrastructure shape who can access care and who cannot. For many women and girls with disabilities in Solom...

How do you learn about your body when no one shows you how? In Episode 8 of Atypical Dikkatein Season 2, we speak with Tiffany Brar , blind activist, educator, and founder of Jyothirgamaya Mobile Blind School, about navigating menstruation, contraception, and SRHR as a visually impaired person. Because access isn’t just about information. It’s about how that information is shared. You can check ou...

Trans healthcare is treated like an optional extra. But it is life-saving. In this episode, we speak with Kahless Jaden Hameed, a trans writer and activist based in Colombo, about what it means to navigate healthcare systems that choose not to see trans and disabled people as fully human. From being denied hormones, to being misgendered and dismissed, to walking city after city just to find essent...

Abortion isn’t going anywhere. In Episode 6 of Atypical Dikkatein Season 2, we speak with Vinitha Jayaprakasan , a Bahujan queer feminist researcher, about why abortion rights must be seen as central to bodily autonomy and reproductive justice. From the gaps in India’s SRHR movement to the rise of anti-choice narratives, this episode unpacks how abortion continues to be stigmatized, even within fe...

Content Warning: Mention of abuse and harassment. We’re taught to fear our bodies, never to understand them. In Episode 5 of Atypical Dikkatein Season 2, Jannatul Ferdous , burn survivor, feminist, and disability rights advocate, reflects on how conversations around sexual and reproductive health are shrouded in shame, silence, and misinformation. Puberty, pregnancy, hormones, nutrition, these are...

You can’t compartmentalise liberation. In Episode 4 of Atypical Dikkatein Season 2, we speak with Kinza Jamal , a Queer Pasmanda Muslim feminist and SRHR-J practitioner, about what it means to show up for justice that’s truly intersectional. Because you can’t talk about SRHR without talking about caste, Islamophobia, fascism, or capitalism. Because queer people aren’t just queer, they’re impacted...

If you're not urban, male, or from a dominant caste, disability leadership rarely sees you. In Episode 3 of  Atypical Dikkatein  Season 2, we’re in conversation with Dipika Lama , a youth leader and disability rights advocate from Madhesh, Nepal, whose work centers on indigenous, Dalit, Madheshi, and Muslim women and girls with disabilities. Tune in to listen to Dipika unpack how even progressive...

Pain is not normal. And we need to stop pretending it is. In Episode 2 of Atypical Dikkatein Season 2, we speak with Sai Nagarajan , queer rights advocate, and PMD peer supporter, about what it means to navigate menstruation, chronic illness, and medical neglect as a queer, non-binary person in India. This episode is a deeply personal, powerful unpacking of gender, health, and access. Tune in to h...

Who decides what a "perfect" body is? And what happens when our bodies don’t fit that mould? In the first episode of Season 2 of  Atypical Dikkatein , we sit down with Hameeda Syed ,   freelance journalist & co-founder of  Dignity in Difference,  to unpack the unrealistic expectations placed on our bodies, from ableism to gendered labour and SRHR. Tune in now for a powerful conversation around...

Trailer Transcript: Hello, aur namaste! Welcome to Atypical Dikkatein - a conversation podcast. I am your host Soumya, and in this podcast, I talk to fellow queer, neurodivergent and disabled folx. We are back with the podcast's second season, which we are co-creating with ARROW and Niluka Gunawardena . In this season, we will talk about sexual and reproductive health and rights issues from a...

Content warning: Please note that this episode contains mentions of queerphobia. Art is queer, and queer is art. We are back with another episode where I am in an insightful conversation with Tannaz Mahreen, a rapper and composer, as well as an advocate of intersectionality and inclusivity. We explore the topics of art and queerness, their intersections, and how this intersectionality allows us to...

Content warning: Please note that this episode contains mentions of ableism and queerphobia. Join me in this eye-opening conversation with Mohammed, a molecular biologist, an advocate for queer rights, and co-founder of IHRI (Intersex Human Rights India). They explore the intricate intersections of chronic health erasure, hospital accessibility, and the challenges marginalised communities face in...

Content warning: This episode includes discussions on queerphobia and ableism. In the eighth episode, I'm in conversation with Garima, a disabled, agender development sector professional. With extensive work in SRHR and LGBTQIA+ community capacity building, Garima shares their journey of exploring disabilities later in life and the intricate interaction between queerness and neurodivergence. We ex...

Content warning: Please note that this episode contains mentions of queerphobia. Join us for an enlightening conversation as I sit down with Saoirse, a first-year PhD student in the English department at Brown University. In this episode, Saoirse discusses the complexities of living at the intersections of being brown, queer, and neurodivergent within both the Indian education system and as an int...

Content warning: Please note that this episode contains mentions of physical and mental abuse, and eating disorders. In this episode, I'm in conversation with K. Vaishali, the author of the memoir " Homeless: Growing Up Lesbian and Dyslexic in India." She shares her experiences as a late-diagnosed neurodivergent woman, about navigating life with dyslexia and dysgraphia in a world without reliable...

Content warning: Please note that this episode contains mentions of domestic violence. In the fifth episode, I speak to Jasmin Khoja, a learning and knowledge management professional who has worked on various human rights campaigns and currently working on policy design and implementation by representing the need for disabled Muslim women's point of view. They are a queer Muslim feminist who lives...

April is Autism Acceptance Month, and episode four of this podcast features an #ActuallyAutistic person: Vignesh, who was diagnosed with ADHD and ASD in adulthood. They share how Autism and ADHD interact with and influence their everyday life, including their queerness. In our society, while most conversations around Autism revolve around parents who speak about their autistic children, here is an...

In the third episode, I speak with Pranav Arwari, a queer-disabled and non-binary person. They share their experiences as a multiply marginalised person in a society governed by neuronormative norms and cis-heteronormativity, and how they have learned to navigate it personally as well as professionally. We also contemplate on the idea of rest, especially in relation to activism. You can check out...

Content Warning: Please note that this episode contains discussions on suicidal ideation. With my second guest, Ayushmita Samal, I talk about what's it like to be neurodivergent and queer, and the challenges that come with these multiple layers of marginalisations, especially at the workplace and even in interpersonal relationships. We also discuss the lack of policies at workplaces to address the...

Content Warning: Please note that this episode contains discussions on abuse. With my first guest, Srishti Pandey, I take a journey into her life to know her story, motivation and what got her interested in disability rights and inclusion. We also discuss the oft-forgotten intersection of queerness and disability, specifically asexuality and non-visible disabilities. You can check out the podcast...

Trailer Transcript: Hello aur namaste! Welcome to Atypical Dikkatein – a conversation podcast. I am your host Soumya, and in this podcast I will be talking to fellow queer, neurodivergent and disabled folx. Why? Because I want to! This podcast will not just be a repository of stories and experiences, but it will also be a journey to build solidarity, queer intimacy and a community. Hopefully, by e...