Dating, Relationships, and Disability

About Tiffany Yu Tiffany Yu is the author of "The Anti-Ableist Manifesto" and founder of Diversability, a community of over 80,000 people focused on disability leadership. She became disabled at age 9 in a car accident that took her father's life and left her with paralysis in one arm. She's also a paraclimber competing internationally for Team USA. Disability Pride and Dating Disability pride is...

Understanding Neurospicy Relationships Dr. Kristen Williamson, a licensed professional counselor with a doctorate in behavioral health management, shares her journey of being diagnosed with autism and ADHD at 39. She prefers the term "neurospicy" over neurodivergent, believing it captures "the spice of life" that comes with different brain wiring. Communication Challenges and Solutions Dr. William...

Take our Dating Confidence quiz here . Understanding Stage 5: The Mastery Phase If you scored mostly D's on our dating confidence assessment, you've mastered the fundamentals of confident dating with a disability. Stage 5 is about maintaining and evolving your dating confidence while helping others on their journey. This stage represents a shift from building confidence to sustaining it - making d...

Upcoming Events 📅 ENROLLMENT CLOSING OCT 25   Dating Made Easier   will be stopping open enrollment on October 25th! After that, we'll only open enrollment at specific times during the year. 🔥   DATING CHALLENGE : OCT 14-17 Get crystal clear on your dating profile and create a winning plan! 🎯   FREE WORKSHOP: OCT 21  "What to Do When Nothing Works in Dating" - This one'...

Upcoming Events 📅 ENROLLMENT CLOSING OCT 25   Dating Made Easier   will be stopping open enrollment on October 25th! After that, we'll only open enrollment at specific times during the year. 🔥   DATING CHALLENGE : OCT 14-17 Get crystal clear on your dating profile and create a winning plan! 🎯   FREE WORKSHOP: OCT 21  "What to Do When Nothing Works in Dating" - This one'...

📅 ENROLLMENT CLOSING OCT 25   Dating Made Easier   will be stopping open enrollment on October 25th! After that, we'll only open enrollment at specific times during the year. 🔥   DATING CHALLENGE : OCT 14-17 Get crystal clear on your dating profile and create a winning plan! 🎯   FREE WORKSHOP: OCT 21  "What to Do When Nothing Works in Dating" - This one's going to be GO...

📅 ENROLLMENT CLOSING OCT 25 Dating Made Easier   will be stopping open enrollment on October 25th! After that, we'll only open enrollment at specific times during the year. ✨ Why the change? So I can pour ALL my energy into getting our current members the dating success they deserve! But first... we've got some AMAZING things lined up for you! 👇 🔥 DATING CHALLENGE : OCT 14-17 Get crystal...

Important Links Mentioned Take our Dating Success Quiz here . Ready to enhance your dating experience? Join our   Dating Made Easier  community for coaching, skills and resources to succeed in dating.   Doors closing soon for new members.   Join today. Sign up here  to get notified about our upcoming free Dating Challenge and our free workshop on When Nothing Works in...

Russell's Background Russell Van Brocklen discovered his dyslexia in third grade and later audited law school classes despite having first-grade reading/writing levels. After successfully improving his skills, he developed programs to help dyslexic students, including one funded by New York State Senate that helped high schoolers jump 6-8 grade levels in writing within a year. Dating Strategy Fram...

The Friend Zone Challenge When you have a disability, society often categorizes you as the "inspiring" or "sweet" friend rather than a romantic prospect. The key is determining whether lack of romantic interest stems from genuine incompatibility or societal conditioning. Reading the Signals Look for signs of romantic potential: one-on-one time that feels different, meaningful physical touch, shari...

Register  here  for the Loving Our Bodies Workshop. Growth and Expansion In just 2.5 years, Dateability has grown from 10,000 to 35,000 members. The platform is now launching an updated app to further support its mission of making dating accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses. Accessibility-Driven Features The app integrates specific accessibility fea...

    Take The Dating Success Quiz here . Stage 1: Foundation and Self-Discovery Building your authentic foundation through deep self-awareness and self-acceptance. Key focus areas include understanding your inherent worth, identifying strengths and values, and developing a positive relationship with your disability or difference. Action items include practicing daily affirmations, engagin...

Register here for the Loving Our Bodies Workshop. This workshop helps you develop a healthier relationship with your bodies in the context of dating. Participants learn practical techniques for overcoming internalized body shame, distinguishing between body acceptance and broader self-love, and understanding how genuine self-worth creates more authentic and successful dating experiences. Thro...

Nicole Penrod is an associate marriage and family therapist in California's Bay Area. She has ADHD and is in a relationship with someone on the autism spectrum, bringing both professional and personal experience to neurodivergent dating and relationships. Deconstructing Harmful Messages Nicole introduces the "map of messages" exercise to identify sources of harmful narratives about normalcy. This...

Download  Using AI to Meet People , the resource guide for this podcast. The Problem with Dating Apps Many people with disabilities find traditional dating apps aren't working well for them. The apps don't effectively showcase the fullness of a person, and people often want to meet others locally rather than hundreds of miles away. AI Solution for Meeting People In   Dating Made Easier &...

" Using the Let Them Theory for Empowered Dating "  Workshop (August 6) Registration Link Eric McHugh co-created the dating app DATA.ING. The app auto-generates profiles and matches based on users' digital footprints by linking social media accounts, photos, and other data sources to create personality tags. How It Works Unlike traditional dating apps that rely on superficial swiping, DATA.IN...

" Using the Let Them Theory for Empowered Dating "  Workshop (August 6) Registration Link Dr. Victoria Mattingly, CEO of Mattingly Solutions, is an organizational psychologist and author who lives with bipolar disorder and alopecia. Her latest book "Work with an Ally, Act like an Ally" explores two-way partnerships in allyship. Allyship in Romantic Relationships Authentic allyship means takin...

" Using the Let Them Theory for Empowered Dating "  Workshop Registration Link Registration Fee: $10 Stop exhausting yourself trying to manage everyone else's comfort level in dating. This transformative  workshop applies Mel Robbins' revolutionary "Let Them Theory" to dating with disability, teaching you how to preserve your emotional energy for people who actually deserve it. Instead o...

New Feature Submit your question, dilemma, or challenge related to dating here  and I'll answer it anonymously in a podcast. Let Them Reveal Their True Character Stop managing others' comfort with your disability. Let potential partners show who they are through authentic reactions. If someone is uncomfortable, dismissive, or makes thoughtless comments, let them reveal this incompatibility wh...

  Today on the show, Violet Lange, a relationship coach, introduces The Goldilocks Method to dating. Violet overcame trauma and a difficult divorce to find lasting love. She has a deaf daughter with cochlear implants and combines practical strategies with spiritual approaches to dating. Healing Trauma & Attachment Issues Embodiment Practice: Place one hand on heart, one on belly, breathe,...

Register here for  Upcoming Dating Workshop, Authentic Dating Success Path: 5 Stages to Confidence and Connection on  July 9, 6:30pm EDT via zoom . Disability Pride Month July marks Disability Pride Month, commemorating the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. The month celebrates achievements of people with disabilities, raises awareness about disability rights,...

Register here for  Upcoming Dating Workshop, Authentic Dating Success Path: 5 Stages to Confidence and Connection on  July 9, 6:30pm EDT via zoom. Dorsey Ross from Westchester, PA has Apert syndrome, a birth defect affecting his hands and face. He's undergone 68 operations throughout his lifetime and hosts "The Dorsey Ross Show" podcast. His motto: "can't" is not in his vocabulary....

Dating confidence comes down to what you believe about yourself and your potential as a partner. Beliefs about yourself help you feel more positive and successful, because whatever you think about yourself gives off energy for how others think of you. The transformation involves moving from "Hopeless, frustrated, devalued" to "a knowing of your worth and what you have to offer." The Foundation: Mo...

Relationship expert Chaya (Jaya Sarah Garcia) shares insights about dating and relationships, particularly for people with disabilities. Chaya, a social worker who can be found on social media as @epicloveexpert, has dedicated her career to helping "super sweet souls" transform their love lives from ordinary to epic. Her mission centers on providing education about relationship behaviors, helping...

  Significant Overlap in Identities Research shows that 36% of LGBTQ+ adults report having a disability, compared to 24% of non-LGBTQ+ adults. Among transgender adults, this figure rises to 52%. This creates a "minority within a minority" situation where individuals face compounding discrimination from both communities. Dating Platform Challenges Dating apps often perpetuate ableism and norma...