Dating, Relationships, and Disability

September is often considered the other new year because nearly all of us have it ingrained within us that we begin new things in the fall from our school days. I recently heard this time of year is the most productive time for people. So why not take advantage of it in your dating life? Four things to consider to help you gain more success in dating: 1. Decide to do things differently this year I...

If you have been listening to the past couple episodes, you know we’ve been in a theme of looking at dating from a problem solving lens. Approaching dating with problem-solving skills can be a practical and thoughtful way to navigate the complexities of trying to put yourself out there, take risks, and manage the vulnerabilities that are inherent in dating. Adaptability: Just like solving a proble...

Last episode we covered what to do when you’re experiencing dating burnout. I offered several strategies for what to do when you’re frustrated to the point of not feeling inspired at all to continue pursuits to find your person. Today, I want to offer you some tactical strategies to try if you’re saying, yes, I’m frustrated, but I’m still all in, I want to figure this out. Approaching dating with...

***Register  here  for a free workshop on  Exactly HOW Do I Make Dating Easier?  to learn three simple but actionable steps to make dating easier for you and get the results you want.*** Today we're diving into a topic that many of us can relate to – the burnout that can come from trying to navigate the world of dating. We've all been there, swiping left and right, going on cou...

***Register  here  for a free workshop on  Exactly HOW Do I Make Dating Easier?  to learn three simple but actionable steps to make dating easier for you and get the results you want.*** Believe. Trust. Risk. Those are my recommendations as you go out into the world and hopefully begin a.creating the life you want. Believe. Trust. Risk. These three factors are needed to be effe...

***Register here  for a free workshop on Exactly HOW Do I Make Dating Easier? to learn three simple but actionable steps to make dating easier for you and get the results you want.*** We continue to conversation with Pauline Bosma and Oscar Hughes of the Rainbow Support Group. We talk about what true acceptance looks like for someone in the LGBTQ community. Pauline shares about her story of l...

Pauline Bosma is the founder and coordinator of the Rainbow Support Groups, a network of support groups for LGBTQ+ people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Pauline works for Massachusetts Advocates Standing Strong, where she also leads sex education webinars and trains people with disabilities to respond to and report abuse. Oscar Hughes is a PhD student in special education at Bos...

We’re nearing the end of Disability Pride Month and I have to share an experience I had in trying to celebrate it. Unfortunately, it points to misperceptions about how people define Disability Pride. The definition I use is as follows: Disability Pride Month is celebrated every July and is an opportunity to honor the history, achievements, experiences, and struggles of the disability community. It...

Body shame is one the hardest things that impacts dating with a disability. People REALLY don’t like to talk about it. There’s a particular type of body shame for people with disabilities. It involves feeling negative about yourself that is then connected to shame about how your disability affects your mind and body. How Body Shame Manifests Body shame is a belief that there is something inherentl...

Did you know the month of July, which is when this publishes is Disability Pride month? Disability Pride Month is intended to honor the history, achievements, experiences, and struggles of the disability community. I would like to do this through the lens of  dating and relationships for people with disabilities. As we celebrate Disability Pride Month this July, it's essential to recognize th...

If you’re listening to this the day it publishes, Happy Fourth of July if you live in the States. When we think of July Fourth, two words most commonly come to mind: independence and freedom. I want to talk about the latter today, especially in regards to dating. As I work with people on having courage and confidence to date, especially in our membership, Dating Made Easier, I’m reminded of all th...

Today we're diving into a topic that many of us have experienced on online platforms: ghosting. We'll explore how hurtful it can be and share some strategies for getting over it.  Here's an email I recently received about being ghosted: Dear Kathy, dear Radiant Abilities Team, I found your site through Google while looking up resources regarding Ghosting and relationships and first of all I w...

In teaching about dating and relationship skills, we cannot do that without addressing sexuality. Sexuality and disability has long been a complex issue due to what was discussed in Episode #2 regarding sexual ableism. Sexuality, as defined I define it, is a natural part of you, independent of your relationship status. We are typically socialized to think that sexuality relates to the act of havin...

Family and friends. You probably rely on them the most. They’re the people who love you, hopefully see you for who you are, and I really hope they get the value you bring to the world. I know that’s not always the case, and relationships with family and friends can get sticky and complicated. We’re going to talk about one of those sticky situations with family and friends today—navigating the diff...

If you’re listening to this close to the time that it publishes, we’re in Pride month. For years now, and I mean before honoring Pride became so acceptable, I thought as a disabled, heterosexual person, there was volumes that the disability community could learn from the Pride community. Today we’ll be exploring the parallels between the disability rights movement and the LGBTQ+ movement and how t...

Too Busy To Date “I’m just really busy.” How often have you heard this and have also found yourself saying it? About anything? We live in a too busy world. I sometimes find it being my automatic response when people ask how I am. It’s probably very valid. You are busy. Life frequently offers a lot to us. It can be very hard to say no. But….many times what keeps us busy is not what is most importan...

Today we'll be discussing the importance of doing a belief audit to improve self-esteem and confidence when it comes to dating. We'll be diving into the importance of doing a belief audit and how it can positively impact your love life. But before we jump in, let's define what a thought audit actually is. A belief audit, also known as a thought audit, is the process of examining and evaluating the...

If you have been listening to me or following me for any length of time, you know that what I want most for people is to have success in dating and relationships. I see the mission of my life’s work to move the needle so that people with disabilities or the disabled, whichever you prefer, are more easily viewed and accepted as dating and relationship partners. That’s why we now have the Dating Mad...

Many people will not try online dating or maybe tried it at one time, had a bad experience or no experience, meaning no results, and will not try it again. While I will always say, you need to do you and decide what’s best for you, there’s no denying that online dating can be successful for many. According to a 2019 study, around 39% of straight couples and 65% of same-sex couples meet online. I w...

Dating skills are so important for all people, but especially people with disabilities.  That's why RADIANT ABILITIES IS COMMITTED TO HELPING PEOPLE, BOTH WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES, TO MAKE DATING AND DEVELOPING HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS EASIER. When addressing issues surrounding dating and relationships with parents and support staff, collaboration can be difficult and challenging.  Som...

There are some real scary statistics out there about the high rate of sexual assaults on people with disabilities. While they should be discuss every day as a means of figuring out how to bring down this horrendous number, April being Sexual Assault Awareness Month, is a good time to do so. In 2017 the US Justice Department came out with a report that said someone especially with an intellectual d...

Sign up for these workshops happening TODAY (publish date): How to Solve the Dating and Relationship Puzzle Why Dating Apps Are Not Working and What to Do Instead*? Nichole Hastings is  Coordinator of Self-Advocacy & Community Engagement Westchester Institute for Human Development (WIHD) and is the Vice president of the Hear Our Voices Self-Advocacy Group And a current Trainee in the LEND...

Sign up for these workshops happening on April 11: How to Solve the Dating and Relationship Puzzle Why Dating Apps Are Not Working and What to Do Instead*? Today I want to step back and have a “bigger picture” look at dating and relationships and talk about why we date. Now, of course, we all have our individual answers for that. But I think in the grand scheme of things, most of our answers come...

Sonya Rio-Glick (she/her) is a queer and disabled Disability Justice practitioner, organizational leader, writer, and cultural worker based in Atlanta. Raised by two moms in Upstate NY, Sonya has contended with complex social justice issues her entire life. In 2013, she began providing disability etiquette and accessibility workshops at COLAGE, the largest support network for people with LGBTQ+ pa...

Marco, 36, loves everything to do with cars and working out. His relationship with Dana is my second serious relationship ever.  Dana, 44, has three children, and has a property manager for ten years. She now works for the New York state housing authority. She never dated someone with a disability before meeting Marco.  They chat with me about meeting on a dating app, Dana getting to kno...