The Disability Myth

One of the things I (Dom) take most for granted is my ability to communicate—and you probably do too. But what if you couldn’t? What if you tried to talk, but only seemingly arbitrary sounds came out? What if no one believed you when you tried to communicate in the only way you can? On this episode, we have the pleasure of talking with someone who knows exactly what that’s like—Dom’s buddy, Derek....

What   if the only thing standing between you and a life-saving treatment was a price tag? For many living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, that’s the reality—Spinraza, one of three FDA approved treatments for SMA costs about $425,000 per injection. Beyond the medical challenges, families face crushing financial barriers and questions of accessibility that differ drastically from country to country....

On the latest episode of The Disability Myth, our friend Victor McConnell returns, but this time, he’s brought someone very special: his mom, Lori! He was born missing an arm. She lost part of her hand in a childhood accident. Together, they talk about growing up with physical differences in different eras, parenting with disability, and how physical differences have impacted their lives as a whol...

According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 100 children worldwide live with autism. In this episode, we sit down with the founder of The Autism Voyage, a blog, resource home, and consulting service dedicated to helping families affected by autism navigate the often overwhelming world of finances and insurance. We talk about the real-life challenges families face, the gaps in the system, and...

What’s your favorite restaurant? Who’s your favorite 49ers player? What's one thing you would change about your life and why? These are just a few of the hard-hitting questions that we answer in this final segment of our high school Q&A. Get comfy and join us as we talk football, retrospection, food, and movies!

If you live with a visible disability, there’s no doubt that at one point in your life, you’ve been asked by a child, “what’s wrong with you,” or “why can’t you walk”. These types of questions can be hard to answer but being patient enough to answer people’s curiosities can lead to common understanding. On this week’s episode, we answer questions from high school freshman. I recently had the great...

What happens when you mix lived experience with SMA and a passion for fashion-forward accessibility? You get Zipped Brands—a trailblazing business that puts zippers on mainstream shoes like Nikes, Converse, & Doc Martins, making them easier for people with disabilities to put on. This week on the podcast, we sit down with the computer science major, content creator, and entrepreneur behind Zip...

💡Lights 🎥 Camera 🎬 Action Our guest this week is an aspiring filmmaker living with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. She’s already created two short films that explore life with disability, and she's won an award at the International Online Film Festival! Join us this week as we talk to a talented storyteller who’s using film to change the narrative around disability. Kick back and listen as Siara M...

Our guest this week speaks several different languages, including Hebrew, has attended five different colleges and universities, and is a clinician. Need we say more for an introduction? Join us this week as we talk to Josué Medrano, a clinician living with cerebral palsy. Sit on your comfiest sofa, and listen as Josué tells us about what it's like to work in the psychology field, the need for mor...

Living with a disability is hard enough, but imagine if nobody could tell or even believed you had a disability. And imagine their surprise when you tell them one of your conditions is a MTHFR (just use your imagination) Gene Mutation. Well, on this Season 4 premier, our guest explains what it’s like to live with your favorite expletive gene mutation, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and Epstein-Barr Vir...

Well, that's another season of memories in the book! In this season 3 sign off, Dom and Uriel reflect on the insightful conversations they had the privilege to be a part of this season. If you're new to the show, this season they talked to an engineer, a Wikipedia admin, the founder and CEO of an app, a punk rock band, and all types of people across the spectrum of disability, so be sure t...

Life is full of inconveniences, and it’s up to us as individuals to respond to those inconveniences. That’s how our friend Victor looks at life anyways. Despite being born without his entire left arm and shoulder, he is a successful computer & network specialist, photographer, and musician. So make sure to put on your thinking cap and join us on this episode as we take a deeper look at what re...

What is neurodivergent? What is neurotypical? What is normal? These are the questions that Dom and Uriel ponder alongside their new friend, Kelli Fisher, Marketing & Development Specialist at Spectrum Designs. Spectrum Designs is a non-profit graphic design company whose mission is to create meaningful and inclusive employment and vocational training opportunities in a neurodiverse world. 65%...

Lead by example has always been one of my (Dominick’s) favorite mottos, and Cynthia Muñoz does exactly that. As one of the early campers at Cottage Rehabilitation Hospital's Jr. Wheelchair Sports Camp, Cynthia was inspired by what others with physical dispositions could do. Join us as she shares with us how those early summers of her life influenced her collegiate career at UCLA, her passion f...

As their friend Sophia said last season, progress and change are slow. However, it's nice to take moments to reflect on said progress and look to the changes that still need to be made. That's exactly what Uriel and Dom do in this special episode of their humble little podcast. Recorded at Arrowsmith's Wine bar in Solvang California, they gave a presentation on the state of the disable...

Step aside Yelp. On this week’s episode, Dom and Uriel sit down with the founder of Friendly Like Me, Elysia Everett. The magic of Friendly is that it shows those in the disabled and plus-sized community how accessible a particular business is based on the reviews of those in the community and the business itself. Join them as they learn about Elysia, her inspiration for creating Friendly Like Me,...

"What's more punk rock than living with a disability?” - Jacob Walker, Lead Vocalist of Faulty Wires On this week’s episode, Dom and Uriel had the pleasure of speaking with their new favorite punk rock band, Faulty Wires. Ever wondered what it’s like to be a lead singer with a debilitating neuromuscular condition? Probably not, but they wondered for you and they’re giving you answers here...

As a person who grew up with a severe physical disability, I always felt like my career options were limited. If you're anything like me, you probably figured you'd end up an academic, a teacher, any occupation that doesn't require intensive labor. But, entrepreneur? Well, that sounds a little more exciting 😬 On this week’s episode, Uriel and I had the pleasure of speaking with fellow...

Living with a disability comes with a ton of challenges. Something meant to help individuals with disabilities overcome their challenges are assisted devices and technology. Typically speaking, they increase our independence and provide us new ways to get things done. On this week’s episode, we had the pleasure of speaking with a local champion of assistive device design, Bryce Marshall. Upon surv...

Imagine living your life only being able to perceive light. You can't see objects, you can't make out faces, and all the little visual cues you would rely on are pointless. That's what life is like for our friend Skylar, but as we discuss in this episode, there's more to life than just seeing. Join Dom and Uriel as they kickoff a whole new season of The Disability Myth with Skylar...

On this final episode of Season 2, Dom & Uri thank you for listening and learning with them as they recap the amazing memories they made over the past few months. They'll be back real soon, but until then, peace and love and may the force be with you!

On this continuation of their important discussion on what it means to be an advocate, Dom, Sophia, and Uriel share their more personal stories and experiences that led to them becoming advocates. They hope that you realize you are an advocate in your own right and that you can advocate from anywhere, not just the front lines.

Disability rights are civil rights. Period. Yet, people with disabilities are often pushed to the side when it comes to our wants and needs as human beings. As a society, we have made leaps and bounds with triumphs such as the ADA, but there is still room for improvement, and change takes time. Join Dom, Uriel, and Sophia Lee-Park as they discuss what it means to be an advocate and why advocacy is...

What happens when a 49er Faithful and a member of Chiefs Kingdom jump on a disability podcast just before Superbowl 58? Well, to find out, join Dom & Uri as they discuss sporting event accessibility with Jerod Nieder, owner of Positively Paralyzed and disability community builder. White-18! Set! Hut! 🏈

Fear, pain, and anxiety are all emotional hurdles that keep many people from reaching their full potential. Whether you have a disability or not , we all face this challenge, and how we deal with it will determine how we react to life. On their very first video upload, Dom and Uri talk with Chris Benedict, DJ of Ability and public speaker. Chris shares with them and everyone who listens his tips a...