PODCAST

Meriah Nichols Talks About Disability

Meriah Nichols

where disability stories spark change

health & fitness mental health

All Episodes

Jose Rosario, Cool Cat; Voice from the Disability...

Meriah Nichols Talks About Disability ·

2025/08/09

This is an interview with Jose Rosario, a bad ass activist, mental health therapist, super smart and fun guy who has somehow never watched Star Trek. It is a part of the Cool Cats: Voices from the Disability Community series, in which Meriah interviews cool people from the disability community so you can get to know them.Jose's "Short" Bio Born to young Puerto Rican parents, José Rosario developed Cerebral Palsy as a premature baby. His family's journey towards equity deeply impacted his

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This is YOUR DISABILITY STORY: What Do You Want it To...

Meriah Nichols Talks About Disability ·

2025/07/14

This is an essay about perspective, choosing the stories we tell ourselves and the ways we wish to frame our own narrative. This was originally published in February 2020 but remains just as relevant today as it did then. I read the post in the video below, or listen to it through the podcast embedded. Options!https://youtu.be/9q4y1sDa7t0?si=GOjq2NsMya2w7vCZ I woke up feeling kind of crappy. My body felt old, I feel like I never have enough energy to do everything I want to do, and that

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8:03

Why Do We Need to Feel Disability Pride?

Meriah Nichols Talks About Disability ·

2025/07/13

This is an answer to a question posed, "why do I need to feel pride in my disability? Isn't it enough that I accept my disability?" It will talk about disability pride, models of disability, sparkle sauce and glitter juice. You can watch me read the essay below, or listen on the podcast (it has been edited, but was originally published in July of 2022) Watch the Podcast Video of "Why Do We Need to Feel Pride in Our Disability" here: https://youtu.be/2Rlmm4FSCZc square pegs in a round hole

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Spotlight On: Elevatus and Sexual Education Trainings

Meriah Nichols Talks About Disability ·

2025/06/21

This is about Elevatus Training, which is a Sexual Education program for people with Intellectual and Developmental disabilities. This was originally published in 2021The full interview is in video below. If you prefer the podcast version, just click the link above. The full interview transcript is at the end of this post, with the highlights proceeding it. Sex Ed and Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities: Why We Need to Talk About It Sex education and intellectual or

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4:28

You Ask, I Answer: What is Disability Justice?

Meriah Nichols Talks About Disability ·

2025/06/12

This is from my ongoing question-and-answer series, "You Ask, I Answer" in which I take questions that you send me and attempt to answer them. Do you have a question? A Reader asks, What is "disability justice"? Isn't it the same thing as "disability rights"? Dear Reader, I love your question and I'm glad you asked. Disability justice is a sweet, sweet subject and I'd love for our community to be talking about it more. And no, dear reader, disability justice and disability rights

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11:15

This Disability Activist Has a Message You Need to Hear

Meriah Nichols Talks About Disability ·

2025/06/06

Corbett O'Toole was a keynote speaker at the 2025 PacRim International Conference on Disability. It was awesome; you should have been there. I love her so much, and I loved her keynote so much that I wanted to share it here, and got lucky because everyone said I could. :) Please scroll to the end to watch the video of her speaking. These are words we need to hear right now.Aloha. I'm really happy to be here and I'm really sorry I can't be there in person. In addition to my other

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3:39

On the Edge of High School: Moxie’s Next Big Step

Meriah Nichols Talks About Disability ·

2025/06/05

This is a personal post about where Moxie is in her educational journey and all the feeings that come along with this Moxie starts high school in August. She’s had a solid run at her intermediate school. Her sixth-grade elementary teachers really saw her—they believed in her and recognized her strengths. Thanks to their advocacy, Moxie was placed in what’s called “General Special Ed.” I’m not sure how things work where you are, but here in Hawaiʻi, our district uses four tracks: Honors,

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2:21

iPhone Native Speech-to-Text for the ADHD Deafie...

Meriah Nichols Talks About Disability ·

2025/06/04

Toolbox Tuesday: a tip on using the iPhone built-in transcription app (speech-to-text) I’m profoundly deaf. I also have ADHD—the kind that makes my brain feel like it’s got tabs open in every room of a house I can’t find my way through. This combination means I need speech-to-text apps to navigate the world—but also that I often forget to download or open them until I’m already in the thick of needing them. Cue the awkward scramble in a meeting, a restaurant, or a doctor’s office while I

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Lance Kamaka, Cool Cat; Voice from the Disability...

Meriah Nichols Talks About Disability ·

2025/05/30

This is an interview with Lance Kamaka, a Hawaiian deafblind musician. It is a part of the Cool Cats: Voices from the Disability Community series, in which Meriah interviews cool people from the disability community so you can get to know them.Lance Kamaka https://youtu.be/4uDFhlTJ1MA?si=gF-5mXWAz0ibPAEK The clip that Lance mentioned at the end of his interview, in which he plays Queen Liliuokalani's piano at the Iolani

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