Episode 3 of All Our Brave Hearts!

Posted byDanny WhittyPosted inBlog

Dear Friends,

Thank you for the great recommendations for diversity training! We have a lot to review.

Today, I am happy to share Episode 3 of the All Our Brave Hearts podcast! This is on being in public in my disabled body. I am so absolutely sure you will resonate with this episode. Whether you are disabled, a support person, an ally, or a person in public, this episode will touch on your experiences.

As you know if you have followed my account, I adore being out in public. But it is certainly challenging. And it is the reactions or actions of others that often is the biggest source of stress. We chat about that and how we handle it and some ideas for a more inclusive experience in public.

Please continue to like, share, subscribe, and comment on whatever platform you use to access this podcast:
Substack
Spotify
Apple Podcasts

Thank you for listening and/or reading along!

Your Friend,

Danny

Image: two people walking arm in arm through shaded columns toward a sunny lawn and sculpture garden, with a majestic dome and bell tower in the background. Black text superimposed: Episode 3, Being in Public. Lower Right: Black rectangle with black text inside saying "all our brave hearts"
Yellow and white gradient background. Black text: Danny: I am inherently wary of being in public. I know from experience that people can be so casually mean, and I am embarrassed by their reactions to me. I have heard so many rude and hurtful comments, said loudly and with no concern for me as a person. That is almost worse than the rude comments themselves - the assumption that I can't understand and that my feelings don't matter.
Yellow and white gradient background. Black text: Danny: At times, my unruly body actually does act in ways that are rude or alarming. I can't blame people for being uneasy or shocked by that. But it still hurts to be gawked at. I don't have a solution for this. I hope that as people learn more about disabilities, including mine, there will be broader understanding and compassion. It is tricky because I know my body can be scary at times when I am dysregulated. I can't expect people to not react.
Yellow and white gradient background. Black text: Danny: I am so wanting to share what people can do to make being in public less stressful for me and my peers. First: know that we struggle to control our bodies and we are desperately trying to; second: we can see and hear your reactions to us, so be mindful of what you say and how; third: we are wanting to be accepted in public, and we do care about what people think, so any kindness and patience you can share with us is appreciated.
Yellow and white gradient background. Black text: Danny: I am so shy because of this. Each time I go in public, I have so much anxiety around how I will be treated and how my body will act. It is a lot to carry in my mind. I love being in public! I love coffeeshops and cool restaurants and museums and parks and the beach! I love going out on the town. I love traveling. I deserve to be in those spaces. And I hope one day I will encounter less judgement and rudeness in them.
Yellow and white gradient background. Black text: Tara: Danny’s invited me to share my experience in this situation... I am, of course, one of your fierce sister bears. I am always ready - if someone so much as looks at you sideways - I'm ready to leap to your defense, ready to stand up for you, ready to chastise them if they say anything unkind. ...I find myself in this state of hypervigilance, and juggling the dignity of risk that Danny deserves to have, and our safety and comfort concerns. ...this calibration of being polite and respectful to other people, *and* being respectful of you, Danny, and your disability and that reality, is a calibration that I keep working on. I'm really glad that I can have your feedback on this, Danny.

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