23|Alison Hayes speaks up about disability and navigating social security

In this powerful and eye-opening episode, we’re diving deep into the hidden struggles, biases, and everyday realities faced by the disability community—especially those with non-visible disabilities. Our returning guest, disability advocate and author Alison Hayes, joins us to break down the pervasive ableism built into our systems, the dangerous assumptions we make based on appearance, and how society continues to stigmatize disability as a personal failure rather than a systemic issue.

From misconceptions about mobility aids and speech differences to the emotional toll of being misjudged or overlooked, this episode unpacks why “you don’t look disabled” is one of the most harmful phrases someone can hear—and how fatphobia, mental health stigma, and economic inequality are deeply intertwined with disability.

Alison also shares insights from her two transformative books, Thriving While Disabled: Recognizing Bias and Thriving While Disabled: Navigating Disability Finances, offering both mindset shifts and real-life strategies for navigating a world not built for every body.

Links to Alisons work:
www.thrivingwhiledisabled.com

Ebook -Thriving While Disabled: Navigating Disability Finances(ebook

B&N - Thriving While Disabled: Recognizing Bias

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