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Mecha talks about what she learned as the parent of a child with a disability and what she wishes she knew earlier, such as her rights with the school system. She also talks about challenges she faced because of language barriers and how grateful she was for her family’s support, even from outside of the United States.

Mecha habla de lo que aprendió como madre de un niño con discapacidad y de lo que le gustaría saber antes, como sus derechos con el sistema escolar. También habla sobre los desafíos que enfrentó debido a las barreras del idioma y lo agradecida que estaba por el apoyo de su familia, incluso desde fuera de los Estados Unidos.

Advertencia de contenido: este episodio contiene contenido potencialmente perturbador o desencadenante. Antes de continuar, tenga en cuenta que Blanca habla sobre el abuso sexual cuando comparte su historia.

Descripción: En este episodio, Blanca habla de su experiencia como madre de un niño con una discapacidad del desarrollo y las preocupaciones que ha tenido. Ella comparte sobre los desafíos que ha enfrentado al acceder a los servicios tanto para su hija como para ella misma. Blanca también habla sobre los efectos que las percepciones culturales pueden tener en la obtención de ayuda y cómo en todas las culturas duele que alguien sea juzgado.

Content Warning: This episode contains potentially disturbing or triggering content. Before continuing, please be aware that Blanca discusses sexual abuse when sharing her story.

Description: In this episode, Blanca discusses her experience as the mother of a child with a developmental disability and what concerns she has had. She shares about what challenges she has faced with accessing services both for daughter and herself. Blanca also tells about the effects cultural perceptions can have on getting help and how in every culture it hurts someone to be judged.

In this episode, Erin Miller from Wisconsin discusses mental health and disabilities from multiple points of view, including her own. She breaks down how realizing the specific needs of each individual allows us to accurately provide care and accessibility to services and the community. This takes weighing the similarities and differences between all people – notably those with developmental or physical disabilities, mental health disorders, or any combination of the three – and critical understanding of each person’s situation. Listen through the whole story to hear a guest voiceover from Erin’s colleague, Disability Rights Activist Morénike Giwa Onaiwu. She emphasizes the importance of giving one an opportunity to bring their whole self to every instance and obstacle in life.

Lukas is a Cold War Veteran living in Hyden, Kentucky. In adolescence, he was falsely diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and Manic Depression. The resulting traumas left him with PTSD to confront throughout a childhood and young adulthood in both Germany and the U.S. He was also diagnosed with Asperger's in the last decade - but Lukas does not view this as a problem. From his house tucked at the top of the small mountain at the center of town - he serves his community via the Red Cross. These efforts earned him the prestigious Volunteer of the Year award in 2020. He is now a clinical psychotherapist with a private practice in town, actively serving the people around him in multiple ways. Lukas believes that all people have a purpose to serve in life.