We offer strategies, encouragement, and mindset tips on dating with a disability. We talk about how to navigate sexual ableism, focus on your power to attract, and develop happy and healthy relationships.
Dating, Relationships, and Disability
Claim This Podcastby Kathy O'Connell
5.0(4 reviews)
252 episodes
Updated Daily
Accepts GuestsHas Sponsors
59
Podcast Authority
BetaFairBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality87
Social0
YouTube0
Engagement75
Podcast Overview
We offer strategies, encouragement, and mindset tips on dating with a disability. We talk about how to navigate sexual ableism, focus on your power to attract, and develop happy and healthy relationships.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
10/19/2021
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59
Podcast Authority
BetaFairBased on show quality, social media presence, reviews, charts, and more
Quality87
Social0
YouTube0
Engagement75
8
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0
Good Performance
11
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excellent
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Every 7 days
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Recent Episodes
June 30, 2026
249 - Friendship Series: Everybody Has a Thing
<p>The Friendship series has kicked off to examine what is similar and different when a disability is present - and how friendship development is a lot like dating - they both involve vulnerability, taking risks, and acceptance.</p> <h3>Two Friends, 40 Years</h3> <p>Kathy O'Connell and Nancy met at 18 as freshmen at Le Moyne College in Syracuse. Nancy first noticed Kathy when a professor seemed impatient with her during class — likely because of Kathy's disability — and introduced herself afterward to say so. Kathy had no idea it had even happened. That moment bonded them, and nearly 40 years later they're still close friends.</p> <h3>Nancy's Experience as a Friend</h3> <p>Nancy never found the friendship difficult or different in any meaningful way. She simply saw Kathy as a funny, trustworthy person and treated her accordingly. The one hard moment she witnessed was a stranger at a bar assuming Kathy was drunk because of her speech and movement — something Nancy found genuinely upsetting to watch.</p> <p>The one real communication challenge: when Kathy gets emotional, she speaks faster and becomes harder to understand. The clearest example was the day Kathy called to share that her son Jaden's adoption had been approved — Nancy, in the middle of a store, misread the tearful, fast-paced call as bad news and nearly dispatched her husband to flee to Canada with the child.</p> <h3>On Disability, Dating, and Rejection</h3> <p>Nancy's view is simple: friendship is the foundation of any relationship, and disability doesn't change that equation. Her advice to people afraid of rejection — disabled or not — is to start small (coffee, a walk, a note), stay honest, and keep trying. As one of her students once said: "You might be the juiciest peach ever picked, but some people just don't like peaches."</p> <h3>What Makes the Friendship Work</h3> <p>Belly laughs. Shared humor. Total trust. Neither woman sees their friendship as different from any other deep friendship — just two people, both the youngest child and only girl in their families, who found in each other the sister they never had.</p> <h3>🔗 Links Mentioned in the Podcast</h3> <ul> <li><strong><a href="https://www.relatabilityllc.com/RA-sign-up">Sign up</a></strong> for the weekly email list</li> <li> <p><strong><a href="https://www.relatabilityllc.com/Five-Stages-of-Success">Five Stages of Dating Success</a><span> </span>curriculum</strong><span> </span>for professionals in the disability field</p> </li> <li> <p>A<span> </span><strong><a href="https://forms.gle/n3zy5HJsGzMNrgcq6">survey</a></strong> for feedback on an upcoming<span> </span><strong>playbook</strong><span> </span>covering all 5 stages (skills, milestones, and action items)</p> </li> </ul> <p>And share it with anyone in your life who might have a story to tell! 💙</p> <p>Check out<span> </span><a href="https://www.relatabilityllc.com/coaching-with-kathy">coaching</a> in dating and relationships with me to get the support and relationships you want.</p> <p><span>Take our </span><a href="https://www.relatabilityllc.com/Dating-Quiz">Dating Success quiz</a>.</p> <p>Music by Successful Motivation</p> <p>Artwork photo by Elevate</p>
June 23, 2026
248 - Six Actions to Take When You're Actively Dating
<p><strong>Stage 4 (Active Dating)</strong> of her "5 Stages to Dating Success" framework. It's a tactical, mini-workshop style episode pulling content from her curriculum aimed at professionals in the disability field.</p> <h3>6 Key Skills for Active Dating</h3> <ol> <li><strong>Platform Engagement & Match Interaction</strong> — actively using apps or attending in-person events, following up with interested people</li> <li><strong>Active Social Participation</strong> — attending events to build social skills and networks, not just to find a partner</li> <li><strong>Leveraging Friend & Family Networks</strong> — asking 3 people in your life if they know potential matches; planting the seed pays off over time</li> <li><strong>Reflection & Documentation</strong> — tracking what's working and what isn't, treating each experience as data</li> <li><strong>Celebrating Progress & Self-Compassion</strong> — recognizing small wins; being kind to yourself when things go wrong</li> <li><strong>Maintaining Authenticity</strong> — showing up as yourself, disclosing disability comfortably, requesting accommodations without apology</li> </ol> <h3>Milestones to Watch For</h3> <ul> <li>Consistent presence on dating apps (at least 6 months before switching)</li> <li>Feeling authentically represented in profiles and conversations</li> <li>Navigating accessibility needs confidently and clearly</li> <li>Recovering resiliently from rejection and disappointment</li> <li>Maintaining clear boundaries and personal standards</li> <li>Continuously learning and refining your approach</li> </ul> <h3>Action Items</h3> <ul> <li>Commit <strong>30 minutes daily</strong> to dating-related activity</li> <li>Rotate weekly focus areas: apps, social events, network outreach</li> <li>Check in regularly with a small <strong>dating support network</strong> (1–3 trusted people)</li> <li>Review conversations — note what energizes you and prep new topics</li> </ul> <h3>🔗 Links Mentioned in the Podcast</h3> <p>Kathy mentions <strong>show notes links</strong> for:</p> <ul> <li> <p><strong><a href="https://www.relatabilityllc.com/Five-Stages-of-Success">Five Stages of Dating Success</a> curriculum</strong> for professionals in the disability field</p> </li> <li> <p>A <strong><a href="https://forms.gle/n3zy5HJsGzMNrgcq6">survey</a></strong> for feedback on an upcoming <strong>playbook</strong> covering all 5 stages (skills, milestones, and action items)</p> </li> </ul> <p>And share it with anyone in your life who might have a story to tell! 💙</p> <p>Check out<span> </span><a href="https://www.relatabilityllc.com/coaching-with-kathy">coaching</a> in dating and relationships with me to get the support and relationships you want.</p> <p><span>Take our </span><a href="https://www.relatabilityllc.com/Dating-Quiz">Dating Success quiz</a>.</p> <p>Music by Successful Motivation</p> <p>Artwork photo by Elevate</p>
June 16, 2026
247 - I Need Your Help
<p>Kathy O'Connell shares that she's working on a <strong>new book</strong> about dating and relationships with a disability — a follow-up to her earlier book Firewalk: Embracing Different Abilities.</p> <p><strong>The book focuses on two key themes:</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>Sexual ableism</strong> — the societal message, conscious or not, that disabled people don't belong in romance or intimate relationships. Kathy explains it as an extension of ableism: the belief that certain abilities make a person more worthy of love and connection.</li> <li><strong>The power to rise above it</strong> — how people find their way through that noise to build genuine, loving, fulfilling relationships. Kathy calls this "the power to attract."</li> </ul> <p><strong>Why she needs YOUR help:</strong></p> <p>The heart of the book will be <strong>real stories from real people</strong>. Kathy is collecting experiences through a short survey — whether you've lived with a disability and experienced sexual ableism in dating, or witnessed it happen to someone you love. The survey has three main questions, and you can optionally leave contact info if you're open to a follow-up interview.</p> <p>"Data and statistics don't change people's minds. Our stories do — because they are real, human, and powerful."</p> <p><strong>📋 Please take a few minutes to fill out the survey — your story could be in the book and help shift how the world thinks about love, disability, and who deserves connection.</strong></p> <p>👉 <strong><a href="https://forms.gle/gNM3uap7qXW9u62RA">Take the Survey Here</a></strong></p> <p>And share it with anyone in your life who might have a story to tell! 💙</p> <p>Check out<span> </span><a href="https://www.relatabilityllc.com/coaching-with-kathy">coaching</a> in dating and relationships with me to get the support and relationships you want.</p> <p><span>Take our </span><a href="https://www.relatabilityllc.com/Dating-Quiz">Dating Success quiz</a>.</p> <p>Music by Successful Motivation</p> <p>Artwork photo by Elevate</p>
252 total episodes available
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Frequently asked questions
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- What is Dating, Relationships, and Disability?
- How often does this podcast release new episodes?
This podcast updates daily.
- Where can I listen to this podcast?
This podcast is available on 8 platforms including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and more. You can also use the RSS feed directly.
- Does this podcast accept guests?
No, this podcast does not typically feature guests.
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