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Dating with a Disability

In this podcast, you will hear tips and advice from people with a variety of disabilities who have experience with dating and relationships. If youâre an able-bodied listener, my hope is that youâll learn something new and see that those of us with disabilities are people first and we want to find love just like anyone else.

About the Host:
My name is Michelle Ballasiotes and I have a form of cerebral palsy called right hemiplegia as a result of a stroke I suffered before birth. Basically, my right side is smaller and weaker than my left side and it doesnât always move smoothly. I wanted to do this podcast because I have struggled with disclosing my disability when dating and adjusting to the fact that I may have to make some modifications to activities and dates.

Contact Info:
Michelle Ballasiotes, BSPH, OTS
michelle.ballasiotes@gmail.com

en5 Episodes

Episodes (5)

Episode 5: Dating with Cerebral Palsy

Meet Tia Holmes, a 24 year old with cerebral palsy. Tia is a full-time software engineer. Her CP affects her speech and motor control. She shares words of wisdom and personal experiences with navigating disclosure, accommodations, sex, and mental health when dating.

Transcript: https://tinyurl.com/e5-tia-cp

Dating with a Disability

enMarch 29, 2022

Episode 4: Dating with a Spinal Cord Injury

Meet Will Bucher who sustained a T2 spinal cord injury when he was 17. He is a full-time wheelchair user and senior at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in computer science. We discuss what it was like getting back into the dating scene after his accident and dive into topics including disclosure, accommodations, sex, mental health, and advice for other wheelchair users navigating dating.

Dating with a Disability

enJanuary 30, 2022

Episode 3: An Autistic and Neurodivergent Couple

Michelle interviews an engaged couple, Greg Boheler, who is autistic and has ADHD, and Jacklyn Googins, who identifies as neurodivergent. They met in the Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy program at UNC-Chapel Hill. We discuss what led up to their engagement, their perspective on dating as a couple who shares similarities neurodevelopmentally, and any challenges theyâve experienced.

Check out Jacklyn and Greg's business: https://b3coffee.org/
B3 Coffee is a nonprofit that provides community-integrated social and vocational opportunities for people of all abilities. Using the way coffee brings people together, we aim to dismantle stigma and influence change toward a more inclusive and equitable world.

(Music from bensound.com)

Dating with a Disability

enJanuary 06, 2022

Episode 2: An Interabled Relationship: Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy

Michelle, a person with a physical disability, interviews her able-bodied boyfriend, Daniel. They discuss disability disclosure, modifications and adaptations for dates, and mental health. (Music from bensound.com)

Dating with a Disability

enJanuary 06, 2022

Episode 1: Dating with Hemiplegic Cerebral Palsy

My name is Michelle Ballasiotes and I am a pediatric stroke survivor with right hemiplegia, which is a form of cerebral palsy. In this episode, I am interviewed by one of my good friends in my Masters of Science in Occupational Therapy program, Leigh Anne Jackson. I talk about why I wanted to start the Dating with a Disability podcast and some of my past dating experiences leading up to my current boyfriend. (Music from bensound.com)

Dating with a Disability

enJanuary 06, 2022

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