In this week’s episode of NACHOS: The Neuro-Affirming Conversation Hour for Outreach and Support, we celebrate National Ampersand Day and explore what the “&” really means for our lives. From its history as a “broken infinity” symbol to Amanda Palmer’s reminder—“I’m not gonna live my life on one side of an ampersand”—we reflect on why living in the “both/and” is more powerful than being trapped in “either/or.”

We connect this theme to the realities of student life, institutional accessibility, and mental health, drawing on current research to show how resilience and well-being reduce future anxiety. Then we dive into the Humanities 101 midterm project, where students design micro-accommodations—small, practical solutions that make the world more inclusive. Examples include rethinking classroom group work, stocking free menstrual products, and redesigning physical spaces for better access.

Students are invited to submit their projects to the MicroAccommodation Innovation Challenge at the Michigan Disability Empowerment Conference (MDEC), happening October 24, 2025, at the University of Michigan–Dearborn Fairlane Center South. The challenge gives students the chance to share their ideas through simple posters or visuals—and even win prizes—while joining a statewide community of advocates, leaders, and changemakers.

This episode also previews the MDEC schedule, highlighting sessions on ADHD and neurodivergence, accessibility myths, higher education, spina bifida experiences, early childhood inclusion, and more. We reflect on why conferences like MDEC matter in our turbulent times: they build bridges, open conversations, and chart new ways forward for every body and every mind.

Stay tuned through the end for affirmations, reflections, and your weekly participation question: Where in your life have you experienced an “either/or” that could become a “both/and”?

✨ You are enough. You are worthy. You belong. ✨