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Apparently, being disabled now comes with a league table. Who knew? 🙃

In this episode of Mad About, Maddy is coming to you from bed, in pain, and with a bit of a rant about something that has been seriously pissing her off: disabled people being made to prove that they are “disabled enough” — and sometimes other disabled people joining in.

After sharing a video about accessibility in Camden, Maddy was told that because she can get out of her wheelchair and walk, places with steps are technically “accessible” to her.

Erm… no.

Maddy talks about being an ambulatory wheelchair user, why being able to walk doesn't mean walking is pain-free, safe or sustainable, and why wheelchair users shouldn't have to perform their disability to be believed.

She also talks about her experience applying for a Nimbus Access Card and the frustration of feeling like support and adjustments can depend on ticking the “right” boxes — PIP, a Blue Badge or particular evidence — rather than looking at someone's actual access needs.

This episode gets into:

♿ Why accessibility means creating access for everyone, not just saying “well, technically you could…”

🦽 The reality of being an ambulatory wheelchair user

🤦‍♀️ The ridiculous “I saw you walking!” argument

🔥 Why disabled people don't need to compete over who has it worse

🧠 Why two people with the same condition can have completely different support needs

🚪 Why sending disabled people around the back of a building isn't magically inclusive because you rename it “the entrance”

💥 How gatekeeping and judgement within the disabled community hurts all of us

❤️ Why reasonable adjustments aren't special treatment — they're about giving people equitable access

Maddy also gives an update on the Mad About Disability documentary, which has now been FILMED 🎥 and features disabled people sharing their experiences and challenging some of the biggest misconceptions around disability.

The next mission? Getting it edited, funded and out into the world.

Because disability isn't a competition.

You don't have to prove you're more disabled than somebody else to deserve access, support or reasonable adjustments.

And seeing someone stand up, walk, work, laugh, travel, create content or have a good day tells you absolutely fuck all about what their disability costs them behind the scenes.

🎧 Subscribe to Mad About for more conversations about disability, neurodivergence, money, business and all the things Maddy is passionate, excited, frustrated or downright MAD about.

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This week, I’m mad at… myself.

Because apparently I’m really bloody good at teaching other people how to build businesses around their capacity, energy, pain and neurodivergent brains… and significantly less good at taking my own advice.

The last few weeks have been A LOT.

Media appearances. Articles. LBC. Launching Access to Business. Writing my third book. Planning a documentary about hidden disability. Parenting. Trying to keep up with thousands of comments and messages. Attempting to have “rest days” while lying in bed doing work.

Oh, and actually being disabled in amongst all of that.

In this very unfiltered solo episode, I’m talking about what happens when ambition, ADHD, internalised ableism and FOMO collide with a body that is very clearly saying: MADDY, FOR FUCK’S SAKE, REST.

I talk about:

• Why I’ve realised I cannot keep giving unlimited access to myself for free
• The hidden workload that comes with disability advocacy
• Running a business when your capacity changes from day to day
• Why using a wheelchair gives me MORE independence, not less
• The financial cost of becoming more disabled
• Trying to balance making money with doing work that genuinely matters
• Why boundaries are becoming non-negotiable for me
• The irony of teaching people to protect their spoons while chucking all of mine directly in the bin
• My new Access to Business programme
• The hidden disability documentary I’m currently creating
• And why being disabled does NOT mean giving up the things you love

This episode isn't me saying disabled and neurodivergent people need to push through.

Quite the opposite.

It's about recognising that we can build lives and businesses that work WITH our brains and bodies, but sometimes that means accepting our limits, asking for support, charging for our work and saying no.

Turns out I need to take my own bloody advice.

🎧 Welcome back to Mad About.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

✨ Access to Business – my programme helping disabled, chronically ill and neurodivergent people build businesses around their actual capacity.

🌈 The Maddyverse – my low-cost community for people with hidden struggles who want support, coaching, connection and a bit more Maddy in their lives.

🎥 The Hidden Disability Documentary – challenging the misconceptions about what disability actually looks like.

🎙️ Want to be a guest on Mad About? I’m bringing guests back and I want to hear what YOU are mad about.

Follow me on socials and come and join the Maddyverse.

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It’s been six weeks since I last picked up the podcast mic… and quite frankly, A LOT has happened.

In this episode of Mad About, I’m giving you a proper life update.

I talk about burnout, navigating the summer holidays with two neurodivergent kids, the frankly horrific way disabled and neurodivergent people are being talked about online and in the press, and why it’s made me even more determined to use my voice.

I also share my plans for a new documentary/mini-series about the REALITY of living with hidden disabilities. Real people. Real stories. No polished scripts or carefully manufactured narratives.

Then there’s Gladys, my powerchair, becoming a much bigger part of my life, running a business when your health changes, and figuring out what I actually want the next chapter of my career to look like.

And then something pretty bloody brilliant happened…

I PRESENTED ON KERRANG RADIO. 🤘

Yep. My favourite radio station.

And I absolutely bloody loved it.

So now I’m thinking seriously about radio, journalism and how I can combine disability advocacy with the things that give me ridiculous amounts of dopamine: music, radio and apparently collecting sea glass. 😂

I also talk about what’s changing inside The Maddyverse, why that community matters so much to me, and what I want to create next.

Oh, and it’s my birthday. A day I traditionally find deeply awkward because PLEASE DO NOT SING HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME. 😂

Basically, this episode is disability, neurodivergence, business, burnout, birthdays, wheelchairs, Kerrang, sea glass and me figuring out WTF comes next.

Welcome back to Mad About. 💖🤘

In this episode:
🎙️ Why the podcast disappeared for six weeks
♿ Becoming a much more regular wheelchair user
🔥 Disability backlash and why I want to fight back
🎥 My plans for a hidden-disability documentary
💖 What’s happening with The Maddyverse
🤘 My Kerrang Radio experience
📻 Why I want to do more radio and journalism
🧠 Running a business alongside disability and burnout
🎂 Why autistic me is really not a fan of birthdays
🌈 And what’s coming next

If you have a hidden disability and would be interested in sharing your story for the documentary/mini-series, get in touch.

And if you enjoy the episode, subscribe and leave a review. It genuinely helps more people find the podcast. 💖

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