In NACHOS S3E3 – Tolkien, Disability, and the Time We’re Given, Dr. Dutch explores the timeless wisdom of J.R.R. Tolkien alongside the urgent realities of disability and neurodivergence in higher education. Beginning with Frodo and Gandalf’s reminder that “all we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us,” this episode connects Tolkien’s vision of resilience to Jay Timothy Dolmage’s Academic Ableism and its metaphors of “steep steps” and “retrofits.”

Together, we unpack how exclusion is built into the design of universities and society, and why scraps of access are never enough. Instead, we imagine what it means to create truly inclusive spaces where every brain has a seat at the table. From classrooms to conferences, we explore how access must move beyond accommodation toward justice and universal design.

This episode also highlights the upcoming Michigan Disability Empowerment Conference (MDEC) on October 24, a gathering of advocates, students, and community leaders committed to building a future where disabled voices are centered from the start.

Whether you are a student, educator, advocate, or Tolkien fan seeking hope in challenging times, this conversation offers affirmation, reflection, and a call to action.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

• How Tolkien’s wisdom connects to neurodivergent and disabled experiences today

• Why Dolmage’s metaphors of steep steps and retrofits reveal systemic ableism in higher education

• The difference between token accommodations and genuine inclusion

• How the Michigan Disability Empowerment Conference is creating space for empowerment, advocacy, and innovation

• Why neuro-affirming communities like NACHOS matter for belonging and resilience

Subscribe to NACHOS for weekly neuro-affirming conversations that connect literature, disability justice, and everyday strategies for thriving.

#Tolkien #DisabilityJustice #Neurodivergent #AcademicAbleism #UniversalDesign #NACHOSPodcast #MichiganDisabilityEmpowermentConference

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. ✨

Season 3 Kickoff: Labor Day, Hidden Labor, and Belonging

We’re back with a special Labor Day episode of NACHOS: the Neuro-Affirming Conversation Hour for Outreach and Support! In this week’s episode, Dr. Dutch dives into the history of Labor Day, the 1894 Pullman Strike, and what these struggles for workers’ rights can teach us about the invisible labor of neurodivergent life today.

Along the way, we explore new science on gut health and hidden sugars, a tiny genetic “volume knob” that shaped the human brain, and a groundbreaking discovery about early human evolution in Ethiopia. From labor rights to microbiomes to the branching tree of humanity, this episode connects the dots between history, science, neurodiversity, and self-care—all through the lens of belonging.

Subscribe to the podcast, comment on YouTube, and join our Discord to keep the conversation going. Share this episode with a friend who needs a reminder that their labor—seen or unseen—matters.

#LaborDay #HistoryPodcast #Neurodiversity #PullmanStrike #GutHealth #HumanEvolution #Belonging #SelfCare #Podcast

Episode Title: Rest, Resist, Reimagine: The Summer Sendoff

In this final NACHOS episode of the summer semester, we explore what it means to care for ourselves while standing up for our communities. From cognitive fatigue and microaccommodations to disability rights, inclusive design, and the dangers of policy rooted in fear instead of fact—we’re connecting the dots between self-care and systemic change.

Join us as we reflect on:

The neuroscience of burnout and mental exhaustion

Innovative disability inclusion programs like autism-friendly drivers ed

Medical breakthroughs like lung-on-a-chip personalized testing

RFK Jr.’s controversial decision on thimerosal and vaccine policy

Why disability advocacy must move beyond pride and into protection

How humanities help us recognize the warning signs of regression

And a heartfelt wrap-up on trust, truth, and designing for difference

Plus: announcements about our new noon timeslot starting Sept 1, details on the MDEC Disability Empowerment Conference, the NACHOS Discord, and how to support our GoFundMe to keep the movement growing!

If you’re passionate about disability rights, neurodivergence, inclusion, rest, resistance, or community care—you belong here.

🔗 Learn more: www.humanities101.org/conference

🎧 Subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube

📲 Follow for more @DrDutchHilligan

📣 Support the MDEC GoFundMe and share with your circles!

#DisabilityJustice #NeurodivergentVoices #MicroAccommodations #UniversalDesign #Neuroaffirming #RestIsResistance #DisabilityRights #InclusiveEducation #NACHOSPodcast #RFKjr #VaccinePolicy #DisabilityPride #MentalHealthAwareness #AutismAcceptance #MDEC2025 #NeurodivergenceMatters

What do black holes, medieval medicine, and misunderstood manuscripts have in common? In this episode of NACHOS (Neuro-Affirming Conversation Hour for Outreach and Support), we explore how science, history, and identity are being rewritten in real time. From cosmic voids to neurodivergent communication, join us as we challenge outdated models and reclaim forgotten truths with warmth, curiosity, and compassion.

This episode features:

• ​Neurodiversity and communication
• Micro-accommodations in education
• Disability Pride Month reflections
• Reframing old stories through new research
• Announcements about the MDEC Innovation Challenge

Plus, affirmations, community updates, and reflections on what it means to be enough—just as you are.

#Neurodiversity #DisabilityPride #NACHOSPodcast #BlackHoles #MedievalMedicine #Neuroaffirming #CommunicationDifferences #MicroAccommodations #MDEC2025 #InnovationChallenge #RewritingTheStory #YouAreEnough

#NeurodivergentVoices #SelfAcceptance #ReclaimYourStory #YouAreNotBroken #HiddenHistory #BlackHoleDiscovery #DisabilityInclusion #Affirmations #MedievalWellness #RewriteTheNarrative

neurodivergent podcast, disability pride month 2025, neuro-affirming education, black hole discovery 2025, medieval medical texts, inclusive teaching strategies, innovation challenge MDEC, misunderstood communication, reframing identity, self-care for neurodivergent adults

NACHOS—Neuro-Affirming Conversation Hour for Outreach and Support—returns with an exploration of neurodivergent presence, planning, and self-care. Host Dr. Adam Hazlett weaves together insights from Albert Camus and Thích Nhất Hạnh, a Nature Genetics study identifying four distinct autism profiles (July 9 2025), and new research on Monday cortisol spikes, weight-inclusive health, and personality-aligned exercise.

Learn why balancing structure with real-time sensory needs can reduce stress, boost regulation, and turn micro-joy rituals into daily medicine. The episode also spotlights Disability Pride Month, July 28 events in Detroit and Lansing, and the Michigan Disability Empowerment Conference on October 24.

Whether you’re autistic, ADHD, or simply curious about neuro-affirming living, this conversation offers data-driven strategies and compassionate takeaways to help you honor your wiring, reclaim Mondays, and make movement meaningful. Listen in for practical PB&J Framework tips, community stories, and a roadmap for thriving in a world that rarely slows down.

#Neurodiversity #Neuroaffirming #AutismResearch #DisabilityPride #MentalHealth #SelfCare #SensoryWellbeing #MicroJoy #MondayMotivation #InclusiveHealth #MovementMatters #PBJFramework

What do whale pods, frozen wolf pups, disability policy, and your morning cup of coffee have in common?

More than you might think.

In this week’s episode of NACHOS (Neuro-Affirming Conversation Hour for Outreach and Support), we trace a powerful and tender thread of care—from prehistoric life to modern disability justice, from psilocybin-assisted therapy to the quiet brilliance of your own brain mapping movement through the world.

We explore:

• ​ What ancient animals teach us about human dignity and belonging
• ​ A groundbreaking study on psychedelics and long-term mental health recovery
• ​ How your brain senses space, movement, and possibility—before you even act
• ​ The U.S. House’s vote to prohibit disability discrimination in organ transplants
• ​ A visionary hotel redefining accessibility for disabled travelers
• ​ Why care—both daily and transformative—is central to being fully human

You’ll also hear about our upcoming events:

• ​ My keynote lecture for Yale’s CASY Summer Camp (now live)
• ​ The Breaking Barriers Disability Pride celebration in Lansing on July 29
• ​ The Michigan Disability Empowerment Conference (MDEC) on October 24 at Henry Ford College

This episode is a reflection on care, community, and what it truly means to belong. If you’ve ever felt on the margins, or longed for a softer way of being in the world—you are not alone. You are part of something ancient and rising.

Watch now. Breathe deep. And come home to yourself. This is NACHOS.

#NeurodivergentVoices #DisabilityJustice #MentalHealthAwareness #Neuroaffirming #NACHOSPodcast #DisabilityPride #TraumaHealing #AccessibilityMatters #InclusiveDesign #MicroAccommodations #SelfCareForAll #NeurodivergentSupport #MDEC2025 #BreakingBarriersLansing #CASY2025 #RadicalBelonging #UniversalDesign #Humanities101Foundation

This Week on NACHOS: “Bonhoeffer, Neuro-los-osity, and the Courage to Loosen”

In this powerful episode of NACHOS (Neuro-Affirming Conversation Hour for Outreach and Support), we stand at the intersection of two legacies—Pride Month and Disability Pride Month—and ask what it truly means to speak, act, and become.

We reflect on the enduring words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer—“Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.”—and explore how they apply not just to moments of historic resistance, but to everyday choices in the lives of disabled and neurodivergent people.

This episode features:

• ​A deep dive into the concept of neuro-los-osity—the gentle unbinding of the overstimulated mind
• ​Personal reflections on unmasking, burnout, and boundary-setting
• ​A preview of the Michigan Disability Empowerment Conference (MDEC) and upcoming Breaking Barriers event at the Michigan State Capitol
• ​Affirmations for those navigating exhaustion, advocacy, and the need for rest
• ​Community updates, GoFundMe and registration links, and big announcements on the road to making Michigan neuro-affirming by 2035

If you’ve ever needed permission to loosen, to speak gently, or to reclaim your space—this one’s for you.

🌮 Subscribe, share, and join the NACHOS Discord for resources, conversation, and community.

📣 Support the movement at humanities101.org/conference or via our GoFundMe—every contribution helps build a more inclusive and affirming future.