The Sunflower Conversations
Welcome to the Sunflower Conversations, the podcast where we explore the experiences of disabled people with non-visible disabilities through the lens of the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower.
This is a space to hear authentic stories from disabled people navigating life with non-visible disabilities such as chronic illness, mental health conditions, neurodivergence, and more. While most episodes focus on lived experience, we also feature occasional insights from experts in healthcare, accessibility, and inclusion.
Whether you or someone you care about wears the Sunflower, our conversations aim to raise awareness, build understanding, and help create a more inclusive and compassionate world.
Empowering voices. Raising awareness. Challenging assumptions - one conversation at a time.
- Update frequency
- every 12 days
- Average duration
- 30 minutes
- Episodes
- 135
- Years Active
- 2021 - 2025
Cerebral palsy, learning difficulties, and anxiety with Bryony Moss
Cerebral palsy, learning difficulties, and anxiety with Bryony Moss
Bryony has cerebral palsy and right hemiplegia, which is a paralysis of the right side of the body. She also has learning disabiliti…
Dyspraxia, dyslexia and dyscalculia with Fire Phoenix Rising
Dyspraxia, dyslexia and dyscalculia with Fire Phoenix Rising
Fire Phoenix Rising is a poet and has dyspraxia, dyslexia and dyscalculia – or the triple D’s as she affectionately refers to them.
The dy…
Cerebral Palsy with Peta Hooke
The Sunflower Conversations – Cerebral Palsy with Peta Hooke
Peta has cerebral palsy which affects her mobility. Peta uses a wheelchair as she cannot stand or walk independently, she also uses a hoist…
Desmoid tumour with MaryBeth Eiler
Desmoid tumour with MaryBeth Eiler
MaryBeth has a rare, aggressive tumour which is called a Desmoid Tumour.
In this conversation we hear about the different types of chemotherapy MaryBeth received and…
Vascular Ehlers Danlos Syndrome with Erica Baldwin
The Sunflower Conversations podcast - Vascular Ehlers Danlos Syndrome with Erica Baldwin
Erica has Vascular Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (VEDS) – a genetic condition which wasn’t diagnosed until adulthood.
…
Bowel cancer, LARS syndrome and stoma with Amanda Strother
Bowel cancer, LARS syndrome and stoma with Amanda Strother
Amanda was diagnosed with bowel cancer at 31 years old. After a successful operation to remove the cancer she developed major LARS which mean…
Post Concussion Syndrome and Holly Tyrer
Post-Concussion Syndrome
Holly Tyrer lives in Hollywood, California and had her dream job as a Script Supervisor.
She was diagnosed with Post Concussion Syndrome (PCS) after an accident at work which …
PTSD with Danielle Allen
Suddenly hit by PTSD with Danielle Allen
Danielle Allen is a mum to three children. Her eldest son Louis was born with a congenital heart condition called Coarctation of the aorta.
Suddenly six years …
Radiation caused my hidden disability with Kellie La Follett
Radiation caused my hidden disability with Kellie La Follett
Kellie La Follett was caught in an unexpected mass radiation incident at the school she worked in. Unfortunately Kellie was sitting at the …
Fibromyalgia with Sue McIntosh
On the Road series - Living with Fibromyalgia
Sue McIntosh developed fibromyalgia after being involved in a traffic collision. No longer able to continue her career as an advanced driver in the Poli…
On the Road series - Older Drivers Forum
Older Drivers Forum
A national forum made up of a group of organisations that support the older motorist to drive safely for longer. They welcome drivers via their website to be informed and be kept u…
Narcolepsy Cataplexy Dyslexia with Marcus Morgan-Valentine
Let’s talk about intersectional support with Marcus Morgan-Valentine
Marcus Morgan-Valentine has dyslexia, narcolepsy, cataplexy, osteomalacia, chronic costocondritus, dyslexia and IBS . He is a youth…
Ehler Danlos Syndrome with Mik Lenth
Ehler Danlos Syndrome with Mik Lenth
Mik Lenth is 19 and lives in the MidWest in the US and has Ehlers Danlos Syndrome (EDS) which affects her connective tissue. The type that Mik has is hypermobility…
Supporting families with additional needs
Supporting families with additional needs
Benedict Symcox is CEO of charity, Family Voice Surrey, which is a parent carer forum.
We learn how they engage with parents of children with additional needs…
Neurodivergent and Tourette Syndrome with Kez Symcox
Neurodiverse and Tourette Syndrome
Kez Symcox is neurodiverse, and has comorbidities, including: autism spectrum disorder, Tourette Syndrome, generalised anxiety disorder, depression, an eating disor…
Aphasia and Epilepsy with Tom Ryan
Aphasia and Epilepsy with Tom Ryan
Tom Ryan-Elliott has epilepsy and aphasia because of a brain injury he received while on holiday in Las Vegas. He has no recollection of the accident and has had sev…
Mitral heart valve replacement and asthma with Paul Shriever
Open heart surgery and asthma with Paul Shriever
In this podcast we talk to Hidden Disability Sunflower team member - Paul Shriever.
Paul chats about his own invisible disabilities - in his thirties w…
Autism, ADHD, Anxiety and PCOS with Saxon Boone
Autism, ADHD, Anxiety and PCOS with Saxon Boone
Saxon Boone lives in Canada. Saxon finally received her diagnosis of autism after teachers thought that she was a problem child. Additionally she has…
Anxiety and Depression with Maddie White
Anxiety and Depression with Maddie White
Maddie White has anxiety and depression which sometimes makes it difficult for her to navigate daily life, especially when out in a public place on her own. Ma…
Fibromyalgia, depression and borderline personality disorder with Paul Pengelly
Either Off or On - living with Fibromyalgia with Paul Pengelly
In this Sunflower Conversation, Paul Pengelly discusses how fibromyalgia impacts his physical and mental health.
It took almost three yea…