The Moxie Pod — Disability, Discrimination, and Turning Pain Into Purpose

I recently had the honor of being a guest on The Moxie Pod, a Cerebral Palsy (CP) podcast hosted by two beautiful, intelligent, and hilarious ladies with CP – Saaniya Deora and Sara Nielsen.

Sara and Saanyia started a weekly podcast in December of 2024 to demonstrate the force of character, determination, and nerve of people living with CP; in other words, Moxie. Through open, honest, and deeply personal conversations, Sara, Saaniya, and guests discuss what it’s like to live with cerebral palsy — never shying away from hardships, the good, the funny, and the achievements that come with living in a disabled body.

It was an incredibly validating conversation, and it reminded me exactly why I started this blog in the first place. These women hold space for disabled voices, and being on the show was like exhaling after holding my breath in too many inaccessible spaces. Although I had only chatted with them once prior, it felt like sitting down with two old friends. We had such a great time that I will be joining them again for their 17th episode, which I will add here after the release.

*EDIT: Here is episode 17! Read more and watch the episode below.*

During episode 15, we covered a lot. They invited me on to talk about my work as a disabled artist, writer, and advocate—but the conversation quickly unfolded into so much more: using art to process trauma, PMDD, epilepsy, discrimination in the workplace, cannabis and chronic illness, family dynamics, and the hard choices you have to make when your body doesn’t play by the rules.

For Anyone Living with Invisible Illnesses or Feeling Unseen

This conversation isn’t just about CP. It’s about invisible illness, internalized ableism, medical gaslighting, and the complicated relationship many of us have with our own bodies. It’s about grief and humor and stubborn resilience. It’s about not being palatable—and still showing up anyway. If that resonates with you, or if you’ve ever felt like you had to hide part of yourself just to get by, I hope you’ll give it a listen.

For Friends & Family

This conversation is also important for friends and family of people with disabilities, as we try to give you some insight into our experience. This podcast episode meant a lot to me—not just because I got to be honest about things I’ve often been too exhausted to explain, but because I got to feel connected to others who truly understand. Disabled community matters. Conversations like this matter. And we need more spaces where people can speak freely about pain, resilience, adaptation, and identity without being dismissed.

Highlights of Episode 15:

On the episode, we talked about:

Why disability discrimination pushed me out of traditional work
What it’s like to fall down the stairs and turn it into an art piece that connects with people outside of the CP community
How PMDD hijacks your brain and body mid-cycle
My experiences having seizures in the shower
Finding balance in medication dosages
Navigating cannabis, muscle spasms, and side effects
Why working with your body is essential if you’re self-employed with a disability
And what keeps me going when everything feels impossible (spoiler alert: sometimes, it’s spite and pure curiosity)

How I Got Started in Art

I’ve always loved art, but my career path started in high school when I took a film photography class and began bringing my camera to concerts. That passion took me through a Bachelor's in Photojournalism, a Master’s of Science degree in Interactive Media & UX, and eventually into a whirlwind of creative jobs—until the corporate world made it clear that I was never going to fit into their mold.

Discrimination in the Workplace

I shared how, even with medical documentation, I was denied basic, reasonable accommodations at multiple jobs. These experiences were extremely difficult to navigate and made me question not only my skill sets, but my self-worth. Although painful, they ultimately pushed me to stop hiding my disabilities and forced me to create a space where I could express myself and help other people feel seen, too. Sara related to being denied accommodations in the workplace, and we discussed how being pushed to the brink of collapse actually allowed me to embrace who I am.

Why I Started the Disability & Art Blog

I created my blog after years of masking my disabilities just to keep jobs, friendships, and social expectations from falling apart. However, I realized that constantly shrinking yourself to make others comfortable is a slow kind of erasure. Starting the blog wasn’t just a creative decision, it was a survival tactic. I needed somewhere I could be myself, and utalize all of my skills and life experiences to help others dealing with the same things.

Creating Art From Pain

We talked about one of my favorite pieces—“The Stairs,” which I was inspired to create after falling down a flight of stairs. This led to extreme anxiety any time I needed to go down my own staircase, which is multiple times a day.

It surprised me when this piece resonated not just with folks who have CP, but with people with MS, balance issues, or post-surgery recovery struggles. This helped me, and others, explain how going down the stairs can trigger anxiety in a visceral way that one cannot simply explain in words.

Living with PMDD, Epilepsy, and CP

We dug into how PMDD hijacks your entire body and brain. Add in epilepsy, spasticity, a sleep disorder, and endometriosis, and my cycle feels like a war zone. We talked about how even helpful meds like Zoloft can backfire when your body already feels like it’s broken. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to juggle seizures, depression, hormonal flares, and muscle spasms, this episode lays it bare.

My Advice for Disabled People

If you're a disabled person dreaming of becoming an artist, do it. Just know it might not be easy. It might not be stable. You might not get rich, but it might also be the most honest and fulfilling thing you've ever done.

Work with your body, not against it. Don’t let a corporate mold crush your creativity, and never let anyone tell you that your disability makes you less than. It's part of your story, and your story deserves to be heard.

Listen to the full episode and subscribe to The Moxie Pod on YouTube. Thanks again to Sara & Saaniya for having me! New episodes are released every Sunday at 3 PM EST/2 PM CT. Also, be sure to follow The Moxie Pod on Instagram and Spotify!

Episode 17 Summary

Pain Management, Workplace Accessibility & More

GoFundMe Launch & Big-Picture Advocacy Goals

We discussed my GoFundMe launch to support my Disability & Art Blog, podcast, and independent journalism work, emphasizing the importance of keeping this work free and accessible to the public.

I explained that the purpose of my work and ultimate goal is to help others navigate a complex and broken healthcare system by sharing my lived experience, tips, and resources. Additionally, I aim to translate complex medical information into plain language by interviewing doctors and simplifying advice, so others aren’t overwhelmed or misinformed.
Sara, Saaniya, and I emphasize collective action, cross-party dialogue, and the need for critical thinking, not blind loyalty to political parties. The three of us also express our frustrations with both political parties and billionaires. I lay out how I plan to combat this through interviewing medical professionals, politicians, and researchers to uncover how recent funding cuts are affecting public health, how we can improve the rights of people with disability, and increase better healthcare for all.
We discussed my goal of building a centralized resource hub on my blog for disability-run businesses, resources, and other CP voices on my blog.

How to Get Access to Insurance & Disability Related Health Tips

I shared how a local broker helped me access Medicaid in 15 minutes after months of failed attempts alone.
We discussed lesser-known pain management tools.
We talk about the value of dietary changes (limiting sugar, gluten, and dairy) to manage pain and inflammation.
I shared how accessible kitchen tools and occupational therapy have helped me gain independence in the kitchen.

Remote Work & Employment Advocacy

We discussed why remote work is a viable and often necessary option for many disabled individuals.
We also spoke about a new blog post I’m working on about accessibility in the workplace. This article is based on a community survey I created. Help me advocate for accessible workplaces by filling out the survey here!
We give practical advice for requesting job accommodations (e.g., standing desks, flexible hours, screen magnification, remote access, etc.).

Physical Changes and How They Affect Our Abilities

I reflect on how my physical abilities and pain levels have changed since turning 30, despite being highly capable when I was younger.
I opened up about navigating internalized ableism and others' misconceptions of my current abilities vs my past abilities.

Empathy, Parenting & Public Misunderstanding

Saaniya, Sara, and I explore how exposure to disability and diversity early in life fosters empathy.
Sara describes how she has been judged in public as a disabled mother, and how children are perceptive, even if they don’t understand discrimination outright.

Messages of Encouragement

Sara shared her recent courage in being fully herself online, including with her family.
I echoed the sentiment, noting how nerve-wracking it was to ask for public support but how freeing and empowering it can be to live authentically.

If you liked this article, consider making a donation

Hi there! I am an artist & writer with disabilities. I have been running this Disability & Art Blog unpaid for the past year — sharing personal stories, research, and resources to help others feel seen, informed, and empowered. While I love what I do, I also believe disabled people deserve to be compensated for their time, labor, and expertise. I’m currently crowdfunding to turn this into a sustainable, paid job — one that lets me focus on independent disability journalism, educational content, and artwork that speaks to the real lived experience of being disabled in America.

Help me keep the blog going and expand it into audio & video podcast formats to make it more accessible, engaging, and inclusive. With your help, I can write investigative articles, interview experts, and launch my podcast, Thank You So Much for Asking. Every contribution is meaningful and thoroughly appreciated. Thank you so much for your support! — Sincerely, Briana Raucci

Support My Disability & Art Blog on GoFundMe

A thank you to my supporters

Thank you to everyone who has donated to my GoFundMe campaign thus far! Your support truly means the world to me. I deeply appreciate that you see the value in this work and that you believe disabled voices, independent journalism, and accessible storytelling are worth funding.

Because of your generosity, I was able to make time to participate in this podcast and write this blog post. That may sound small, but for those of us juggling disability, advocacy, and creative work with limited resources, it’s everything. All the thanks to: Wendy Naratil, Taylor Macioci, Judy Petrillo, Stacey DeMartino, Jordyn DeMartino, Maddy Ullman, Joy Panigada, Judith Wilcox, and Lauren Raucci for making this possible!

Watch My Guest Spot on The Moxie Pod