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.
Episodes
161 episodes
Type 1 Diabetes with Emma Cathro
“But you can end up in a coma if your sugar levels are too high because your body just can't function with so much sugar.”We are joined by Sunflower Friend - Emma Cathro. Emma has recently graduated with a First Class Honours in German a...
COPD with Dr Andrew Whittamore Asthma & Lung UK and Felicity Payne
Dr Andrew Whittamore of Asthma and Lung UK and Felicity Payne join us to talk about Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, COPD which is the name for a group of lung conditions that cause breathing difficulties. Felicity has emphyse...
Dyslexia and Dyspraxia with Dayna Halliwell
Dyslexia and Dyspraxia with Dayna HalliwellDayna is a digital content creator and actor and uses her lived experience of dyslexia and dyspraxia to raise awareness on her platforms of her learning difficulties. We talk through Day...
STAMMA with Kirsten Howells
“…there are some people who are super comfortable stammering who won't looking for therapy or to change anything about their relationship with their stammering and the way that they talk. For those people who are looking to change that there's ...
National Stuttering Association with Pam Mertz
Pam joins us to give an insight to stuttering and the theme for International Stuttering Awareness Day which is Be Seen, Be Heard. The stereotypes associated with stuttering can often mean that a person that stutters is excluded, these barriers...
Migraine with Steph Weatherley, The Migraine Trust and Katy Brown
Steph Weatherley is the Information and Support advisor at The Migraine Trust, and has lived experience of migraines. We are also joined by Katy Brown. Katy is the CEO of her own company Magic Mountain and lives with chronic migraines.In...
British Dyslexia Association with Helen Goodsall
British Dyslexia Association with Helen GoodsallHelen is the Knowledge & Information Manager at the British Dyslexia Association, an experienced workplace assessor and a parent of dyslexic children. She joins us to discuss the theme ...
FASD with Jacob Casson-Rennie
FASD with Jacob Casson-RennieJacob is 16 years old and lives with his parents in Ireland, who head up FASD Ireland and Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Ireland. Jacob talks to us about living with Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorde...
Autism and ADHD with Jen Hankin
Jen Hankin is a musician who composes, teaches and performs. Her creative skills extend to fine arts (digital and watercolour), photography, videography, fashion design and writing. Jen is also autistic and has ADHD.Jen has created a ne...
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Cystic Fibrosis and Ableism with Izzie Jani-Friend
Izzie is a journalist and is using her lived experience as a young woman with cystic fibrosis to combat ableism through her writing. In this conversation we discuss how her chronic health condition, cystic fibrosis affects her dail...
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Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and mental health with Chloe Francis
Chloe Francis has a range of health conditions including Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and Tourettes syndrome/Tic disorder, Sensory processing disorder, Vestibular processing disorder and Hypermobility, Anxiety disorder and Sleep disorder.<...
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Bowel and lung cancer, stoma and dialysis with Gemma Savory
Gemma had a missed early diagnosis of bowel cancer because the doctor believed her to be too young to have cancer at the age of 30. In the past 8 years she has undergone many operations and treatments and is now stage 4 NED. ...
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Tourette Syndrome and Brazilian Jui Jitsu with Khovan Hussein
Tourette Syndrome and Brazilian Jui Jitsu with Khovan Hussein“With my Tourette's, sometimes my verbal tics can be stuff like swearing, or I might say something that's offensive, but obviously I can't help it. So when I wear the ba...
Registered blind with Claire Sisk
Registered blind with Claire SiskClaire had two strokes aged 29 after which she developed retinal dystrophy and is now registered blind. Following her strokes Claire has had to learn how to navigate in a sighted world and uses he...
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Tourette Syndrome and Autism with Martin Moxness
Tourette Syndrome and Autism with Martin MoxnessMartin Moxness lives in Denmark and has many talents including being a successful Instagram a_different_spectrum and ...
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Cochlear implant with Steven Mifsud MBE
Steven Mifsud, MBE, is profoundly deaf and joined us on the Sunflower Conversations to talk about his cochlear implant. This small, complex electronic device helps provide a sense of sound that enables him to hear.Steven explains the dif...
Travel series – In the air with Shannon Wandmaker
“And I saw that British Airways most recently became involved in the Sunflower program. And that to me makes a lot of sense”Shannon is an aviation specialist and joins us from Brisbane Australia to share his expertise and insights along ...
Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, FASD with Tristan Casson-Rennie and Jan Griffin
Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder, FASD with Tristan Casson-Rennie and Jan GriffinTristan is the founder of FASD Ireland, a not-for-profit charity that aims to raise awareness and provide support to families in Ireland living with ...
Autism diagnosis with Bec Street
Autism diagnosis with Bec StreetBec works for charity Autism Spectrum Australia, as a Sunflower Advocate and is based in Sydney Australia. Since joining the charity 7 months ago Bec has discovered that she has many traits that sit on...
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Long COVID and autism with Linda Dalton
Long COVID and autism with Linda DaltonLinda contracted COVID in 2020 and has been left battling the effects of Long COVID, the healthcare service and the Government in Ireland ever since.Once a great lover of the outdoors an...
Ménière's disease with Lorna Thomas
Meniere’s disease with Lorna ThomasLorna Thomas is a musician and has Meniere’s disease which is a long term, progressive condition affecting the balance and hearing parts of the inner ear. Symptoms are acute attacks of vertigo (seve...
Kidney Disease with Ayesha Edmondson
Kidney Disease with Ayesha EdmondsonAyesha is a Peer Educator for Kidney Research UK, and she advocates for kidney donors from minority ethnic groups. After experiencing preeclampsia during the pregnancy of her first son Ayesha wa...
Endometriosis with Gemma and Aimee
Endometriosis with Gemma Beswick and Aimee GillGemma is a Volunteer Leader for the charity Endometriosis UK. Because of her lived experience of endometriosis she is passionate about supporting people who are waiting for a diagnosi...
