Is This Your Discomfort or Mine? Navigating Disability Conversations

We have an honest talk with with Poppy Tiltman, who's here to share her perspective on disability without the usual sugar-coating. In this candid episode, Poppy makes one thing clear from the start: she doesn't want to be your inspiration, and she's not here to make you feel good about yourself - thats your job!

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Living with cerebral palsy and autism, Poppy cuts through the typical feel-good narratives that surround disability discussions. Instead, she offers her genuine experience - what it's actually like to navigate a world that often prefers comfortable stories to uncomfortable truths.

Hear Poppy's take on why "staying positive" isn't always the answer, her experiences with education systems that didn't quite work for her, and why finding real community matters more than collecting sympathy. She also shares her vision for "Access Granted," her new podcast designed to amplify authentic disabled voices rather than the polished versions that make everyone else comfortable.

This isn't Poppy trying to overcome anything or be inspirational - it's her being human, being honest, and asking for something better.

Poppy Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@accessgrantedwithpoppy

Chapter Markers

00:00 - Poppy's Truth: I Don't Want to Be Your Inspiration**

Poppy sets the tone by explaining why she rejects the inspiration label and what she actually wants from these conversations.

06:27 - Her Reality: What Disability Actually Looks Like**

Poppy shares her honest experience of living with disability, moving beyond the usual sanitised narratives.

12:18 - Access Granted: Poppy's Vision for Real Stories**

Poppy explains her new podcast and why she's committed to sharing authentic disabled experiences rather than inspiration content.

18:14 - Education Through Her Eyes: When Systems Don't Work**

Poppy reflects on her experiences navigating educational systems and the challenges she faced along the way.

25:50 - Finding Her Community: Beyond Well-Meaning Sympathy**

Poppy discusses the difference between genuine support and the often unhelpful responses disability attracts.

30:03 - Being Seen as Human: Beyond Her Conditions**

Poppy talks about wanting to be seen as a whole person rather than just her disabilities or as inspiration fodder.

35:14 - Her Vision: Real Change, Not Just Nice Stories**

Poppy shares her hopes for disability advocacy that prioritises truth and authenticity over comfort.

From her perspective, education systems often failed to properly include her, and society's general awkwardness around disability creates unnecessary barriers. She values genuine community over well-meaning but misguided sympathy, and wants her voice heard on platforms that prioritise authenticity over feel-good content.

Poppy wants to be seen as a complete person with her own agency, not reduced to her conditions or used as inspiration. Her approach to advocacy focuses on challenging systems and having uncomfortable but necessary conversations rather than just sharing uplifting stories that make everyone else feel better.

Filmed in Winchester, Southampton (Note our Southampton accent) in the UK!

People you might like to follow:

Chole Hayden

An Autistic actress and advocate who does a great job of showcasing that there are many

different sides to the spectrum instead of just a straight, linear line of severity as some

people view it to be.Chole’s instagram.

Evie Meg AKA this trippy hippie.

Evie does a great job of explaining and showing what it’s like to live with a disorder that

leaves the brain inflamed due to chronic infections in the body causing a variety of physical

and mental health symptoms. This condition is very under researched and isn’t actually

known of by most of the NHS which is why Evie’s condition became chronic making it harder

to treat.

Evie’s instagram

Squrimey and Grubs AKa Shanye and Hannah.

The two do a fabulous job of explaining how an interableld relationship ( when one person in

the relationship is disabled and the other is not) can work out just like any other romantic

relationship. They show how the dynamics work when your wife is also your main caregiver.

They share funny, cute and occasionally embarrassing stories along with explaining how the

general public reacts when they find out that the two are in fact married.Their social media

Molly Burke

Molly does a great job of making both educational content about what it was like to lose all

her vision at age 14 although she was diagnosed with the progressive eye disease which

would eventually cause full blindness at age 5.

Molly is now in her twenties and she continues to be an amazing advocate and motivational

speaker who is very respected by the blind and visually impaired community both online and

off.