51. Storytelling, Identity, & Creating Safe Spaces for Belonging with Tiffany Hammond

Episode Summary In this episode, Diana Pastora Carson talks with Tiffany Hammond—autistic advocate, creator of Fidgets & Fries, and author of the #1 New York Times bestselling picture book A Day with No Words. Tiffany shares why she leads with stories instead of stats, how online “purity tests” can erase nuance, and what true access looks like when we presume competence and make room for multiple ways of communicating. Together, they explore disability identity, language, safety, and belonging—especially for nonspeaking autistic people and for families navigating systems that often punish difference. Tiffany leaves listeners with a clear reminder: everyone has a place. About the Guest Tiffany Hammond is an autistic author and advocate known for her platform Fidgets & Fries and her work uplifting disability justice, communication access, and authentic belonging. She is the author of A Day with No Words. What You’ll Hear in This Episode Why Tiffany uses storytelling to shift disability understanding and fight dehumanization How to think about AAC and nonspeaking communication without pity or “inspiration” tropes Why “language wars” miss the point—and what to focus on instead The real-world consequences of disability disclosure, identity, and safety What it means to create communities where people don’t have to “earn” belonging Quotes  “Stories move people in ways statistics can’t.” “Everyone has a place.” “Communication is communication—speech isn’t the only valid form.” Resources & Links Tiffany Hammond Website: https://www.tiffanyhammond.com/  About: https://www.tiffanyhammond.com/about  Substack (Tiffy, In Bloom): https://tiffyinbloom.substack.com/  Books A Day with No Words (publisher page): https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/day-with-no-words-9781547619351/  A Day with No Words (book site): https://www.adaywithnowords.com/  Featured / Mentioned ABILITY Magazine (sponsor): https://abilitymagazine.com/  National Professional Resources / Beyond Disability Awareness (referenced): https://nprinc.com/beyond-disability-awareness/  Listener Takeaway If we want “disability awareness” to stop reinforcing old tropes, we have to move beyond feel-good lessons and toward access—including access to communication, dignity, and community that doesn’t require people to perform or prove their worth Stay Connected with Diana Diana's Website, including blog Free Resource - 5 Keys to Going Beyond Awareness  Free Resource - How to Talk with Kids about Disability Beyond Awareness: Bringing Disability into Diversity in K-12 Schools & Communities - Diana's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights - Diana's Children's Book Ed Roberts: Champion of Disability Rights Thematic Unit/ Disability History Lesson Plans "Beyond Awareness" Digital Course Diana's TEDx Talk Beyond Awareness Facebook Page Diana on Instagram Beyond Awareness Tote Bag  Beyond Awareness Pullover Hoodie Beyond Awareness Raglan Baseball T-Shirt Beyond Awareness Journal/Notebook Diana's Teachers Pay Teachers Store - Disability as Diversity Diana's Trifold Laminated Resource: Beyond Disability Awareness: An Educator's Guide, Published by National Professional Resources, Inc. (NPR, Inc.)   Credits and Image Description Intro and outro music courtesy of Emmanuel Castro. Podcast cover photo by Rachel Schlesinger Photography. Podcast cover image description: Black and white photograph of Diana, a Spanish-American woman with long, wavy, brown hair. She is wearing a flowy, white blouse and smiles at camera as she leans against wooden building. Photo is colorfully framed with gold and orange rays of seeming sunshine on top half, and with solid sage green color on bottom half. Text reads "Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters, Diana Pastora Carson, M.Ed."