What makes a city, a transit system, or a restaurant truly accessible for neurodivergent people? In episode 003 of Curb Cuts and Conversations, I sit down with Rebecca Tarrant, J.D. — American lawyer, global autism advocate, founder and CEO of Autistic Youth International, mom to an AuDHD son, and an AuDHD person herself — for one of the richest conversations the show has had yet.

We talk about what makes public spaces and transportation accessible for neurodivergent people, bust some of the biggest myths about autism, and dig into why the social model of disability — the idea that it's hostile environments, not people, that create barriers — matters so much for how we design our cities.

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Watch Episode 003 on YouTube!

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About E003 Guest: Rebecca Tarrant, J.D.

Late diagnosis is typical for autistic women, who are frequently overlooked. Rebecca's shares that experience.

Rebecca's work centres lived experience. She donates inclusive children's books featuring Autistic and neurodivergent characters to schools and libraries, designs sensory-friendly community events, and collaborates with educators, businesses, and community leaders to create measurable social impact.

She is the mom of Jackson, a nine-year- old AuDHD child. Rebecca has ADHD, and was herself diagnosed with Autism 2025. Her belief is simple: when children see themselves reflected in books and community spaces, it changes how they see themselves — and how the world sees them.

Rebecca Tarrant, J.D. on LinkedIn

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E003 Extended Show Notes e-Book pdf

Full resource list — including all links mentioned in this episode — is available as a downloadable PDF:

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About the Show

Curb Cuts and Conversations is a Canadian podcast about accessibility, urbanism, and transportation — how cities around the world are designed, and who gets left out when we get it wrong. Hosted by Elizabeth (Liz) McCready, with regular cameos by her cats and co-hosts Boo and Maybel. Liz is a marketing and communications professional, designer (graphic design and knitting), content creator, and wheelchair user.

Stay connected:

• Instagram: @GingerKiwiOnWheels
• YouTube: @GingerKiwiOnWheels
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethmccready
• Merch: https://Shop.CurbCuts.fm
• Wheelie Awesome Socials, social events for wheelchair users: https://events.CurbCuts.fm

Coming soon:

• Accessibility Across the Algorithm — Social media. Made accessible.
• Adaptively Dressed, the Adaptive Fashion Podcast

Music licensed on TuneReel by Ikoliks: Beautiful Place, From Miles Away

#Neurodiversity #Autism #AuDHD #AccessibleDesign #WheelchairLife #PublicTransit #Accessibility #InclusiveDesign #Podcast #Toronto #UrbanDesign #Transit #LateAutismDiagnosis

After an unexpected pause, Curb Cuts and Conversations returns with a personal story about what happens when a once-ideal home becomes inaccessible. I share why I had to move, what an accessible home actually changes in daily life, and how this experience is shaping the podcast’s focus on housing, cities, and accessibility in 2026.

🎙️Curb Cuts and Conversations is a monthly podcast about accessible urbanism, public transit, and wheelchair life with experts and lived experience voices. Hosted by Elizabeth McCready with regular cameos by one of her two cats Boo, and a different guest every episode.

Watch on YouTube!

Merch Shop!

Do you love the quirky design of Curb Cuts and Conversations' show art?

If so, visit the Ginger Kiwi On Wheels merch shop: https://shop.gingerkiwi.blog.

All show and merch shop artwork is designed in Toronto, Canada by Elizabeth McCready. No AI is used in the design process! (Yes, that TTC streetcar was completely drawn by hand in Figma on a MacBook Pro.)

Connect!

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethmccready/

Instagram: @GingerKiwiOnWheels

YouTube: @GingerKiwiOnWheels

In this premiere episode of Curb Cuts and Conversations, host Elizabeth McCready sits down with Sara Hendren—author, artist, educator, and design researcher—for a wide-ranging conversation on disability, design, and how we shape (and are shaped by) the built environment.

Sara shares insights from her book What Can a Body Do?, and the conversation moves through topics including:

Why disability is not a fixed category but a space of human variation The role of stories in changing hearts and policies Teaching design in ways that centre care and interdependence How everyday objects—from furniture to curb cuts—can invite reflection and reimagination.

Episode 1: Design, Disability, and the Built World

Guest: Sara Hendren

Duration: ~60 minutes

Host: Elizabeth McCready

Highlights:

03:55 — How Sara started thinking differently about assistive tech

11:12 — The hidden assumptions of "normal" design

24:08 — Why every design is a disability design

38:21 — How storytelling transforms public understanding

47:50 — Sara’s advice for young designers and urbanists

Resources Mentioned

1. "What Can a Body Do? How We Meet the Built World" by Sara Hendren
2. StopGap Foundation (Luke Anderson)
3. Olin College of Engineering
4. Open Style Lab

Curb Cuts and Conversations is a monthly podcast about accessible urbanism, public transit, and wheelchair life with experts and lived experience voices. Hosted by Elizabeth McCready (@GingerKiwiOnWheels) with regular cameos by one of her two cats Boo, and a different guest every episode.

Merch Shop!

Do you love the quirky design of Curb Cuts and Conversations' show art? If so, visit the Ginger Kiwi On Wheels merch shop: https://shop.gingerkiwi.blog.

Watch or listen to each episode for an audience only discount code.

Simplii Financial Offer

Link: https://blue.mbsy.co/77GVgm

Terms and Conditions: https://tr.ee/IJh6qC

Let's Connect!

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethmccready/
• Instagram: @GingerKiwiOnWheels
• YouTube: @GingerKiwiOnWheels - www.CurbCuts.fm
• LinkTr.ee: https://linktr.ee/gingerkiwionwheels

Music licensed TuneReel

by Ikoliks: Beautiful Place, From Miles Away

#Urban #UrbanDesign #UrbanDevelopment #PublicTransit #Transit #WheelchairLife #WheelchairUser #Accessibility #AccessibilityMatters #Design #UniversalDesign #Housing #Podcast