In this episode of We’re Not Stumped, host Mike Bolland sits down with Brooke Brown—a passionate advocate, spiritual wellness guide, and founder of Brooke’s Butterfly Touch. Brooke, who lives with cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair, shares how her journey led her to discover Reiki, energy healing, and the power of self-connection.
As an Ambassador for United Cerebral Palsy of Central Arizona and host of the Rolling in Grace podcast, Brooke empowers others to live with purpose, embrace their uniqueness, and become their own biggest advocates. She shares her message of accessibility, inclusion, and disability visibility, along with the importance of assuming competence in every interaction.
💜 Brooke’s mission is simple but powerful: help others reconnect with their spirit, lead fulfilling lives, and see disability through a lens of strength, not limitation.
🎧 In this episode:
- Brooke’s journey with cerebral palsy
- Discovering Reiki and spiritual healing
- The story behind Brooke’s Butterfly Touch
- Her role as a UCP Ambassador
- The Rolling in Grace podcast and disability advocacy
- Why we must always assume competence and bless our differences
📹 Watch Brooke speak at Life Recovery Church:
Always Assume Competence – Blessing Our Differences
🦋 Learn more about Brooke:
https://brookesbutterflytouch.com/
👩🦼 UCP Ambassador Profile:
https://ucpofcentralaz.org/ambassadors/brooke-brown/
🎧 Listen to Rolling in Grace:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rolling-in-grace-podcast/id1674482810
If you’re passionate about disability advocacy, spiritual growth, or building a more inclusive world, this episode will uplift and inspire.
Listen on Apple Podcasts
Watch on YouTube
Listen on Spotify
Is your website really accessible to everyone? In this powerful episode of *We’re Not Stumped*, host Mike Bolland welcomes web accessibility expert Maigen Thomas to perform a live audit of the podcast’s website—and the results are eye-opening! Accessibility isn’t just about compliance—it’s about empathy, inclusion, and making sure your digital experience works for everyone. Maigen shares her personal connection to accessibility, including how her grandfather’s vision loss shaped her perspective on designing with intention. Whether you're a business owner, content creator, or web designer, this episode is packed with practical tips and free tools to level up your site.
Here’s the actual quote from a company called the LN4 Hand Project: "A prosthetic hand is an invaluable asset to an individual without an upper limb. An upper limb prosthesis can determine whether or not an individual is able to be employed, contribute to household duties, or provide an increased sense of independence." As a successful one-handed person—a podcaster, speaker, nonprofit founder, and former pro bowler—I have to say, that sentence overlooks the truth: people with limb differences are capable with or without a device. And it’s not just the language. Companies like Taska Prosthetics create videos that show one-handed people doing things like washing apples, as if that’s the pinnacle of independence. While I love and appreciate prosthetics, we can do better. In this podcast, I break down the problem with this kind of messaging, share my lived experience, and challenge the assumption that a prosthesis defines your ability to succeed.
Host Mike Bolland welcomes Brittany Dejean, founder of Inclusion Jumpstart and former Airbnb accessibility leader. Brittany opens up about how her father’s spinal cord injury at age 12 inspired her lifelong passion for disability inclusion. She shares insights from her 6.5 years at Airbnb working on accessibility and diversity initiatives, her nonprofit work with Able Thrive, and her current mission as an entrepreneur and advocate. Brittany’s training programs help people overcome awkwardness around disability and build more inclusive, empathetic spaces in both personal and professional settings.
