What does it look like to navigate life when the world isn’t always built with disability in mind? In this episode, I’m joined by Jenna D’Angelo Shiner, who shares her journey from being able-bodied to living with chronic illness and disability. We talk about mobility aids, internalized ableism, accessibility, faith, church culture, and why disability is not a bad word. This honest conversation explores what it means to live fully, advocate well, and create spaces where everyone belongs.

• Jenna’s journey into disability and chronic illness
• The emotional transition from able-bodied to disabled
• Why using mobility aids can bring freedom instead of defeat
• What internalized ableism looks like and why so many struggle with it
• How disability identity shapes the way we see ourselves
• Why accessibility matters and practical examples of barriers people face every day
• How churches can become more welcoming and inclusive
• The relationship between faith, healing, and living with chronic illness
• Why loving others includes advocating for accessibility and justice

Take a fresh look at one space you frequent—your church, workplace, favorite coffee shop, or even your home—and ask yourself, “Would this be easy to navigate for someone with a disability?” Small changes can make a big difference.

Jenna D’Angelo Shiner is a social worker, disability advocate, and passionate voice for accessibility and disability justice. She lives with chronic illness and disability and loves helping people better understand what life actually looks like for those navigating a world that isn’t always designed with them in mind.

Find her at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenna.reza

Instagram: instagram.com/jenrezdan

• Join The Unseen Sisterhood newsletter
• Visit The Invisible Illness Club website
• Listen to more episodes of The Invisible Illness Club podcast

Host: April Aramanda

Guest: Jenna D’Angelo Shiner

Music: AudioJungle

Faith can look different in different seasons. Not because God changes, but because our view of Him often changes with what we’re walking through.

In this episode, April shares how chronic illness can become so loud that it fills the entire frame. Appointments, symptoms, pain, exhaustion, and uncertainty demand attention, and before we realize it, we’ve forgotten to look up.

After watching Disclosure Day and reading a thought-provoking quote that pointed to the vastness of God’s creation, April was reminded of something simple and profound:

God is still God.

The God who created galaxies is not overwhelmed by our diagnoses. He isn’t surprised by our stories. He isn’t intimidated by the things that overwhelm us.

This episode is a gentle invitation to lift your eyes, remember God’s greatness, and find hope in the truth that no matter what season you’re in, He remains the same.

• Why faith can feel different in different seasons of life
• How suffering naturally demands our attention
• Why chronic illness can make our world feel smaller
• What God’s vast creation reveals about His greatness
• Why God isn’t overwhelmed by what overwhelms us
• How remembering who God is can bring peace, even when circumstances haven’t changed

“When you live with chronic illness, the illness can become so loud that it fills the entire frame.”

“Suffering has a way of demanding attention.”

“The God who hung every star in place sees me lying in bed on the days my body refuses to cooperate.”

“He is not overwhelmed by the things that overwhelm me.”

“Before my diagnosis, He was God. In the middle of my diagnosis, He is God.”

“Not that my circumstances are small. But that God is infinitely bigger.”

The next time your symptoms, fears, or questions feel overwhelming, pause for a moment and simply remind yourself:

God is still God.

You don’t have to have all the answers today. You only need to remember who holds them.

• Psalm 139:13
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• Visit The Invisible Illness Club website
• Subscribe to The Invisible Illness Club Podcast

Host: April Aramanda

Podcast: The Invisible Illness Club Podcast

Music: AudioJungle

What happens when chronic illness changes your identity, your relationships, and even the way you show up at church? In this conversation, April sits down with Kaylen Soriano of Chronic Yet Undefeated⁠

to talk honestly about epilepsy, masking, loneliness, faith, emotional exhaustion, and learning how to trust God in seasons that feel unpredictable. Together, they explore church culture, gratitude without toxic positivity, and the difference between real hope and pretending everything is fine.

• What life with epilepsy can actually look like behind the scenes
• How chronic illness can slowly reshape identity and relationships
• Why masking becomes so common in church culture
• The emotional toll of unpredictability and canceled plans
• How Kaylen worked through bitterness, fear, and victim mentality
• What “real hope” looks like when healing doesn’t happen instantly
• Why your emotions are not too big for God
• The difference between gratitude and dismissing grief
• How chronic illness can deepen trust and dependence on God

The next time someone asks how you’re doing, try giving one honest sentence instead of the automatic “I’m fine.”

Not a full explanation.

Not your whole story.

Just one honest sentence.

Kaylen S., Chronic Yet Undefeated

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587608874826

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ChronicYetUndefeated

• The Invisible Illness Club Website⁠ www.theinvisibleillnessclub.com
• The Invisible Illness Club Podcast⁠ https://bit.ly/4jjOEDs
• Join The Unseen Sisterhood Newsletter⁠ https://www.theinvisibleillnessclub.com/unseen-sisterhood-newsletter

Hosted by April Aramanda

Podcast: The Invisible Illness Club⁠

Music from AudioJungle