BABIES DOWN, BOTTLES UP

Melissa is the kind of guest that makes you rethink what’s possible.
This week, we sit down with Melissa, a blind physical therapist, mom, and absolute force of nature who has spent her life proving people wrong. After losing her vision due to a rare case of shingles that affected both of her optic nerves, she was told a lot of things she wouldn't be able to do. She decided not to listen.
Melissa shares her journey from learning blindness skills as a young adult to becoming a doctor of physical therapy and building a career in a field where many people assumed blindness would be a deal breaker. We talk about the barriers she faced in school, the skepticism she encountered during job interviews, and how she developed her own methods for evaluating and treating patients without relying on sight.
We also get into the technology and accommodations that help make her job possible, the importance of communication and trust when working with patients, and why representation matters when blind people step into professions where others have never seen someone like them before.
Outside of work, Melissa opens up about raising two teenagers, surviving grad school with young children at home, NICU stays, and how she and her husband built a life together while figuring it all out as they went.
There are plenty of laughs along the way, especially when the conversation turns to teenagers learning to drive, family routines, and the realities of parenting kids who are almost grown.
Melissa’s story is about persistence, confidence, and refusing to let somebody else decide what your future should look like. If you've ever wondered what happens when determination meets opportunity, this is a conversation worth hearing.
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This week’s guest is somebody who completely flips the idea of what blind people are “supposed” to do on its head.
We’re joined by Brit Culp, also known as Miss Blind Fury, and this conversation goes everywhere in the best way. Brit is a licensed professional counselor associate, personal trainer, massage therapist, bodybuilding competitor, and pole dance instructor who has spent her life proving that people really need to stop putting limits on blind women.
We talk about her journey growing up with retinitis pigmentosa in a small Texas town, learning independence at Criss Cole, and finding her way through careers that weren’t always welcoming to blind people. Brit gets honest about the discrimination she faced trying to work in counseling, how she pivoted when doors kept closing, and what finally helped her break through into the career she wanted.
Then we get into fitness, bodybuilding, and pole dancing, which honestly becomes one of the most interesting parts of the episode. Brit explains how she learned to adapt in spaces that are heavily visual, how she teaches instructors to communicate movements differently, and why she fell in love with pole dancing after years in bodybuilding. She also shares details about an upcoming performance centered around grief and vision loss that’s deeply personal to her.
We also touch on ADHD diagnoses in women, makeup and fashion as blind women, tattoos, body image, guide dog life, and the random realities of trying new things when everybody expects you to stay in the box they built for you.
And somewhere in the middle of all that, you’ll hear stories about Pixie, her guide dog who basically decided counseling clients were emotionally exhausting and retired herself from the therapy office. Honestly, relatable.
This episode is funny, thoughtful, motivating, and one of those conversations that leaves you wanting to try something you probably talked yourself out of before.
Find Brit Culp
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/culpbrit/
Email: [email protected]
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This episode is bigger than just a conversation, it's the start of something we're really excited about.
We're officially announcing our collaboration with AccessAbility Officer at the National Federation of the Blind National Convention in Austin, Texas, and this episode gives you a real look at why this partnership makes so much sense.
We're joined by Ellie from AccessAbility Officer, whose story is honestly hard to forget. Ellie takes us through her journey from being a client in the Certified Accessibility Testing program to becoming one of the instructors now helping others build careers in digital accessibility. But getting there was anything but easy.
She opens up about the Social Security nightmare that completely turned her family's life upside down, including a situation that forced her and her husband to live in separate states for an entire year while splitting up their children just to survive financially. At the same time, she was pushing through the CAT program, raising four children, and trying to rebuild stability for her family.
We also talk about the realities of working from home as a blind parent, balancing family life with a career, and why digital accessibility testing has become such a valuable employment path for blind and visually impaired people. Ellie breaks down what the CAT program actually teaches, the skills you need going in, and how the guaranteed job placement side of the program changes things for people trying to get their foot in the door.
There's also a lot of honest conversation about confidence, learning assistive tech at a high level, and the importance of finding work that gives you flexibility without sacrificing meaningful income.
If you've ever wondered what opportunities exist in accessibility, how remote work can fit into parenting, or what it looks like to completely rebuild after life knocks everything sideways, this one is going to stay with you.
And if you're heading to NFB National Convention in Austin, come find both Babies Down, Bottles Up and AccessAbility Officer. We're excited for what's coming next.
Get your hands on the Blind Parenting Guide and Toolkit Bundle: https://bdbushop.com
Find AccessAbility Officer
Website: https://accessabilityofficer.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551205125629
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@accessabilityofficer
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/accessabilityofficer
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/accessabilityofficer/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@AccessAbilityOfficer
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This one is one every parent needs to hear, even if you wish you didn’t.
We’re joined by Qudsiya Naqui, law professor, host of Down to the Struts, and a blind mom who breaks down what actually happens when parenting and the legal system collide. She gets into how disability is still being used against parents across the country, and why so many families are put in positions they never saw coming. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}
We talk through the reality of CPS involvement, how easily situations can escalate, and what blind parents are up against on a daily basis. From understanding your state laws to building a support system, keeping documentation, and knowing your rights, this conversation is packed with information you hope you never need, but should have anyway.
Qudsiya also points to key research and resources that help make sense of all this, including Legal Ableism: A Systematic Review of State Termination of Parental Rights Laws and Disabling Families, which break down how these systems impact disabled families across the country.
Outside of the law, we get a glimpse into her personal life too, from meeting her husband on a dating app right before the world shut down, to building a family and raising her daughter while navigating a career in law.
If you're a disabled parent, thinking about starting a family, or trying to understand what your rights actually look like, take this one in.
Find Qudsiya and Down to the Struts
Down to the Struts
Getting Down to It Newsletter
LinkedIn
Instagram
Resources Mentioned
Legal Ableism: A Systematic Review of State Termination of Parental Rights Laws
Disabling Families
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We’re collaborating with Down to the Struts and featuring one of their episodes right here on Babies Down, Bottles Up.
In this crossover, Qudsiya is joined by NASA’s Denna Lambert for a conversation about the work she’s doing to push diversity, equity, inclusion, and access forward in space innovation and exploration. Denna shares her experience as part of the second disabled cohort to experience zero gravity and what that means for accessibility here on Earth.
She also talks about life as a single mom raising her four-year-old son, Kaleb, and how balancing motherhood with a career in a high-level space can feel like being in orbit some days.
Denna Lambert is a collaborator and advocate for inclusive innovation, with a focus on expanding access within space technology. Her work supports small businesses, underrepresented communities, and those looking to engage in NASA’s tech pipeline, all while building meaningful connections and opportunities in her community.
Find the full transcript here: Down to the Struts Transcript
Listen to Down to the Struts with Qudsiya here: Down to the Struts
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