The Let’s Make Happiness Accessible™ Podcast—a space where we talk about what it truly means to make happiness accessible for the disability community. These are real stories and ideas from disabled individuals, their families, and friends who’ve found creative ways to turn happiness into more than an accommodation—it’s emotional health. I’m Rob Cookenour, deaf with a Cochlear Implant and the creator of the Let’s Make Happiness Accessible™ movement. In each episode, I’ll share small joys I’v ...
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Rob Cookenour Podcasts
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S1E6 — My Lunar Empath Awakening — lunar-geared creativity and empathic flow
9:50
9:50
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9:50
In this special bonus episode of Let’s Make Happiness Accessible™, I sit in a rocking chair outside Lowe’s and reflect on a lifelong pattern I never fully understood—until now. I share how discovering my lunar-geared creativity and empathic flow gave me permission to stop forcing productivity in the sunlight and start honoring how I’m wired. This e…
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S1E5 – Smiling and Nodding: A Streaming During Convo Moment.
2:53
2:53
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2:53
Ever had one of those deaf moments where technology made things worse? In this short episode, I share a funny real-life story that happened at a pizza buffet. I had my cochlear implant and hearing aid set to "streaming focus" mode, enjoying some 80s music while eating alone. But when a staff member started talking to me, I realized too late I could…
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S1E4 -- Cochlear Implant Monitor Earphone Adaptor Allows Others To Hear What Your Processor Hears
11:08
11:08
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11:08
Welcome back to the Let’s Make Happiness Accessible™ podcast. I’m your host, Step-Deaf, and in this episode, I’m talking about a smart little device that often gets overlooked—the Cochlear Monitor Earphone Adaptor with Earphones, item number Z544578. This tool allows you or a caregiver to hear what your cochlear processor is picking up, directly th…
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S1E3 — We Want More Than Access: The Emotional Side of Disability
7:56
7:56
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7:56
If you’re disabled, you know what it feels like to be seen only for what you need—not for what you feel. Yes, ramps matter. Captions matter. Accommodations matter. But what about joy? What about belonging? What about the emotional kind of happiness that doesn’t come from a checklist—but from simply being seen and valued? I wasn’t born deaf. I lost …
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S1E2 — Deaf and Death: The Two Blows That Changed Everything
13:17
13:17
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13:17
In this deeply personal episode, I share the two life-altering events that collided within two years — the sudden loss of my hearing in 2021, and the death of my daughter, Stephanie, in early 2023. I open up about the chaos of going deaf, the emotional and financial toll, and the silence that settled over my world just as I was beginning to navigat…
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S1E1 — I Woke Up Deaf: My Life Changed Overnight After the COVID Shot
10:02
10:02
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10:02
What would you do if you woke up one morning and the world had gone silent? In this gripping first episode of Let’s Make Happiness Accessible™ Podcast, I share the raw, unfiltered story of the day I lost my hearing — just days after receiving the Pfizer COVID vaccine. From confusion to crisis, from holding out my phone for voice-to-text conversatio…
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