Podcast category: Advocacy & Community

What happens when hope turns into harm?
In this powerful episode, host Ann Thomas sits down with Sushama Nagarkar – psychologist, parent, and founder of Yash Charitable Trust. Together, they unpack the recent landmark Indian Supreme Court judgment that banned the commercial use of stem cell therapy for autism in India.

💛 About the guest:
Sushma Nagarkar is a school psychologist, special educator, and founder of Yash Charitable Trust. With decades of experience and lived insight as a parent, her work focuses on dignity, inclusion, and evidence-based practices for neurodivergent individuals.

⚖️ Why this matters:
In 2022, Sushama led a Public Interest Litigation challenging the promotion of stem cell therapy as an autism “cure.”
In January 2026, it led to a landmark Supreme Court judgment banning its commercial use in India.

But this isn’t just a legal story.
It’s about parents, desperation, misinformation and the courage to ask: Are we helping, or hurting?

India’s Trans Bill 2026 is a step backwards and in this episode, we discuss why that is the case.

We break down the newly introduced amendment to the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act with educator and parent Meghna Kulkarni, who has two neurodivergent, trans, non-binary children, Shreesh and Rit. Meghna explains how society’s binary view of gender shapes misunderstanding, clarifies differences between sex, gender, and sexuality, and shares her family’s unlearning journey supported by Sweekar the Rainbow Parents and related workshops.

She outlines landmark legal moments including the 2014 NALSA judgment and the 2019 Act’s key provision of self-identification without medical intervention, then argues the new amendment removes self-identification, narrows recognition to specific communities, excludes trans men, trans women, and non-binary people, and could criminalize caregivers and allies while reintroducing medical board examinations.

The episode ends with a call to learn, respect differences, and practice compassion, plus information on support resources.

In this episode of Just Your Normal Missfit, host Ann Thomas sits down with Pooja Sharma, a neurodivergent adult and founder of the Sarvodya Collective. They discuss Pooja’s personal journey of growing up with a sibling with an intellectual disability, discovering her own neurodivergent identity, and her mission to promote neuro-inclusion through her ongoing campaign, Inclusive Duniya. The conversation dives deep into the importance of empathy, identity, and the role of ordinary people in fostering an inclusive society. 💛

Discover the importance of allyship, the challenges of advocacy, and the small actions that can lead to big changes in creating a world where everyone feels seen, supported, and safe. 👇