Rolling With It: How Cheri Hardman Uses Comedy to Challenge Disability Stigmas

Comedian Cheri Hardman returns to the Own Your Awkward Podcast to share an honest, hilarious, and deeply human conversation about comedy, disability, and learning to take up space in a world not always built for you. From navigating life in a mobility scooter to challenging audience assumptions on stage, Cheri brings humor and heart to what it really means to own your awkward. This episode is equal parts laughter, insight, and a powerful reminder that accessibility, self-worth, and belonging go hand in hand.

Cheri is the first returning guest in the history of the podcast, and for good reason. Her story hits right at the core of what Own Your Awkward is about, embracing what makes you different and turning it into your superpower, even when the world seems determined to make that harder than it needs to be.

Comedy From a Different Seat

Cheri performs stand-up comedy from a mobility scooter, something that immediately challenges audience expectations before she even says a word. As she puts it:

“I’ve got a big surprise for you if you think whatever your assumptions are about me sitting here.”

That surprise is intentional. Cheri made a conscious decision to stop hiding her scooter or trying to “blend in” and instead made it part of her presence on stage. The result is a shift in power. Rather than allowing people’s preconceived notions to control the narrative, she flips the script and invites the audience into her world on her terms.

Comedy becomes not just entertainment, but a tool for awareness, connection, and subtle education. When people laugh, they are more open. And when they are open, real perspective shifts can happen.

Navigating a World Not Built for You

One of the most eye-opening parts of this episode is Cheri’s stories about navigating everyday life in a mobility scooter, especially while traveling for comedy. From waiting three hours for an accessible cab to being stranded overnight in Las Vegas because transportation simply was not prepared for her needs, Cheri paints a clear picture of how exhausting it can be just to move through the world.

Andy shares how spending time with Cheri has dramatically increased his awareness of accessibility issues he never noticed before, crowded sidewalks, doors that open the wrong way, bathrooms that technically exist but are practically unusable.

And that is a huge part of Cheri’s message: accessibility is not just about checking a box.

Accessibility Is More Than a Ramp

Many businesses think accessibility starts and ends with a ramp at the entrance. Cheri challenges that mindset.

True accessibility, she explains, asks better questions:
Can I get in?
Can I get out?
Can I use the bathroom with dignity?
Can I sit comfortably and be seen as a guest, not a burden?

She even suggests a simple but powerful exercise for business owners and venue managers: try navigating your own space in a wheelchair or scooter. You will find obstacles you never noticed before.

When Advocacy Becomes Personal

Cheri also shares moments that are equal parts frustrating and heartbreaking. Being asked to park her scooter outside restaurants in Las Vegas. Watching staff openly annoyed by her presence at venues. Being treated as an inconvenience rather than a customer or performer.

Yet through all of this, Cheri does not speak from bitterness. She speaks from clarity. From a place of knowing that these moments say more about the system than about her.

One of the most powerful moments in the episode is when Cheri talks about something incredibly simple that became deeply emotional: eating alone in public.

The Courage to Take Up Space

For Cheri, a major personal goal was overcoming the fear of going into restaurants alone while using her scooter. Not because she did not love food or independence, but because she did not want to feel like an “intruder” in public spaces.

That word, intruder, hits hard.

So many people, not only those with disabilities, shrink themselves in public because they feel like they do not quite belong. They minimize needs. They avoid attention. They deny themselves basic experiences.

Cheri’s breakthrough came with a powerful realization:

“I’m a celebrity, I’m a person, I have value, I’m gonna go to the bathroom.”

It is funny. It is bold. And it is deeply true.

Comedy as a Tool for Changing Minds

Cheri’s presence on stage challenges assumptions instantly. She does not need to lecture. Her very existence as a funny, confident, sharp comedian in a scooter forces audiences to confront unconscious bias.

She describes the joy of surprising people who walked in with a narrow idea of who she might be. By the end of her set, they are not just laughing, they are rethinking.

And that is what makes her work so powerful. Comedy becomes a gateway to empathy.

What Venues and Businesses Need to Understand

Cheri offers incredibly practical advice for venues, event planners, and business owners who genuinely want to do better.

Accessibility starts with planning, not reacting at the door.
Staff should be trained to ask how to help, not assume or avoid.
Visibility matters, performers in mobility devices should be fully seen on camera and on stage.
Effort matters, even temporary solutions show care and respect.

The mindset shift is this: accessibility is not about compliance, it is about hospitality.

Owning Your Awkward One Small Action at a Time

Near the end of the episode, Cheri offers advice that applies far beyond disability or comedy:

Face one small fear.

Not all of them. Not the biggest one. Just one.

Because every small moment of courage builds self-worth. And self-worth is the foundation of everything else.

This is where Cheri’s story beautifully aligns with the Own Your Awkward philosophy. You do not wait until you feel confident to show up. You show up awkwardly, imperfectly, honestly, and confidence follows.

Why This Conversation Matters

This episode is not just about disability or comedy. It is about visibility. About who feels welcome in public spaces. About who gets to take up room without apology.

It is also about humor as a bridge, not a shield.

Cheri Hardman reminds us that awkwardness is not something to hide. It is often the doorway to deeper connection, stronger identity, and more inclusive communities.

And sometimes, it comes with wheels.