MORGAN: How Two Sisters Are Redefining Dating for the Disability Community

Summary

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Podcast Summary

The Bobby Bones Show: "MORGAN: How Two Sisters Are Redefining Dating for the Disability Community"

Date: October 19, 2025
Guests: Jaclyn Child & Alexa Child, Founders of Dateability
Host: Morgan & guest interviewer

Episode Overview

This episode spotlights Jaclyn and Alexa Child, sisters and co-founders of Dateability—a groundbreaking dating app designed to create an equitable, inclusive space for the disability and chronic illness community. Through candid conversation, the sisters share their personal journeys, motivations behind the app, the challenges faced in both dating and entrepreneurship, and their vision for fostering acceptance, belonging, and community.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Personal Inspiration for Dateability

[03:39] Jaclyn shares her story:

• Became disabled at age 14 due to chronic illness.
• Dating was fraught with rejection, discomfort, and difficulty disclosing her disability.
• Support groups or clinical settings felt unwelcoming as social spaces.
• Sought to create a safe, equitable place for others like her.

"I couldn't believe that there wasn't a place to meet people like me... We really wanted to create a place where people could meet others and connect and just really make dating an equitable experience for our community."
— Jaclyn Child [03:39]

2. Experiences with Stigma and Disclosure

[04:49] Jaclyn's dating realities:

• Having an invisible disability led to complex questions about when and how to disclose.
• Both honesty and casual disclosure often resulted in rejection.
• Familial prejudices affected relationships.

"...when he told his mom that I was disabled, she was not accepting, and she convinced him to break up with me..."
— Jaclyn Child [05:10]

[06:24] Emotional toll:

• Loss of self-esteem, feelings of being “put in a box,” and a period of deep withdrawal.
• Finding curiosity and purpose again, propelled by the pandemic.

3. Sisterly Support & Co-Founding the App

[07:10] Alexa's perspective:

• No personal disability, but close as Jaclyn’s older sister and protector.
• Noticed just how vastly different dating experiences were for Jaclyn.
• Pandemic job loss coincided with Jaclyn’s major surgery, leading to the app idea.

"We can either create or solve problems, and I'm the latter. And so that's what we did... We planned it when she was in the hospital recovering from her feeding tube surgery."
— Alexa Child [08:29]

[09:00] How they got started:

• Literally began with a Google search on how to create an app.
• Saw it as a needed solution and a distraction during recovery.

"It gave me this sense of purpose. And, you know, we really didn't know what we were getting into, but that was the start."
— Jaclyn Child [09:16]

4. Shifting Mindsets: Self-Worth and Dating Standards

[09:45] Jaclyn's transformation:

• Now dates on her own terms; self-worth is central.

"Because now, I'm...single by choice, and I'm dating on my terms...I can be picky. And that's really important to me. And it's important for the community to have standards and to really just realize that they deserve the love that everyone else is looking for too."
— Jaclyn Child [09:45]

[11:23] Challenging societal pressures:

• Alexa highlights the pressure for women to settle in relationships.
• Both push back against the narrative that having a disability means you must compromise.

"I decided that, like, I am not gonna settle for anything that I deem less than."
— Jaclyn Child [12:04]

5. What Makes Dateability Unique

[15:14] App philosophy & mechanics:

• Open to everyone, with a light vetting process to deter scammers, not exclusive to the disabled community.
• Dedicated section for users to disclose disabilities/conditions (“Dateability Deets”)—intended to normalize, not medicalize, this aspect of identity.

"We wanted to solve that problem...with disclosure and how to tell and when to tell someone about your chronic illnesses. So we created the Dateability Deets section...We want it to be just a part of who you are and not necessarily like a medical chart."
— Jaclyn Child [16:29]

• Empathy, sensitivity, and a smaller, more intentional community compared to mainstream apps like Hinge or Bumble.

[18:38] The community feel:

• The app mirrors how people met in the past: smaller, more meaningful circles.
• Alexa draws parallels to overwhelming options on other apps ("like walking into a Forever 21"), whereas Dateability feels more intentional and less overwhelming.

6. Supporting Each Other & Communication

[23:17] Alexa on allyship and support:

• Open communication is key; letting Jaclyn set her own boundaries.
• Encourages people not to assume, but to ask politely and communicate needs.
• Importance of recognizing that people can have fun and adapt, even with limitations.

"Communication, whether it’s your friend or your sibling, is, I think, definitely the best. And the key part to a relationship that's healthy..."
— Alexa Child [24:06]

[25:25] Jaclyn on the joy of life:

• Disabled people are often judged for enjoying themselves ("if you're so sick, you shouldn't be doing that"), but adaptability and fulfillment are possible.

7. Community Events & Bridging Social Gaps

[28:42] Hosting accessible events:

• The sisters organize social events like bar crawls, which visibly challenge stereotypes about disabled people.

"Watching other people's faces at the bar look at, you know, this group of like 20 wheelchair users...it's pretty incredible...Seeing that disabled people party can make people uncomfortable. And I'm like, I truly do not understand...it's just so, so short sighted."
— Alexa & Jaclyn Child [28:42]

8. Working as Sisters: Challenges and Growth

[31:27] Navigating sibling & business dynamics:

• They've had plenty of arguments—normal for siblings, especially living and working together.
• Learning to communicate, make up quickly, and appreciate the strengths each brings.

"We always get through it pretty quickly. A simple sorry fixes things."
— Jaclyn Child [32:30]

• Complementary approaches: Alexa dreams big; Jaclyn excels at executing plans and logistics.

9. Impact, Growth, and Future Plans

[36:10] Jaclyn's first professional experience:

• After years as a "professional patient" with chronic illness, working on Dateability provided renewed purpose and self-worth.
• Addresses the societal misconception that disabled people cannot be “dependable” employees.

[38:57] Vision for the future:

• Aspires to hire and empower more disabled/chronic illness community members as the app grows.

"We really want to contribute to the disabled workforce, and we know that people with disabilities are less likely to be hired, and there's still some really nasty policies out there that allow disabled people to earn less than minimum wage, and we just want to change that..."
— Jaclyn Child [38:57]

• Making Dateability as recognizable as Tinder or Bumble in pop culture.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "If you set the bar low, you’re most likely gonna be pleasantly surprised, or at least you won’t be disappointed."
  — Alexa Child [09:29]

• "Chronically ill people have a lot of fun. And there is that paradox of, like, well, if you're so sick...you shouldn't be doing that...but it couldn't be further from the truth."
  — Jaclyn Child [25:25]

• "Choose your own joy. There is joy in everything and it's out there."
  — Jaclyn Child [41:28]

• “I want to let everyone know... we created Dateability and it's working. We...have several success stories. Our first Dateability wedding is in February 2026.”
  — Alexa Child [41:46]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:39 — Jaclyn's personal journey and inspiration for the app
• 07:10 — Alexa’s perspective as a sibling, support system, and co-founder
• 09:00 — How Dateability was conceived and built from scratch
• 11:23 — On rejecting the societal pressure to settle in relationships
• 15:14 — What sets Dateability apart from other dating apps
• 23:17 — Advice on supporting loved ones with disabilities
• 28:42 — Reflections on hosting community events and challenging stereotypes
• 31:27 — Navigating family dynamics and business tensions as sisters
• 36:10 — Jaclyn’s return to work and sense of purpose
• 38:57 — Hiring plans and future impact for Dateability
• 41:28 — Parting advice: joy, perspective, and sharing app successes

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Tone and Style

The episode is warm, candid, supportive, and often humorous, blending personal vulnerability with determined optimism. Both sisters use relatable, conversational language, and the host creates an empathetic, positive environment.

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Final Thoughts

This episode educates listeners on the challenges faced by disabled and chronically ill individuals in dating, highlights the disparities in mainstream dating platforms, and celebrates proactive solutions rooted in empathy and lived experience. Through Dateability, Jaclyn and Alexa aim not just to change dating, but to foster greater societal understanding and belonging.

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Transcript

[Jacqueline Child]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Kalpen (Cal Penn)]

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[Alexa Child]

Uh, Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us?

[Liberty Mutual Narrator]

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[Alexa Child]

Take this personally with Morgan.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

I know some of you may be.

[Morgan (Podcast Host)]

Bummed that the Boyfriend birthday series is over, and I'm not saying the boyfriend won't be back another time or two.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

But we got to get back to.

[Morgan (Podcast Host)]

Some regularly scheduled programming. This series kind of came out of nowhere. I wasn't exactly sure how I was going to place these, but it ended up being so perfect. So for this episode and for next, I have two groups of sisters. One group of sisters created an app that's changing the way people date, especially especially in the chronic illness and disability community. And the other group of sisters is changing the world with human trafficking survivors and helping them get back on their feet. So both of these two sets of sisters have done incredible things. This week you're going to hear From Jaclyn and Alexa Child. They founded the app Datability, and it's something that I think everybody can get on board with. Not even if you're in the dating space anymore, but maybe you know somebody who is. I think this app will be a great foundation for a whole lot of people. So without further ado, let's get into this interview.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Sisters Jaclyn and Alexa Child are joining me this week, and I'm really excited because they've created something so awesome. So first of all, Jacqueline, Alexa, thank you guys for joining me.

[Jacqueline Child]

Thank you so much for having us. I'm really excited.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

I can't wait to hear this whole story. So you guys created an app called Dateability, and I don't even want to say anything without you guys just sharing your story in this app and what it is. So let's start there. Tell everyone how this even got created, who you guys are, all that good stuff.

[Jacqueline Child]

So Dateability is the only dating app for disabled and chronically ill people. And it came about because of my personal experiences dating as a disabled woman. And so I became disabled due to chronic illnesses when I was 14. And once I entered adulthood and started using the dating apps, I found that dating with a disability is really hard and intimidating and negative, just overall toxic. And I couldn't believe that there wasn't a place to meet people like me. Like, the only places that felt like you could meet other chronically ill or disabled people was like support groups or like clinical settings. And that just wasn't my vibe. And so we really wanted to create a place where people could meet others and connect and just really make dating an equitable experience for our community.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Wow. Yeah. And talk about something that's going from your own personal experience and then trying to create a better situation, not just for you, but for others. So you have this experience. What was that like for you when you were dating and you were going out and you did have a disability? What was that experience like for you? It was.

[Jacqueline Child]

It was tricky because I have invisible disabilities. I mean, I. I appear totally non disabled on the outside. If I'm fully clothed and just walking down the street, someone would never know I was disabled. So I had sort of the blessing and the curse where I could hide it. But then like, what does that mean for when it is time to disclose? And how would I do that? How much would I tell? And so sometimes I would just really, like nonchalantly mention it, and it almost always backfired and the person would end up rejecting me. Sometimes I would be Totally honest, and really tell them, you know, I've undergone over 40 surgeries, and this is my reality. And that would also result in rejection. And, you know, there were. I did start dating one guy, and he seemed to be pretty accepting. And then when he told his mom that I was disabled, she was not accepting, and she convinced him to break up with me and end it because she said she didn't want her son to have to live a miserable life dating someone with medical conditions.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

And I imagine the turmoil that you went through emotionally because of that. Just, you have been the one who's had this lived experience. You're the person who's been in the entire situation the whole time. You know what it entails. And, you know, you didn't need people to tell you, but I can imagine that that emotional toll that that took on you, that every time you had to keep reliving it was also hard.

[Jacqueline Child]

Absolutely. And it really affected my self esteem. I just became this, like, shell of a person. I didn't want to be curious or explore my surroundings. I was like, I, like, people put me in the box of being a disabled person, and that's where I'm gonna stay. And that's really, like, all I should be known for. And it was really hard. And it. It took a couple years and it actually really kind of took the pandemic to get me out of. Out of that rut and just sort of explore and be. Be more curious about what life looks like living with a disability.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah, absolutely. Now, Alexa, where do you come into the picture, into this? From what I've read, you do not have a disability. But what's your role in all of this?

[Alexa Child]

Yeah, I do not. I don't have a disability or a chronic illness, but I'm Jacqueline's older sister. I'm older by four years. And. And so I'm very protective and always have been. And I think that that protectiveness, you know, increased when she got sick and had. I saw her going through struggles that I had never witnessed before, you know, with friends or other family members. We lived together. When she. After she graduated college, she moved in with me in Denver, and that's when she started dating and getting told these things and going through these experiences, and they were completely opposite from my dating experiences. Dating does suck across the board, and it's hard, but I never had to worry about the things that she was worrying about, you know, whether I would be discriminated against because of a diagnosis or if I would even make it to the first date based on Talking to me on the apps. And so it really. It was sad to watch her go through this and to change and to, you know, feel less than. And then to see her date guys who liked her that were so out of her. She was way out of their league. They were out of yearly too, but they did not deserve her at all. Not worthy. It bugged me. And then the pandemic hit, and I ended up losing my job due to Covid related budget cuts, and Jacqueline was getting a feeding tube. And it made me panic a little bit about what her social life and specialty dating would look like after that. And that's when I said, like, let's make this space that you've been looking for ourselves. No one else is going to do it, clearly. And so let's just do it. I'm a lawyer, so I. We can either create or solve problems, and I'm the latter. And most of the time. And so we. That's what we did. And we planned it. When she was in the hospital recovering from her feeding tube surgery.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Wow, okay, so you are in the hospital. You just had your feeding tube surgery. You're thinking about, okay, what this lifestyle change is doing. But also at the same time, you guys were like, how do we create an app to help other people?

[Jacqueline Child]

Yeah, I mean, that's pretty much it. We googled how to create an app.

[Alexa Child]

I literally googled, how do you build an app? Because I'm technologically challenged. Less so now, but never. I mean, none of us have a technical background, so that was out of our wheelhouse.

[Jacqueline Child]

Yeah, it was a really good distraction for recovery, and it gave me something to look forward to. It gave me this sense of purpose. And, you know, we. We really didn't know what we were getting into, but that was the start.

[Alexa Child]

That's the best. Low expectations. You know, if you set the bar low, you're most likely gonna be pleasantly surprised, or at least you won't be disappointed.

[Jacqueline Child]

Yeah.

[Alexa Child]

And that's where we, you know, that's where we found ourselves. This has taken off way more than we expected.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

So then, were you the first user on the app? Also?

[Jacqueline Child]

It's really funny. I mean, technically, yes, but it's. Throughout all of this, I've learned that, you know, like, creating a business is very time consuming, and it doesn't leave that much time for dating. Um, and so I haven't been able to use it as much as I wanted. But it does feel different, like, dating. Because now, I'm sorry, single by choice, and I'm dating on my Terms. And before, like Alexis said, like, I would, I would date anyone who wanted to date me. My standards were very low. And now I feel like I, I can be picky. And that's really important to me. And it's important for the community to have standards and to really just realize that they deserve the love that everyone else is looking for too.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Well, and across the board in dating in general, it's easy for us to be convinced that our standards need to be lowered due to the environment that's out there. And what we see on social media, people are like, lower your standards, you have too high of expectations, or, well, that's normal. I remember when I was sitting in my therapist's office one time and I had been cheated on in pretty much every relationship I was in. I was like, so what I'm feeling is that I'm just going to have to be cheated on. Right. Like, that's. I just have to accept that as part of my life. And she kept repeating to me, no, but that was my mentality.

[Alexa Child]

Right.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

And I think it's really sad in general in the dating space that we've created this environment where you should expect to have lower standards. And it's okay to have lower standards when the reality is exactly what you're saying, Jacqueline is, especially with someone who's dealing with a disability or a chronic illness, that the exception is what we should strive for, not the latter.

[Jacqueline Child]

Yeah. And people would always tell me, like, it would take someone really special to like, to. To date me. Basically. That was. It was like very weird thing to wrap my head around. I was like, I guess shouldn't take anyone super, like, that really special to date me. But I also get it because, like, it. We are weeding out people who will discriminate against you. But I mean, everyone deserves someone really special. I think that, I mean, seeing all my friends get married, like some people, they settle and it's really sad to see. And I decided that, like, I am not gonna settle for anything that I deem less than.

[Alexa Child]

I mean, aside. I'm 35 and so most of my friends are married or getting married or in long term partnerships. And there's this societal pressure for me to settle down. And I'm single and, you know, working multiple jobs and I just don't really have an interest right now. And I know that person will be very special when they come along because it'll finally be like, good enough for me and like, it'll fall right into place and it won't be hard. But I. That There is this societal pressure for women, even now, even in 2025, to get married. And then if you're still single, there's something, like, inherently wrong with you, and that's not true. So I could relate to that. But at the same time, being like, no, stop dating these duds, and you need to date somebody in your league who is worthy of you, who is special, but not special because, like, you're so difficult to deal with. They're just special because they're good enough for you.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Exactly. And you do deserve that. And anybody who's dealing with someone like they're their perfect match is out there. And to convince these, this, especially this group of people that they aren't and that you should settle is mind boggling to me. I will never understand that. I think everyone is deserving of love, and a special love at that. So I love that you guys have created this space.

[Ed Helms]

Hey, everyone. Ed Helms here.

[Kalpen (Cal Penn)]

And hi, I'm Cal Penn, and we're the hosts of Irsay, The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.

[Ed Helms]

This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Jenny Garth, host of the iHeart podcast. I choose me to discuss the new Audible adaptation of the timeless Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice. This is not a trick question. There's no wrong answer. What role would I play?

[Alexa Child]

You know what?

[Jacqueline Child]

I can see you as Mr. Darcy.

[Alexa Child]

You got a little Colin Firth.

[Ed Helms]

Okay, that's really sweet. I appreciate that. But are you sure I'm not the dad? I'm not Mr. Bennett. Here, listen to Earsay the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club on the iHeartradio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

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[Alexa Child]

Uh, limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us?

[Liberty Mutual Narrator]

Cut the camera. They see us.

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[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Now, what makes the space on dateability? Like, is there certain qualifications? Is there questions that ask what makes it different from a bumble or a hinge? What are the differences in those apps?

[Alexa Child]

We had that question when we first started building, right? Like, do we limit it to just disabled and chronically ill people? And then if so, how do we verify that? That's one taking like really personal information, health data, and from like a legal perspective, that made me nervous. And then also I think that there's so much gray area in disability and chronic illness that, you know, there's some people who are like, I don't know, you know, if I'm considered disabled, can I join? So we just allow everyone to, whether they're disabled or not, you know, do a minor vetting process of every user to make sure that they're not predatory or they're not scammers and everyone is who they say they are. The non disabled users we have are about 7 to 10% of our user base. And their allies, people with siblings who are disabled or their work, you know, they work with the disabled community. But yeah, I mean, I think it's. We really, we started that question, like, that's the first question we answered. We just wanted it to be open to everyone. The other apps can be so toxic and superficial. So if you're not feeling the other apps, you can join Dateability. And that's exactly what we wanted.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah.

[Jacqueline Child]

And we wanted to solve that problem that I had with disclosure and how to tell and when to tell someone about your chronic illnesses. And so obviously, like, if someone is joining Dateability, they expect that our community is going to have or be accepting of disabilities. But we wanted to make it so that our users can present their chronic illness or disability in a really natural and neutral way. And so we created the datability deets section and it's just like a vague list that people can add to their profile, like their political affiliation or their education level. And we want it to be just a part of who you are and not necessarily like a medical chart, but just. Yeah, just an extension of, of who you are and what your life looks like.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah. So like when you select I have a dog and also I'm a female, this is what I'm looking for. I also have this chronic illness. So it's like a statement rather than I feel like I have to disclose this information.

[Jacqueline Child]

Yeah, exactly. People have really said that, that it's like takes all of the anxiety out of disclosing because it's just there and you can put it on your profile and sort of forget about it. And you know, if it, if more details come up down the road when you're matched, when you've matched with someone, you can disclose more, but it's just like out there and you know that it's up to the other users.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

I love that so much. And that's so cool to know that there's an app out there in general too, because the apps can be very difficult. In dating, I've seen very many stages of it all, and I've been on pretty much every app that existed before I got into my relationship. And it's cool to know that there's more of a, I would say, empathetic app in a way that you're just. It's more sensitive, more understanding, more open minded, and it's cool to know that that exists. And I think that's a space that a lot of people outside of even the disability chronic illness community will love to know about, because it is. Dating's hard. And when you have at least a multitude of options, at least you can try different things. And maybe you're looking for. For the wrong type of people on one app and maybe with dateability you can find a different type of people.

[Alexa Child]

Exactly. And you know, we, right now, obviously we're a smaller community that compared to the other apps and we'll always technically be a smaller community. Even though one in four people have some sort of disability in the United States and it's the world's largest minority, like it will be. It's still a minority. Right. But I think from my experiences on like the hinges and the bumbles when I would log on, there were so many options. And I'm not really like a grass is greener type of person and. But I know people are. And so I know that that like, you know, makes the apps toxic and difficult to navigate. But it still seems so daunting and overwhelming. Like, it just felt like I was. There were just so many options. Like too many ice cream flavors.

[Jacqueline Child]

Yeah, it's. Yeah, I compare it like walking into a Forever 21.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

That's exactly what I was gonna say.

[Jacqueline Child]

Like, it's overwhelming. Like, you could look, you could go around the store.

[Alexa Child]

Most of it's cheap.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

I know exactly that feeling.

[Jacqueline Child]

There's too much.

[Alexa Child]

Yeah, I agree. It is like that. Like walking through, like, I don't know, goodwill stresses me out for reasons because it's like there's just too Many things. And I think that making, you know, I look at my parents and my grandparents and the way they met and they married for decades, and our parents are still married. Smaller community was how people met back in the day before the Internet. And so we're trying to recreate that, but make it accessible by, you know, providing this app.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Isn't that so funny when we look at that? I mean, obviously apps in general didn't exist, and a lot more people met in person. But isn't it wild to think about that back in the day? Oh, no, I'm gonna sound like that person. But back in the day, people were meeting just by way of knowing somebody, and they got connected in a certain way, and now we have this existence where we're like, dang, we have to keep creating apps because nobody wants to talk to each other.

[Alexa Child]

Yeah.

[Jacqueline Child]

I mean, I think about, like, our grandparents met at a dance, and if.

[Alexa Child]

They were in and not like, a.

[Jacqueline Child]

School dance, like, they were in, like, their early 20s.

[Alexa Child]

Yeah.

[Jacqueline Child]

I don't know, like, whatever the dances they had in the 50s, and. And like, if they hadn't been at that place, like, they would have never met. They would have never crossed paths again. And it is. That's just so wild. And. Yeah. Now, like, I mean, I'm terrified of speaking to people, like, going up to people and just who I don't know, and strangers. And that's just how it all used to be. And I wish I could be a little more confident in that and meet people online or offline, but online is. Is accessible and it's convenient, and I can do it for my pajamas on my couch.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Well, and that's what I was going to ask, too, because I'm, you know, it's. It's hard in general for people to want to talk in person. IRL is like this, you know, fantasy. We think that we'll talk and connect with people, and it's just really difficult, especially today, for some reasons. But is there an added layer of that for you with having the disability where you just are even a little bit more shy and don't want to put yourself in those positions as much?

[Jacqueline Child]

Yeah, I think it comes down to, like, both from, like, a physical standpoint. Like, if I am in a. In a flare and I'm really tired and I'm, you know, my body is really hurting and I'm at home, like, that obviously still gives me the opportunity to connect with people, and that's something I'm really grateful for. And definitely, like, when I go out, like, Yeah, I mean, having a disability can really affect your confidence in your body image and just like your self esteem. And so it does put that added pressure on to, to try to meet someone. And it's, and it's just like having to. Waiting for the other shoe to drop sort of is like when you're, when you meet someone. Yeah.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

It feels a little bit better when it's just all out there and you don't have to quite as have that conversation.

[Jacqueline Child]

Definitely. Ye.

[Alexa Child]

Yeah. Maybe one day we'll walk around with like hologram dating profiles like on our chest and then we'll have you dateability to use.

[Jacqueline Child]

Yeah, I mean, I always say like, I, I really would like to order my partner on Amazon and I guess a dating app is the closest thing.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

That you'll get it very much is it's that joke that you often see in comment sections where somebody's like, did you order that off Amazon? Where do I find one? Yes, very much so. Now, Alexa, for you, I'm so curious this side of it where you did have the mama bear instinct where you were protective over her and you were wanting to make things better for her and didn't know how this is a new avenue for you guys to do that. But what is that like supporting someone going through that? Because I know there's a lot of people out there who are also in your shoes and trying to support, whether it's a loved one, a friend. However, maybe you have some insight to share that's from that perspective that people might want to hear or need to hear.

[Alexa Child]

Definitely. And I, you know, I will say Jacqueline didn't become disabled until she was 14. And so growing up, it wasn't like there's this thing called the glass child syndrome. And it's the child that's not disabled often gets ignored. And there were phases, you know, in life like that. But I was an adult and I was in college and I, I flew the coop and went across the country for school. And so it didn't really. It definitely changed. I think the way I view Jacqueline's disability and our, my relationship with her. I think communicating is, you know, I don't know what Jacqueline's feeling all the time. Even though I spend every day with her. We live. But if we're on a walk with our dog, I will tell her, listen, you tell me when you want to turn back because I'm not disabled. I can walk for miles. But, you know, as I let her, you know, I don't want her to feel uncomfortable and I don't think you ever feel uncomfortable telling me, okay, it's time now, or making sure that she knows she's up for it. If you're not up for it, like, I can, you know, take another friend. It's totally fine. And I think that that's really important is asking questions. I think nowadays people are afraid to ask questions because they're afraid of offending somebody. I think things are really touchy. Things are really tense. And I get it because, you know, I don't ever want to offend anybody. But you're never going to know if you don't ask the question and you're assuming is, like, the worst thing you can do. And so there's a way to ask politely. And if the person gets offended, you can explain that you didn't mean it like that, that you, you know, you just want to know and understand. And so communication, whether it's your friend or your sibling, is, I think, definitely the best. And the key part to, you know, a relationship that's healthy and fun and then remembering that people can have fun. You know, I think that we're in Colorado, so people want to ski all the time, right? And so they don't like Jacqueline because she can't ski every weekend. But I'm not disabled, and I love skiing, but I don't ski every weekend. And, like, also, why do we have to do all the same things all the time, right? You know, maybe I love to hike. Jacqueline can't hike, so I hike. That's when I see my friends or when I go and get some alone time. And so I, you know, I think that there's other ways, and there's other ways we do have fun. And I think people forget that. And so just realize that you can, like, work around people's limitations, and communication helps finding that workaround.

[Jacqueline Child]

And I think that you brought up a really good point, is that, like, chronically ill people have a lot of fun. And there is that paradox of, like, well, if you're so sick and you shouldn't be doing that, and you should be at home all the time. And there's a lot of judgment around that. And especially if you posted on social media, it's like, how can you possibly be disabled and, like, have a smile on your face at the same time? That's what people hear all the time. And it's. It couldn't be further from the truth. Disabled people are really adaptive. We are really just flexible in and find things that work for us so that our lives are still fulfilling.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

I love that. And I love that you mentioned that, because it is. We like to put people in boxes. We hear somebody has a disability or chronic illness, and we're like, well, you're over here. I can't let you be over here. And that's just not how anything works. You know, you wouldn't want to be put in a box. It's like, oh, you're blonde. Well, you're gonna be put in this box. Cool.

[Morgan (Podcast Host)]

Thanks for that.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

I'm. I'm fine. I can do things brunettes like to do. What do you mean? So it's an interesting dynamic that people do want to put you in a box and you're not supposed to be. Are just as dynamic as anybody else. It just looks a little bit different. And understanding that those differences are actually really cool.

[Ed Helms]

Hey, everyone. Ed Helms here.

[Kalpen (Cal Penn)]

And hi, I'm Cal Penn, and we're the hosts of Irsay, The Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.

[Ed Helms]

This week on the podcast, I am sitting down with Jenny Garth, host of the iHeart podcast. I choose me to discuss the new Audible adaptation of the timeless Jane Austen classic Pride and Prejudice. This is not a trick question. There's no wrong answer. What role would I play?

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

You know what?

[Jacqueline Child]

I can see you as Mr. Darcy.

[Alexa Child]

You got a little Colin Firth.

[Ed Helms]

Okay, that's really sweet. I appreciate that. But are you sure I'm not the dad? I'm not Mr. Bennett. Here, listen to Earsay, the Audible and I Heart Audiobook Club on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Liberty Mutual Narrator]

And Doug, here we have the Limu Emu in its natural habitat, helping people customize their car insurance and save hundreds with Liberty Mutual. Fascinating. It's accompanied by his natural ally, Doug.

[Alexa Child]

Limu is that guy with the binoculars watching us.

[Liberty Mutual Narrator]

Cut the camera. They see us.

[Liberty Mutual Ad Voice]

Only pay for what you need@liberty mutual.com savings. Very unwritten by Liberty Mutual Insurance Company affiliates. Excludes Massachusetts.

[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Alexa Child]

We have hosted bar crawls in Denver and a lot of the people who showed up were wheelchair users and like watching other people's faces at the bar. Look at, you know, this group of like 20 wheelchair users. Or like, we're crossing downtown Denver and there's like 20 wheelchair users crossing the street. It is like, pretty incredible. It's hilarious too. And we've had like, what? What is this? Yeah, they're like, what is it?

[Jacqueline Child]

What is going on? And we're like, so we're just like, yeah, it's just a gathering. And like seeing that disabled people party can make people uncomfortable. And I'm like, I truly do not understand, like, if someone uses a wheelchair that like takes all of their desires away and it's just so, so short sighted. But it is really cool to see like our, the communities come out and just really trying to like bridge the gap between the non disabled community and the disabled community because it should be as one.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

That's the whole point. And that's why you guys as sisters are really beyond the app. That's what you're also trying to do is say, hey, we can coexist. We should be able to coexist. Why aren't we? And it's bridging that gap that's kind of been missing. So beyond the app. I think that's incredible. Jacqueline, on the flip side of what I asked Alexa and how she supports you, how do you feel the most supported? Maybe it's from your sister, but also just in general, maybe it's from Strength Strangers or life or social media. It kind of can be all over the board. But I'm curious for you what that support looks like to you and what really impacts the most for you.

[Jacqueline Child]

I think it's having people not necessarily believe me, but have confidence that I know what's best for myself. And that is something that a lot of people deal with, disability or not, but making sure that people understand, like, I have autonomy, I can make my own choices. I have chronic illnesses and I might not always, always make the choices that are healthiest for my chronic illness, but there's like pros and cons to everything. And if I might want to do something that's really good for my mental health, but it's terrible for my disabilities. And just, yeah, having, having that, having people trust me, that I know what I'm doing and I can take care of myself the best.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Have there been moments? Because I have sisters as well and I know our spats are so much fun, especially when they're over. But I'm curious, between you two, have there Been moments where there's just. You have these spats because you have to. Because it's understanding somebody a little bit differently. So what does that look like in a. In a relational standpoint, too? Because I think that's also very encouraging to people to hear that maybe they're not alone and having those intense moments where it's like, you're not hearing me and you're not seeing me or understanding this.

[Jacqueline Child]

Yes, we have had lots of moments like that. Not necessarily, like, related to business, but no personal. I mean, growing. Growing up, we were at each other's throats all the time. She's four years older, so that makes me the annoying little sister. And, like, when she was 16, I was 12, and all I wanted to do was be with Alexa, and she couldn't get farther away from me. And so I would tattle on her and get her grounded so she would be forced to hang out with me. But we definitely still have our moments, and they are very tense, where Alexa's, like, a professional fighter, and she's just great at it, and I am not. And I love to give the silent treatment, and that is, like, Alexa's biggest pet peeve. But it's like, those things, like, just have to happen. Like, if you. If you spend enough time with someone, that's gonna happen. Um, and we. We always get through it pretty quickly. A simple sorry fixes things.

[Alexa Child]

Yeah, it's less and less as the years go on. Now you bicker more like an old married couple. Well, we were just home last week, and we heard our parents bickering. And, like, the next day, we started bickering about something with the app, and I felt like she wasn't hearing me. And then I was like, oh, my God. We just. We sound just like mom and dad. Like, this is insane. And we were FaceTime moving with our grandma yesterday, and I think not bickering, but, like, move. Or, like, don't touch me. Like, get out of the way. And she's like, oh, my God, you guys are just like you were when you were little. Nothing. But we definitely do bicker like that. The first year that we lived together, we definitely had bigger fights that were bigger, but I think the ones. The pandemic either broke people up or brought them together and brought us and brought us closer together. We were literally stuck with each other all the time, and so we had to figure out how to coexist. And so now we fight a lot less. But we have had our moments, for sure.

[Jacqueline Child]

Oh, yeah.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Well, and that. That's all so normal. I trust me again, as having three older sisters. I know exactly that dynamic. But even so that you guys are business partners and you live together, and then there was, like, you just had so many dynamics, so there's so much realness to that. So thanks for sharing. I know that's probably an odd question. You're like, I don't want to talk about it.

[Jacqueline Child]

There's like. It sort of feels good because there's no one else. I would be like, we would be able to speak to someone else like that. And so we can be so open and honest with each other, and we know we'll make up, and that's. It's great for the business. It's great for our relationship, our friendship, and it just start fresh every time, and it's. It's totally normal.

[Alexa Child]

Yeah. I've never told a co worker that they're really annoying. And it's. And it's over.

[Jacqueline Child]

I love that.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

What have you guys learned? Maybe it's about yourselves or maybe it's about each other in starting this business as you know, and it can be completely unrelated to business or it can be about business, but there's kind of different factors here. So you guys can take that route.

[Alexa Child]

Whichever. I'll let you go first. First.

[Jacqueline Child]

Okay. I think that I. I would say that we've learned that, like, executing and doing get, like, just going for it and winging it is so invaluable, and that if. If you have an idea, you should just go for it. And that's something. It's really. It's really scary, and it's intimidating, and we just. You just have to do it and see and try and see what happens.

[Alexa Child]

Yeah. I'm trying to still think about what I've learned because there's been so much, and I never thought that dateability would take off the way it did. I always hoped, but I never thought that it actually would. And so that, you know, that's something that we. I learned that together, we can make a great team. We. I realize that we are different in a lot of ways, too, that I didn't realize and that we complement each other really well. I dream big, and I've got a lot of ideas, but executing them is not always my thing, you know? But Jacqueline's really good at that. She's the person that, when we move, she wants to unpack all the boxes, like, the day we move. And so if I tell her, like, I have this idea, like, how do we go about this? She can get it done. I Think. You know, watching Jacqueline, who before this has never had a real job before, you know, really come into her own, that's been awesome to see and watch her develop. You know, for the first two and a half years of Dayability's existence, she did all of our pr. We traveled a ton together. We also have never traveled like that. Just you and me. We have our nice little routine now. So whenever we go with our parents anywhere, they, like, cause chaos, and we're like. Because we have our routine down. But, yeah, I've learned a lot about our relationship.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

All good things. You just mentioned something that I guess I didn't realize. So, Jacqueline, this is your first time working?

[Jacqueline Child]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Okay, tell me a little bit more about that.

[Jacqueline Child]

I. I graduated college in 2016, and then I got my master's online, and I had this whole plan of working in a children's hospital and being a child life specialist, and I was on my way to doing that, and then my health took an even more downward tumble, and it put all of my plans on what I thought was a pause, but it really just came to an end. I mean, I spent four years just really being a professional patient. I was at the doctors almost every day, recovering from surgery after surgery, doing procedures, and there was just no way that anyone would even ever hire me because I was. To most people, I looked unreliable. And so I was just really trying to get my health in a more stable place. And so this has really let me, like, feel like I'm a contributing member of society, which is something I struggled with. And it's something that I know a lot of disabled people who aren't working struggle with. And it's sucks because it's all just, like, part of the capitalistic mindset that you have to work to be contributing to society. And I wish I could change that, but that's like a whole systemic belief. But is. And. But this has really just gave me that purpose. And it feels really good to be my own boss and to make my own schedule and to know my own limits and boundaries.

[Alexa Child]

And you're very dependable. I hope you realize that. You know, like, she is. She follows through with everything. I'm not her keeper at all. And, you know, I think that's a misconception, is that I take care of Jacqueline. We take care of each other. We're sisters. We're family. But, you know, you are dependable, and so any employer would be lucky to have you. But dateability is the luckiest.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Oh, wow. That's so cool. And I'm Just really glad that it all came together how it was supposed to for this job and for the app and everything for you. I know probably in those moments, it didn't feel like that would ever happen. And to be here now, you're probably sitting, looking back at the entire course of how things worked out, and you're like, wow, I wish I just would have known, you know, so I could have not had to go through all of that.

[Jacqueline Child]

Absolutely. I mean, I just. The stuff I wish I could have, could tell my younger self and just like, it's okay. Like, you'll. You'll get there. Everyone has their own timeline. And, you know, you. You gained some pretty important perspectives early on in life, and it all led me here.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Yeah, I love that. Now, is there potential plans say dateability keeps blowing up, which. That's the whole point. Are you guys hoping to also hire in that same realm of disability, chronic illness, and just hopefully employ more people?

[Jacqueline Child]

Absolutely. We really want to contribute to the disabled workforce, and we know that people with disabilities are less likely to be hired, and there's still some really nasty policies out there that allow disabled people to earn less than minimum wage, and we just want to change that and really contribute to the quality of life and, well being of the disability community as a whole.

[Alexa Child]

Yeah, the thought of hiring people, like, freaks me out. Yeah, we're not there yet. I have to be a boss of someone, but. And I'm always bad cop. Jacqueline makes me always be bad cop. So if we ever have to fire somebody, I know it's gonna be me who's gonna do the firing. But, yeah, that's our plan. I mean, we want dateability to become a household name, you know, like Tinder, Bumble. We want it to be referenced in TV shows and in movies and just have people know what it is and really destigmatize disability and intimacy and destigmatize, like, the. The misconception that disabled people aren't contributing members of society. And I think hiring them, you know, whoever's qualified, is a great way to do so.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

That makes me so happy. I assumed, and I know that that's future plans and all the things, but it's cool that you guys also have a vision for moving forward because. Because I have no doubt the app is gonna keep moving forward, and it's gonna be awesome. So it's cool that you guys are already planning for that. Thank you. I do love to end the podcast on whether it's a quote, a piece of advice, motivation, or maybe something we just didn't get to. That's really heavy on your heart. It's kind of how I always end these. And I want you both to share one, so. Or if there's one together, that you're like, we both feel this way and we will both. Wanna talk about this?

[Jacqueline Child]

Okay. Well, I've been listening to the new Taylor Swift album Naturally, like all of us, and she keeps talking about the song Opalite and choosing your own joy. And I think that that is a really important message for people. And that's something that I've always lived by, is just finding the happiness and the joy and the humor in everything. I look for something to be happy about every day. Even like passing a cute dog. I'm like, that dog is really cute. And that made me smile and I'm grateful for that. And it's like not enough a toxic positivity way, but more of like, this is like, life is hard and life is tough. And so if there's a little crack in there that you can fill with joy, I'll do it. And so, yeah, I would say, like, choose your own joy. There is joy in everything and there it's out there.

[Alexa Child]

Yeah, I think perspective is everything. But for me, I'm gonna talk more about the app actually, that, you know, for listeners. We've got tens of thousands of users, several success stories. Our first dateability wedding is in February 2026.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Woo. This is exci. Hold on. That's exciting. I want you to keep going. But that's so exciting.

[Alexa Child]

Yeah. And so that's what I want people to know because Jaco and I agree on the choosing the happiness and the importance of perspective. But I want to let everyone know that, you know, we created data ability and it's working and it is success. You know, it is successful. We. Our first success story dates back to the month we launched. We probably had a thousand people on the app then. Now we're close to 50,000. And yeah, that a different couple is getting married in February. Not our first success story. And every time, you know, we do some kind of outreach or press, we get more and more stories about, you know, people finding relationships and they don't always work out. Breakups, you know, happen. That's normal. And they usually break up for a really, really common, like, reason, like, oh, I wasn't over my ex. It has nothing to do with the disability or chronic illness that somebody has. But yeah, it is working. And yeah. First dateability wedding, February 2026. 6.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

And shout out to the wedding. First of all, Incredible. That's exciting and a huge milestone. But more than that, that relationships, even if they don't work out, that you guys are creating an environment for people to have safe and welcoming relationships, and that itself is what you guys were trying to accomplish, and it seems like you're doing just that. So that's also something to celebrate. And really awesome.

[Jacqueline Child]

Thanks.

[Alexa Child]

Yeah, we're excited. We want, you know, even if you don't meet your person on dateability, if datability is that stepping stone, you know, get your feet wet and go on some dates and figure out what you want, you know, who you are, I think that's perfectly fine. That's exactly what we're here for.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

I love that so much, and I'm just really appreciative that you guys took some time and we're sharing your whole story today. So thank you guys for being here. We will make sure. Make sure you guys go download. I'm assuming it's on Android, Apple, all the things. Dateability is the app.

[Jacqueline Child]

Yep.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

All right, we'll go check it out. And hopefully you guys have some wild success stories that they can keep sharing moving forward in another dateability wedding, also in 2026, because, you know, 2025, we're a little bit. Bit towards the end.

[Alexa Child]

Yeah, 2025 is also a bad year. Let's just wrap up 2025 and be done with it, right?

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Deal. 2026, we're gonna have one every month. That's the goal.

[Alexa Child]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

It's always fun for me as an.

[Morgan (Podcast Host)]

Interviewer to hear stories like Jacqueline and Alexa's where they just change their entire lives because they saw a need and.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

They went after it.

[Morgan (Podcast Host)]

That's so awesome to me, and I'm honored that they came on to talk.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

All about that and share their story.

[Morgan (Podcast Host)]

Next week, the Ring True Sisters join me. They're a company I've been working with for a while because I love what they're doing and. And it's so, so cool. They're also gonna make a great Christmas gift, so get ready for that one. But more than anything, I'm so happy that you're here. So make sure you subscribe to the podcast. If you haven't already, give it a rating. 5 stars would be awesome because, you know, people always have mean opinions. But we're trying to keep a space.

[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

Of positivity over here on the podcast.

[Morgan (Podcast Host)]

And you can go follow the podcast Instagram at. Take this personally, but for now, I will yap with you guys next week.

[Kalpen (Cal Penn)]

Hey, audiobook lovers, I'm Cal Penn, I'm Ed Helms. Ed and I are inviting you to join the best sounding book club you've ever heard with our new podcast, Earsay, the Audible and iHeart Audiobook Club.

[Ed Helms]

Each week we sit down with your favorite iHeart podcast hosts and some very special guests to discuss the latest and greatest audiobooks from Audible.

[Kalpen (Cal Penn)]

Listen to hearsay on America's number one podcast network, iHeart Followersay, and start listening on the free iHeartRadio app today.

[Liberty Mutual Ad Voice]

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[Alexa Child]

6Am Make a new hire or promote internally.

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Celebrate a win with the toast at the gate or unwind at the lounge.

[Ed Helms]

Big props to this team.

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[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Podcast Host (Interviewer)]

More.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Offer ends November 4th. Restrictions apply. Offers may vary. Visit albertsons or safeway.com for more details.

[Jacqueline Child]

This is an iHeart podcast.