Rare with Flair

Casey Greer and Cassandra Mendez
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Casey + Cassandra are a pair of best friends with the same rare disease. Their goal is simple: sharing their lives to showcase the beauty and normalcy in disability, while having fun together. They’ll also touch on accessibility, friendships, style, and everything in between as they live their best, rare, lives! For show notes, go to rarewithflair.com

  1. 3 days ago

    breaking: people change (6 year podaversary)

    who could’ve predicted we’d still be hi, hello-ing, and hey-ing 6 years later?! Wow, podience! We can’t believe this is our SIXTH podaversary. 2020 seems like a lifetime ago, and we had to take a beat to think about everything that’s changed since then. Since recording in our parents’ houses during a global pandemic, we’ve each made a myriad of changes, both large and small, all while keeping the pod a constant in our evolving lives. While “things change” isn’t exactly breaking news, we wanted to take a moment to honor where we started and where we are now. Of course, we also wanted to take a moment to thank all our listeners. From the OGs to new fans who binge the entire show to casual listeners in between, we would just be FaceTiming into the void without you. Thank you to anyone who’s ever emailed us or approached us at a conference to tell us you enjoy the show. If we’ve ever made you feel less alone as someone with a disability, or if you’ve learned something new from us, we feel like we’ve accomplished what we’d hoped. Thank you for six lovely years of storytelling, laughter, and growth. We truly couldn’t have done it without you! related episodes If you’d like to take a stroll down memory lane, start with our very first episode, or check out our five other podaversary episodes in the Podaversary category. Especially check out last year’s podaversary episode, where we revisited some of our opinions on disability-related topics and discovered that, shockingly, we’ve changed our minds about a few things. For some of the early episodes we mention in this one, check out our early style episode to see just how much we’ve changed (and to date ourselves a little), along with our early music episode. Six years later, we’re still here, and apparently we still have things to say. Here’s to many more! Case + Cass caught in true form at the HPS conference, 2026

  2. 22 Jul

    3 short days in columbus, ohio: albinism conference recap

    hi hello hey, we lost our voices but filled our hearts We’re back from the 2026 albinism conference in Columbus, Ohio, and somehow managed to fit a week’s worth of memories into just three short days. Join us as we recap volunteering at the HPS Network booth, speaking on panels, rehearsing and performing with the Person with Albinism (PWA) Choir, trying adaptive sports, dominating (or attempting to dominate) trivia night, and catching up with friends from all over the country. We also share all the behind-the-scenes details from the most magical Wicked-themed bridal shower that Cass secretly planned for Case at the sweetest little French café. 💚🩷 Whether you’ve attended an albinism conference before or are just curious what it’s like, come relive one unforgettable weekend with us filled with community, laughter, meaningful conversations, and a whole lot of joy. related episodes For past NOAH conference episodes, check out 98. rolling out the red carpet for the albinism conference (2024 con) 50. squinting in orlando: albinism conference recap (2022 con) Cass references our recent episode on visual processing: 137. sorry, my brain was buffering For all other conference episodes, listen to our Conference recap category! Cass, Case, + Anaheim at the NOAH Conference in Columbus, Ohio, 2026

  3. 7 Jul

    it's us, hi... we're ranking taylor swift albums

    hi hello hey — the old Rare with Flair can’t come to the phone right now. why? because they’re busy ranking Taylor Swift albums. After an unexpected little summer hiatus, we’re finally back behind the microphones and so excited to kick off the second half of the season with an episode we’ve somehow never done before. We’re ranking every Taylor Swift album in a full-blown tier list. From debut to Showgirl, we’re sharing our hottest takes, defending our rankings, and proving that even our “lowest” tier still isn’t all that low. If you’ve been around for a while, you might remember last year’s episode all about attending live events as blind concertgoers. We talk about our Eras Tour experiences there, so consider this episode the perfect companion piece—this time, we’re leaving the stadium behind and focusing on the music itself. If you’re a Swiftie like us or just curious to see which albums made our S tier, we hope you’ll listen along… and maybe yell at us just a little. 😉 Cass + Case at The Eras Tour, 2024/2023

  4. 9 Jun

    why cass’ contact ended up in her mouth

    hi hello hey — apparently our eyeballs demande Back in 2022, we dedicated an entire episode to our experiences with glasses and contacts, and while our diagnoses haven’t changed, our relationships with corrective lenses definitely have. So naturally, it was time for a sequel. This week, Case shares her journey from trying progressives to fully embracing bifocals (granny-core, but make it functional), while Cass talks about wearing tinted contacts more often to help with photophobia and why they work so well for her and shares potentially the least glamorous contacts story ever told. We also swap stories about the strange realities of “corrected” vision, including the irony that our prescriptions can reduce eye strain and help us distinguish more detail… while still not letting us recognize faces from across the room.

  5. 27 May

    144. we need more hobbies apparently

    hi hello hey — apparently we needed more hobbies??This week, we’re catching up on all the deeply important developments in our lives: hair journeys, nail journeys, emotional support apps, LinkedIn games, coloring books, rock climbing, baking projects, and the media consuming habits of two visually impaired women with access to streaming services. Basically, this is our annual “what are we into lately?” episode where we talk about the random little things currently bringing us joy and occupying our brains. From Case setting goals with Finch to our shared obsession with Phineas and Ferb, consider this a cozy catch-up and proof that hobbies are, in fact, alive and well. Case + Cass showing off what they’re into lately, including nails and rock climbing, 2025

  6. 12 May

    "anyways, i'm disabled"

    hi hello hey — we’re visually impaired Hopefully this isn’t news to our audience considering we’ve made nearly 150 episodes of us yapping, largely about our blindness. We’ve done many an episode about disclosing our disabilities in different settings — jobs, friendships, dating, and learning how to say just enough without accidentally info-dumping on unsuspecting strangers. Even with the same jobs and friends, we still find ourselves disclosing all the time, but nowhere does it feel more constant than while dating. Cass is out there, and before meeting the love of her life, Case also often found herself playing what felt like a game: trying to disclose casually in a way that felt conversational instead of Serious™. Somewhere along the way, we realized we’d both become oddly skilled at finding ways to bring up blindness in nearly any topic of conversation. Naturally, we decided to turn it into an actual game. In this episode, we put our disclosure abilities to the test: can we find a way to disclose our blindness with any conversation prompt? related episodes For more episodes on disclosing, check these out: 14. life, love, & dating with a disability for our thoughts on dating way back in 2021 38. our jobs, discrimination, & unattainable goals on disclosing for work 44. the beginner’s guide to disclosing disability on disclosing in dating and beyond 97. how we stopped word-vomiting all our struggles on oversharing or disclosing too soon 114. please, read the room!!! on when to disclose vs. when to let it go 124. we’ve changed our minds?: our 5 year podaversary on the ways we’ve changed over the years, including disclosure and accepting help Case + Cass during Case’s bachelorette, 2026

  7. 28 Apr

    we secured the grant: HPS conference 2026 recap

    hi hello hey… we’re not ready to be back Physically, we’re home, but mentally, we’re still at the Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome Conference. This year was extra special because we secured a Grant—Newkirk, that is. Case’s fiancé, Grant, joined the conference chaos for the first (and certainly not the last) time, and it made everything even more fun. We get into the excitement (and vulnerability) of bringing someone new into a space that feels so unique to our community—and spoiler alert: Grant was welcomed with open arms. This year’s conference was on the smaller side, but still just as meaningful. We’re recapping it all—from our many involvements to our favorite moments. To everyone we saw—old friends and new—it’s always such a joy to connect with this community. HPS is just the first of three conferences we’ll be at this year, so stay tuned for more recaps in the coming months… some of which may turn into chaotic live episodes. Case + Grant (+ Cass) at the HPS conference, 2026 related episodes Check out past HPS conference eps to relive the magic 16. a family reunion with blood draws: the hps conference (2021): a primer on all things conference 66. hps conference: reuniting our community after four years (2023) 91. doctors at a bar, cute lab mice, & dancing dinosaurs: hps conference recap (2024) 117. few but many: hps conference 2025 Still on a conference kick? Enjoy other episodes where we recap conferences: 50. squinting in orlando: albinism conference recap NOAH 2022 98. rolling out the red carpet for the albinism conference NOAH 2024 120. still alive but barely breathing lmao: ats recap our time at the American Thoracic Society in 2025

  8. 14 Apr

    passenger princesses: zero miles driven

    hi hello hey, guess who has the best job?? us, because we don’t have to drive! We’re all well aware of the perks of driving—the privacy of your own car, the freedom to go anywhere at any time—but what about the perks of being a passenger princess (or prince)? Driving takes visual, mental, and physical energy that we simply don’t have to spend, which means more room to save money, relax, and stay relatively safe. We also talk about the importance of finding ways to navigate semi-independently and encourage y’all to lean into it when possible—whether that’s public transportation, rideshares, or tapping into your broader community instead of relying on the same person every time. However you do it, we hope you flex those mental muscles and get creative if you’re feeling stuck. We had so much fun recording this episode—something about it felt like classic Rare with Flair. Don’t worry though, we’ll be back to our usual shenanigans next episode as we recap the 2026 Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome conference! related episodes For more episodes where we talk about driving (or not driving), check these out: 23. two blind girls take a driving test: why we choose not to bioptic drive (+ a quiz that proves how little we know about driving) 65. feeling like a burden: a vulnerable discussion on how not driving makes us feel 111. lifting the burden: how we pay it forward: how we give back to those who help us out Case + Cass attempting to drive with their dads, 2019/2021

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About

Casey + Cassandra are a pair of best friends with the same rare disease. Their goal is simple: sharing their lives to showcase the beauty and normalcy in disability, while having fun together. They’ll also touch on accessibility, friendships, style, and everything in between as they live their best, rare, lives! For show notes, go to rarewithflair.com

Information

  • Creator
    Casey Greer and Cassandra Mendez
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    152
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024, Rare with Flair
  • Show Website
    Rare with Flair

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