Rare with Flair

Casey Greer and Cassandra Mendez
  • 4.9 (84)
  • PERSONAL JOURNALS
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

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. MAR 3

    oops, all blindie moments

    hi hello hey, welcome to a normal day in our lives! If you’ve heard even one episode of our show, you know we tend to save some of our best blind/disability moments for the pod to really bring our lovely listeners into our world. Whether it’s helpful perspective for listeners without disabilities or catharsis for listeners like us, we usually pull out the wildest ones. What you may not know is that those big, shocking stories actually happen somewhat sparingly. The little moments? Those happen practically daily. They’re so normal to us that sometimes we don’t even think to share them with each other. This episode is a collection of those moments — the quiet, low-key, blink-and-you’ll-miss-it (well… metaphorically) blindie experiences that make up our actual, everyday lives. No dramatic plot twists. No public showdowns. Just the cozy, mildly chaotic reality of existing in the world as blind girls trying to find forks, navigate doctor’s offices, and keep it moving. Because this is what disability looks like on a random Tuesday. Case feeling attacked by the impossible “Magic Eye” book while Cass feels seen by the large print books display, 2026/2024 related episodes Ready for more story time, big or small? Check these episodes out: 31. too blind to be sighted; too sighted to be blind living in the “gray area” between sighted and blind. 40. this one’s tmi… some of our most unfiltered chronic illness stories. 52. our lives are just one long, awkward moment a series of uncomfy social situations caused by our low vision. 63. our uber funny rideshare stories some of our wildest (and weirdest) rideshare experiences. 79. our lives are one huge contradiction times we saw things we felt we shouldn’t… but couldn’t see things we should. 99. the unhappiest place on earth: discrimination at disneyland our humiliating attempt to get DAS at Disneyland in 2024. 104. did they really just say that?! a smattering of some of the most shocking things people have said to us 106. we’re delulu about what we look like in public why we can’t fake looking “normal” and the stories to prove it. 108. the wound that never heals: our discrimination stories the most deeply cutting discrimination we’ve experienced in our lives 112. a grocery delivery shopper yelled at cass?? chaos from the world of grocery delivery. 137. sorry, my brain was buffering stories of when our processing speed said “please hold.”

    1h 4m

  2. FEB 17

    blame it on bestie

    hi hello hey, get ready for a real love fest today Do you ever spend so much time with someone that you slowly start becoming them? Or worse… you start liking things you swore you’d never like? After nearly 12 years of friendship (and almost 6 years of being best friends), we’ve influenced each other in ways both small and genuinely life-altering. From music, style, and products to deeper things like our perspectives, habits, and who we’ve grown into as people, we honestly wouldn’t recognize our lives without each other in them. This episode is exactly what it sounds like: a cute, sappy, slightly embarrassing bestie love fest. We talk about the ways we’ve shaped each other—sometimes intentionally, sometimes completely by accident—and how we’ve made each other better along the way. So grab a cozy drink, settle in, and blame it on bestie. Have we influenced you in any way, big or small? We’d love to hear about it! Send us an email at hello@rarewithflair.com. related episodes for episodes we mention in this one, check out: 137. sorry, my brain was buffering our most recent episode on visual processing 135. our most ambitious vision boards yet!! for our 2026 vision boards 93. the great cardigan debate: our style roots for proof Cass used to be a cardigan hater 61. is reading an audiobook really reading? to hear about Cass’ grad school project on reading with low vision (and BARD Mobile!) 46.5. pale skin & green thumbs on our love for plants 34. shouting from the rooftops about assistive technology for proof Case used to be a dark mode hater 7. thank you for the music for proof that Cass used to be a Taylor Swift hater 1. intro: welcome to rare with flair! for our incentive of hearing Case’s “dog voice” for Rupert if we hit 100+ reviews 51. blind beauty tips for actually hearing Case’s ridiculous dog voice (that is now part of Cass’ life) for other cutesy episodes about friendship: 89. the moments that defined our ten-year friendship 77. only disabled friends talk about this 73. the alternate life where we wouldn’t be friends 34.5. are we really best friends? the ultimate friendship test

    1h 9m

  3. FEB 3

    sorry, my brain was buffering

    hi hello hey… oh, are you waving at us?? We’ve done many an episode about the unique situations we find ourselves in while navigating a world with limited vision, and this one offers a fresh take on a very enduring experience. After living for 30 years (an average of our ages), we’ve realized our brains aren’t exactly built for speedy visual processing. When your vision is limited, your brain gets less information to work with—and sometimes it feels like it’s just… buffering. This isn’t a visual processing disorder; it’s simply our brains doing their best with what they’ve got. The result? Occasional awkward pauses, missed cues, and moments where we look completely spaced out. But there’s also a flip side. Because we don’t get bogged down in tiny visual details, our brains have learned to compensate in pretty cool ways. We make decisions based on shapes, colors, patterns, and context—and honestly, we’re often surprisingly accurate. (And when we’re not, the fails are at least validating proof to our friends that no, we’re not being dramatic about our vision.) related episodes If you want more proof that our eyes love putting us in funny situations, check out these episodes: 52. our lives are just one long, awkward moment for more on navigating social situations with low vision. 114. please, read the room!!! on choosing our battles—when to disclose and ask for accommodations, and when to let things go. 17. do we want a cure? our thoughts on not fixing our vision. And an episode we reference in this one: 107. blind gamer girlies on playing video games with low vision. Case + Cass enjoying some exercise (& processing visually), 2025

    49 min

  4. JAN 20

    case & cass' cartoon adventures 3 (yes, really)

    hi hello hey, yes—we’re still out here watching cartoons, and we’re very excited to talk about it. This is our third installment in our cartoon-watching series (affectionately known as Buddy Watch). We keep joking that only three of you care, but based on the messages and suggestions we’ve received, we know there are some very dedicated cartoon lovers among you. If you’re newer to Rare with Flair, cartoons are one of our many shared loves. We’ve been watching shows together almost daily since 2022, which puts our current total at around 14 series watched (and counting). In this episode, we break down the last five shows we watched—Fairly OddParents, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Gravity Falls, Star vs. the Forces of Evil, and Barbie: Life in the Dreamhouse—and then run through our ever-growing (and slightly unhinged) watchlist. We’re always taking recommendations—email us at hello@rarewithflair.com or slide into our DMs! We’ve fully committed to watching cartoons together until the day we die, so please send us your favorites that we should add to—or bump up on—our list. related episodes Check out the previous installments in our cartoon series: 105. case & cass’ carTWOon adventures 69. cass & case’s cartoon adventures Case, Cass, + Mr. A with their idols, SpongeBob + Patrick at Universal Orlando, 2025

    44 min

  5. JAN 6

    our most ambitious vision boards yet!!

    hi hello hey, happy 2026! And more importantly… welcome to season SEVEN of Rare with Flair! 🎉 There’s no better way to kick off a new year than with one of our favorite traditions: vision boards. This year’s boards are our most ambitious yet, with over ten focus areas each—covering everything from mind and health to home, spirit, and the big-picture dreams we’re calling in. We love the practice of setting intention at the start of the year and creating something tangible we’ll see every single day. They say vision boards have a way of coming true (often in the most unexpected ways), so we’re diving in with fresh habits, big hopes, and a few exciting announcements you definitely won’t want to miss. 👀✨ Do you make a vision board—or did listening to the pod inspire you to start one? We’d love to hear about it! Send us a note at hello@rarewithflair.com. related episodes If you haven’t heard our 2025 recap episode, look back with us! 134. guide dogs, rings, and traveling things: 2025 recap For our past vision board episodes, check out these episodes: 110. are we ready to thrive in 2025? 84. 2024 vision boards: moving forward with courage Case & Cass “taking on the world” at Universal, 2025

    1h 5m

  6. 12/23/2025

    guide dogs, rings, and traveling things: 2025 recap

    hi hello hey, what do you mean 2025 is over?? We truly cannot believe another year (and season SIX of Rare with Flair) is coming to a close. Before we get sappy, we’re keeping up our longtime tradition of recapping the year. These episodes mean a lot to us—they’re like little time capsules of what our lives looked like at the end of each year. It’s also a chance to pull back the curtain just a bit and let you in on what we were up to throughout the year (with boundaries, of course). Oh—and there’s a breaking announcement at the very beginning of this episode that we know you won’t want to miss!! As we mention in the episode, we’re always intentional about how much we choose to share. By no means do we want y’all to think our lives were perfect—we simply try to strike a balance between openness and privacy. That said, we genuinely look forward to this episode every year, and it wouldn’t be complete without sharing our top artists from our Spotify Wrapped. No matter what kind of year you had, we’re so grateful we got to be a small part of it. We hope you enjoy celebrating whichever holidays are meaningful to you, and we couldn’t be more thankful for such loyal listeners. Be sure to join us at the beginning of 2026 to find out what’s landing on our vision boards next year! related episodes Check out other episodes we mention in this one for more fun from our 2025: 110. are we ready to thrive in 2025? what we put on our vision boards this year 117. few but many: hps conference 2025 our time at the Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome conference 120. still alive but barely breathing lmao: ats recap our time at the American Thoracic Society in 2025 Our two-part series from when Cass went to guide dog training this year! 127. guide dog training, part 1: meet cass’ new guide! 128. guide dog training, part 2: come train with cass & mr. a! 132. yer a wizard, bestie: live from universal orlando! our trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter If you’d like to binge our complete set of year-in-review episodes to see how we’ve changed over time, let us know if you take on the challenge! 109. our wildest vision board dreams came true! 2024 recap 83. getting personal: recapping 2023 59. recapping a wild & wacky year 2022 recap 36. 2021 wrapped: our year in songs & seasons 11. looking back & moving forward 2020 recap Cass playing outside with Mr. A and Case with the love of her life, 2025

    57 min

  7. 12/09/2025

    curb cuts & secret assistive tech: accessibility hiding in plain sight

    hi hello hey — let’s chat about accessibility! We’ve touched on accessibility throughout past episodes, but this week we’re giving it the spotlight it deserves. It’s a topic close to both our hearts — especially Cass’, since she works in digital accessibility! There’s a common misconception that making something accessible somehow makes it worse, but in reality, designs created for people with disabilities often end up benefiting everyone. In the accessibility world, this is known as the curb-cut effect: curb cuts were originally made to help wheelchair users navigate sidewalks, but they also help anyone rolling a stroller, suitcase, delivery cart — basically anything on wheels. The reverse can happen too: products never intended for accessibility can unexpectedly become invaluable for disabled folks. We dive into some of our favorite examples of this “secret assistive tech,” from GPS to permanent bracelets. Do you have your own examples of hidden assistive tech? Send them our way at hello@rarewithflair.com — we’d love to shout you out on the pod! related episodes Check out some other episodes we mention! 87. the definitive ranking of all assistive technology 61. is reading an audiobook really reading? 34. shouting from the rooftops about assistive technology Case & Cass speaking at various events, 2025

    1h 8m

  8. 11/25/2025

    132. yer a wizard, bestie: live from universal orlando!

    hi hello hey, we finally got our Hogwarts letters!!! Okay, not really, but our long-awaited trip (a year and a half in the making!) finally happened. We took Rare with Flair to Universal Studios Florida and spent two magical days exploring the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. We’re not superfans, per se, but we absolutely adore the cozy vibe of a well-told story about best friends adventuring in a beautiful fantasy world. Naturally, we showed up in full house-pride outfits—Casey in Ravenclaw blue, Cassandra and Anaheim proudly repping Gryffindor—and soaked up all the details: the whimsical storefronts, the classic British fare, and the iconic sweets like chocolate frogs. In this episode, we also get into what the accommodations process is like at Universal, what it’s like navigating a theme park with a service dog, and how two blind girls (and one stellar guide dog) made an A+ navigational team. Come hang out with us and relive all the magic! related episodes For more episodes where we get to record in the same room (!!!): 32. reunited at the happiest place on earth! our Disney trip in 2021 57. live from memphis: recording together for the first time! when Cass visited Case in Tennessee for her 30th in 2022 103. live from columbus: recapping our amazing weekend when Case visited Cass in Ohio in 2024 120. still alive but barely breathing lmao: ats recap our time at the American Thoracic Society in 2025 Case & Cass embracing their inner wizard in Diagon Alley, 2025 show notes Cass talked about Universal’s disability access process which was really smooth, so if you’re going to Universal with a disability be sure to check it out! Case & Cass mentioned the video they used to learn about easter eggs in the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

    1h 9m
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4.9
out of 5
84 Ratings

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
    143
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2024, Rare with Flair
  • Show Website
    Rare with Flair

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