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Podcast Episode: 380

What If We Stopped Treating People Like Mascots? (Pt 1)

By Army of Normal Folks

February 17, 2026 39 min listen

What If We Stopped Treating People Like Mascots? (Pt 1)

What if the problem isn’t a lack of compassion—but a lack of expectation? Ruth Thompson was preparing for retirement when a literal dream led her to open Hugs Cafe, an incredible restaurant in McKinney, TX that employs adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In this episode, you’ll learn why lowering the bar hurts people, how raising it changes lives, and what happens when normal folks decide to stop clapping for effort—and start training for excellence.

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