Disability Visibility

About

Portrait photo of an Asian American woman looking directly in the camera with a slight half smile. She is wearing a light blue button-up shirt and a long earring on her right ear. She has a lip ring, dark eyes, and dark hair that is tied up with bangs that are cut in a diagonal line, slanting to her left. She is set against a silver background.

Geraldine Ah-Sue is a cultural activist and independent radio producer primarily interested in stories shared by BIPOC communities about culture, community, and love. She has produced stories for outlets such as KALW’s newsmagazine show Crosscurrents and APEX Express on KPFA. She was the producer and host of the second season of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s podcast Raw Material, which focused on the intersections between art, community and social justice. Currently, she is enjoying working on her independent creative project Playing with Food: The Place where Food Comes to Life, and loving on her inquisitive, song-filled toddling daughter.

Twitter: @geraldineah_sue

A white woman with olive skin and long, dark brown, curly hair stands outside by a red wall that vanishes behind her in the distance. A line of enormous running horses are painted in a mural on the wall in black and white, their manes blowing in the wind. Cheryl stands with her arms folded in front of her, forearms chiseled from too many years typing, staring off in the direction the horses are headed. She has a solemn crow tattooed on one arm and wears a black t-shirt with white text, “No More Spoons” and a row of knives and daggers.

Cheryl Green, MFA, MS is a multi-media digital artist, captioner, audio describer, a 2017 AIR New Voices Scholar, 2020 DOC NYC Documentary New Leader, and Digital Operations Lead and a Member-Owner at New Day Films (through July, 2021). She brings her lived experience with multiple invisible disabilities to creating media that explores politically- and culturally-engaged stories from cross-disability communities. She reported and produced one episode for the Peabody-nominated Season 2 of 70 Million and has audio described and captioned many films for Cinema Touching Disability Film Festival and Superfest International Disability Film Festival. Her audio and written blog, transcribed podcast, and documentary films are at www.WhoAmIToStopIt.com

Twitter: @WhoAmIToStopIt

A brown woman with long, curly, black hair, stands smiling while playing a ukulele. She is visibly pregnant, wearing a dark purple dress. The background shows a green wall with small paintings of flowers hanging.

Sarika Mehta, originally from Chicago’s suburbia, loves things music, dance, and all that jazz. She’s been a producer with APA Compass radio collective, founded and hosted the podcast Intersections Radio, anchored the KBOO Evening News, and of course served as a producer for Alice Wong’s Disability Visibility Project Podcast. Currently she is the host and founder of Diaspora Blues Radio where she nerds out with her favorite artists. Her fascination with languages led her to the worlds of Sign Language Interpreting and journalism for the ears. She’s a busy mama with two little beautiful boys and she’s been known to make stuffed animals out of excellently patterned socks. Keep up at sarikadmehta.com.

Twitter: @sarikadmehta

Support Disability Media and Culture

DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Cheryl Green, Text Transcript

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)

Album: NO BIG DEAL

Music

electro-pop 01 loop by frankum, November 24, 2013. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

Synth Pop Loop 01 by RokZRooM, March 21, 2021. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 3.0 License.

Sounds

“VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

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Ep 99: Online Activism

Sun, 21 Mar 2021 12:43:56 +0000

Today I’m in conversation with my friends Andrew Pulrang and Gregg Beratan. The three of us are co-partners in #CripTheVote, an online movement encouraging the political participation of disabled people that we started in 2016. You’ll hear us talk about the origins of #CripTheVote, the differences between the 2016 and 2020 election on disability policies and engagement, and looking ahead with the Biden/Harris administration. Please note our conversation took place in December 2020, a few weeks after the Presidential election.

Transcript

About

Andrew Pulrang, a white, clean-shaven man with glasses and black hair, wearing a blue shirt. A tracheostomy is visible around his neck just above the shirt collar.

Andrew Pulrang is a disability-focused freelance writer, online activist, and former Center for Independent Living director. He is a contributing writer for Forbes.com. Andrew is also a co-partner of #CripTheVote, a nonpartisan online movement encouraging the political participation of disabled people with fellow disabled activists Gregg Beratan and Alice Wong.

Twitter: @AndrewPulrang

Gregg Beratan, a white man with brown hair and a brown beard. He is smiling and wearing a white shirt with narrow gray stripes.

Gregg Beratan is one of the Co-founders and organizers of #CripTheVote. He is the Director of Advocacy at the Center for Disability Rights. He has been involved in Disability Rights and Disability Justice efforts in the United States, the UK, Poland & India.

Twitter: @GreggBeratan

Support Disability Media and Culture

DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Cheryl Green, Text Transcript

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)

Album: NO BIG DEAL

Music

EDM Drop by DaveJf, March 5, 2021 This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

Sounds

“VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

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Ep 98: Disabled Students

Sun, 07 Mar 2021 09:12:11 +0000

Today I’m in conversation with Alena Morales, who will graduate with a Bachelor’s degree in Nutritional Sciences with a minor in Disability Studies at UC Berkeley in Spring 2021. Alena is a queer disabled advocate of color and the former Chair and Co-Founder of the Disabled Students Commission, and through loving interdependence and collective labor with her fellow crips, she co-created one of the few Disability Cultural Centers in the country at UC Berkeley. You’ll hear Alena talk about developing her disability identity, finding community, and getting involved in community organizing at school. She’ll also talk about the importance of creating space for the broader disability community with the formation of the Disability Cultural Center and the years-long process that made it happen.

Transcript

About

Alena Morales, a Mexican Filipina woman, sitting in her wheelchair among San Diego palm trees. Her long brown hair is styled down around her shoulders, and she dons red lipstick with winged eyeliner. She is wearing a white button up shirt with black polka dots, and her central line hangs out from the neckline of her shirt.

Alena Morales (she/her) is a queer disabled advocate of color. She will graduate with her DPD BS in Nutritional Sciences with a minor in Disability Studies at UC Berkeley in Spring 2021. Alena is the former Chair and Co-Founder of the ASUC Disabled Students Commission, and through loving interdependence and collective labor with her fellow crips, she Co-Created one of the few Disability Cultural Centers in the country. After graduation, Alena hopes to combine disability justice activism and nutrition to ensure that people with disabilities are represented in key nutrition policy dialogues ultimately opening up her own disability justice organization that tackles socioeconomic and clinical nutritional inequities for the community she calls home.

Support Disability Media and Culture

DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Geraldine Ah-Sue, Audio Producer

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Cheryl Green, Text Transcript

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

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Ep 97: Disabled Refugees

Mon, 22 Feb 2021 03:40:57 +0000

Today I’m in conversation with Mustafa Rfat. Mustafa is a graduate student in the Public Administration Program at West Virginia University. He’s also a trainee at Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) at the university. Mustafa came to the U.S. as a refugee from Iraq in 2011. You’ll hear Mustafa talk about his experience as a refugee and his adjustment to life in the United States. Mustafa will also describe the unique challenges and needs of refugees with disabilities.

Photo of three people gathered around a white grand piano. On the left sitting on the piano bench, Nazli Khazirova, a woman with a purple head covering and a navy blue outfit smiling widely. Her arm is extended toward Mustafa Rfat on the right, a man wearing a navy blue business suit with a white shirt and red tie who is also smiling. In the center, laying on top of the piano is Defne Rfat, a little baby girl with a white flower-like headband and a white and pink tulle outfit like a ballerina

Transcript

[Google doc] [PDF]

About

Photo of Mustafa Rfat, a man with short dark brown hair wearing a navy blue blazer with v-neck blue shirt. Behind him is a dark gray background.

Mustafa Rfat is a graduate student in the Public Administration Program and a trainee at Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) at West Virginia University. Mustafa came to the U.S. as a refugee from Iraq in 2011. He is a passionate advocate for equal rights for people with disabilities and refugees/immigrants. He is in the process of applying for Ph.D. programs in Social Work to further his education in research and community work.

Support Disability Media and Culture

DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Cheryl Green, Audio Producer and Text Transcript

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)

Music

Music for Manatees by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4102-music-for-manatees.

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Garden Music by Kevin MacLeod

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3796-garden-music.

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license.

Sounds

“VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

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Ep 96: Art and Technology

Sun, 07 Feb 2021 08:48:45 +0000

Today’s episode is about art and technology featuring a conversation with Lindsey D. Felt and Vanessa Chang. Lindsey and Vanessa curated Recoding CripTech, a multidisciplinary art exhibition at SOMArts Cultural Center in San Francisco in early 2020. You’ll learn about how their collaboration and friendship started, what it was like curating this exhibit, some of the disabled artists that were part of the exhibit, and why CripTech, disability culture, and accessibility is more important than ever in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Transcript

About

Photo of curators Vanessa Chang and Lindsey D. Felt standing shoulder to shoulder in front of a graffiti installation, beaming at the camera. Lindsey has wavy blonde hair and wears translucent glasses and a gauzy black and white dress with a black double buckle belt. Vanessa has a short dark brown bob and wears a gold choker necklace and a long sleeved white kimono top. A brown bag strap crosses her chest.

Lindsey D. Felt and Vanessa Chang curated Recoding CripTech, a multidisciplinary art exhibition at SOMArts Cultural Center in 2020. Their curatorial work has been profiled in venues such as Art in America, KQED Arts and DisTopia.

Dr. Lindsey D. Felt, a Bay Area native, writer and deaf scholar, is a lecturer at Stanford University, where she teaches courses on disability, writing, and technology. She received her Ph.D. in English from Stanford University. Her research focuses on disability innovation and technology in the postwar era, specifically how disability shaped conceptions of electronic communication; science fiction and disability futurity; access and assistive technologies; and disability rhetorics. Most recently, her writing has appeared in Catalyst: Feminism, Theory, Technoscience, and she serves as the Disability and Impact Lead at Leonardo/ISAST.

Twitter: @ldfelt

Dr. Vanessa Chang is a writer, curator and educator who builds communities and conversations about art, technology and human bodies. She is Senior Program Manager at Leonardo/ISAST and teaches in Visual and Critical Studies at California College of the Arts. She holds a Ph.D. in Modern Thought and Literature from Stanford University, where she was a Geballe Fellow at the Stanford Humanities Center. Recent exhibitions include Intersections at Fort Mason Center for the Arts and Artobots, a CODAME festival of art, automation and artificial intelligence. She has appeared on NPR’s On the Media and State of the Art, and written for Wired, Slate, Los Angeles Review of Books and Noema Magazine, among other venues.

Twitter: @vxchang

Support Disability Media and Culture

DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Cheryl Green, Audio Producer and Text Transcript

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)

Album: NO BIG DEAL

Music

“Bleeping Demo” by Kevin MacLeod.

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/7012-bleeping-demo.

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license.

“Blippy Trance” by Kevin MacLeod.

Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/5759-blippy-trance.

License: https://filmmusic.io/standard-license

Sounds

“VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

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Ep 95: Black Doctors with Disabilities

Sat, 23 Jan 2021 12:51:54 +0000

In today’s episode I’m in conversation with Dr. Justin Bullock. Justin is currently an Internal Medicine Resident in San Francisco, California. You’ll hear Justin talk about his experiences disclosing his disability at work, the process he had to go through to prove his fitness to serve as a physician because of his disability, the systemic ableism and racism in medicine and medical education, and the benefits and risks of telling your story and being visible. You’ll also hear Justin talk about article he wrote in the New England Journal of Medicine titled “Suicide—Rewriting my story” which describes his battle with bipolar disorder and suicidality during undergraduate and graduate medical education.

Please note our conversation took place in September 2020 and there will be discussions of hospitalization, death and dying, suicidality, suicidal ideation, and trauma.

I am proud to say that after 441 long days, today is my last as an intern. I survived some of my roughest days & discovered my voice in a new, beautiful way. Excited to close this chapter & turn to opportunities as a PGY2. #DocsWithDisabilities #BlackMenInMedicine #GayMedTwitter

— Justin Bullock (@jbullockruns) September 5, 2020

This Sunday, I am honored to get to do a live interview for ~200 basic scientists from @UCSFneuro at their annual retreat to talk abt mental illness, stigma & creating structures to improve mental health. Excited to continue this convo with my PhD colleagues#DocsWithDisabilities

— Justin Bullock (@jbullockruns) September 12, 2020

Because I can't not say this: A bunch of people protesting right now that black lives matter just watched me get destroyed my institution's fitness for duty process in silence (without a single black person in sight on the "well being committee").#showupwhenitsuncomfortable

— Justin Bullock (@jbullockruns) June 4, 2020

Update re: Physician Well Being Committee/Fitness for Duty Process(FFD)! Some powers that be thought they were sending me to get support; institution now seems to acknowledge that that was NOT the case and is trying to improve that for others…A THREAD/1https://t.co/uhj5lLdan4

— Justin Bullock (@jbullockruns) October 3, 2020

Despite this, I must have regular check ins with a faculty 'mentor', a case manager (whom I call my parole officer), I continue to meet with my own psychiatrist & therapist (as I was before all this). My institution was fixated on me doing a very specific type of therapy: DBT. /3

— Justin Bullock (@jbullockruns) October 3, 2020

I won't belabor the myriad of ways that the Fitness for Duty Process has undermined my current and future mental health, but what I would like to focus on are the changes that are currently underway. /5

— Justin Bullock (@jbullockruns) October 3, 2020

From my reports on the ground and from institutional leadership, the committee has already begun to diversify its membership. There is a task force currently reviewing the committee, and I have been asked to speak to share my story with the task force. /7

— Justin Bullock (@jbullockruns) October 3, 2020

Someone who deeply understands the nuances of the committee & has tangible power to change it was both apologetic and actionable oriented. We discussed how our institution exists w/in a challenging state legal structure w/ respect to providers w/ mental health & substance use. /9

— Justin Bullock (@jbullockruns) October 3, 2020

I end this thread for the first time in a long time, immensely and genuinely proud of my institution. I am still wounded, but I am healing and we are moving forward together. @UCSFMedicine #DocsWithDisability #BlackMenInMedicine #GayMedTwitter #MedTwitter

— Justin Bullock (@jbullockruns) October 3, 2020

Transcript

About

Dr. Justin Bullock, a Black man with short hair wearing a navy suit with a white shirt and dark red tie. He is smiling at the camera.

Dr. Justin Bullock is a current Internal Medicine Resident in San Francisco, California. Justin is passionate about medical education, and diversity in medicine. His article in the New England Journal of Medicine titled “Suicide—Rewriting my story” tells the story of his battle with Bipolar Disorder and suicidality during undergraduate and graduate medical education.

Twitter: @jbullockruns

Support Disability Media and Culture

DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Cheryl Green, Text Transcript

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)

Album: NO BIG DEAL

Music

“Pives And Flairnet” by Podington Bear (Pives and Flairnet by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.)

Sounds

“VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

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Ep 94: Healthcare Rationing

Sun, 10 Jan 2021 10:32:42 +0000

It’s been over eleven months since the pandemic emerged in the United States and things are worse than ever. Hospitals across the country have reached full capacity and utilizing crisis standards of care, guidelines used when there is a shortage of resources and care.

Today’s episode is about healthcare allocation in the time of COVID with Britney Wilson, a civil rights attorney with the National Center for Law and Economic Justice. This center, along with three other disability rights organizations, filed a class action complaint in October 2020 against the State of New York. The lawsuit challenges the New York State Ventilator Allocation Guidelines as discriminatory. The Guidelines allow hospitals to reallocate ventilators from people who use them in the community. Britney will talk about her role in the case and how the case came about, how these existing guidelines are ableist and harm disabled people, and the goals are from the lawsuit. Please note we talked in November 2020 and I included a short update at the end of the episode.

Transcript

About

Britney Wilson, Black woman with curly natural, black hair and glasses in a blue chambray suit and white and blue polka dot top standing on crutches in an office.

Civil rights attorney Britney Wilson is a staff attorney at the National Center for Law and Economic Justice in New York.

Twitter: @labelleverite

Support Disability Media and Culture

DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Cheryl Green, Audio Producer and Text Transcript

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)

Music

“Retro Metro” by Ketsa. (Source: FreeMusicArchive.org. licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.)

“Smooth Lovin” by Kevin MacLeod. Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/4379-smooth-lovin. License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Sounds

“VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

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Ep 93: Indigenous Disabled Creators

Sat, 26 Dec 2020 09:56:35 +0000

Today’s episode features an interview with Johnnie Jae who is from the Otoe-Missouria and Choctaw tribes of Oklahoma. Johnnie is a journalist, organizer, creator, and futurist and the founder of A Tribe Called Geek, an award-winning media platform for Indigenous Geek Culture and STEM, and #Indigenerds4Hope, a suicide prevention initiative designed to educate, encourage, and empower Native youth. Johnnie will talk about her experiences accessing healthcare and staying safe as an immunocompromised person, the pandemic’s impact on disabled Indigenous, the systemic inequalities facing Indigenous communities, and the movement to remove racist imagery and terms in popular culture.

Please note there will be discussions about hospitalization, genocide, settler colonialism, medical racism, racist mascots.

I am the great granddaughter of the late Johnnie & Minnie Moore and Nelson & Emaline Morris.

I was born and raised in Oklahoma, spent about 10 years living in Taos, New Mexico and now reside in Hollywood, California.

— Johnnie Jae aka The Brown Ball of Fury (@johnniejae) November 1, 2019

Great thread! Please support Disabled Indigenous people, there are links in thos thread. https://t.co/W2QKuQ4nUS

— Kimbrah Gonzalez (@RainbowYeticorn) December 26, 2020

Transcript

[Google doc] [PDF]

About

Picture of Johnnie Jae, black hair, bangs brushed to the right side of her face. She is wearing glasses that are slightly too big for her head, nude pink lipstick, a dusky pink shirt with a necklace featuring a round citrine pendant.

Johnnie Jae is an Otoe-Missouria and Choctaw rabble-rousing journalist, organizer, creator, and futurist who loves empowering others to chase their passions and create for healing and revolutionary change in the world. She is the founder of A Tribe Called Geek, an award-winning media platform for Indigenous Geek Culture and STEM, and #Indigenerds4Hope, a suicide prevention initiative designed to educate, encourage, and empower Native youth. Jae is a co-founder of Not Your Mascots and LiveIndigenousOK. She is a member of the Women Warriors Work Collective and served as a co-chair for the 2017 March for Racial Justice. She was the host of the Indigenous Flame and A Tribe Called Geek podcasts and worked as a producer for several other podcasts on the Success Native Style Radio Network.

While primarily recognized for her work with A Tribe Called Geek, Jae also facilitates several workshops that address Mental Health and Suicide in Indian Country, Native Mascots & Stereotypes, Indigenous Representation & Journalism, Indigenous STEM & Tech, and the Utilization of Social & Digital media for Business and Activism. Her ability to seamlessly shift from humor and pop culture to advocacy and business has made her a much-sought after speaker, panelist, and commentator.

Website: https://johnniejae.com/

Twitter: @JohnnieJae

Instagram: @JohnnieJae

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/officialjohnniejae

Support Disability Media and Culture

DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Cheryl Green, Text Transcript

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)

Album: NO BIG DEAL

Music

“acoustic guitar with non_standard tuning phrase” by timcan, May 28, 2010. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“acoustic guitar” by alpersez, January 27, 2008. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

Sounds

“VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

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Ep 92: Disabled Afro-Latina Artists

Sat, 12 Dec 2020 09:02:56 +0000

Today’s episode features an interview with Jen White-Johnson, an Afro-Latina disabled artist, photographer, educator, and designer. Jen is also an Assistant Professor of Visual Communication at Bowie State University. Jen will talk about how being the parent of a neurodivergent Black son politicized her and her work in the midst of racist violence and police brutality this year. You’ll hear her describe one of several graphics she created this year that features the raised solidarity fist in black with an infinity sign at the wrist with the words Black Disabled Lives Matter below. You can find more of Jen’s work on her website at https://jenwhitejohnson.com/.

Please note this interview contains mentions of antiblackness, violence, and police brutality.

Photo of Knox White-Johnson, a Black Autistic boy smiling and holding a sticker designed by his mother, Jen White-Johnson, an illustration of a raised solidarity fist in black with an infinity symbol at the wrist in white with the words ‘Black Disabled Lives Matter’ below.

Wow. Thank you @AyannaPressley for sharing my #ToyinSalau visual tribute in solidarity. Her life had value and purpose and it continues to be our responsibility to uplift and understand that black women deserve protection, care, respect, and amplification. https://t.co/A6wCriWaHp

— Jen White-Johnson (@jtknoxroxs) June 17, 2020

Transcript

About

Photo of Jen White-Johnson, an Afro-Latina woman who is wearing a light blue denim shirt. She has a cinnamon complexion with a small brown birthmark on her left cheek. She is wearing earrings with the raised solidarity fist with an inverted triangle below. She is also wearing a wide-brimmed brown hat.

Jen White-Johnson is a Designer, Photographer, Art Activist, and Art Educator. Currently, she teaches as an Assistant Professor of Visual Communication at Bowie State University where her work focuses on the intersection of content and caregiving with an emphasis on redesigning ableist visual culture. When her son was diagnosed as Autistic at age 2 she began to examine the absence of black disabled children in digital and literary media, this motivated the release of an advocacy photo zine entitled “KnoxRoxs.” Dedicated to her Autistic son, the zine is a way to give visibility to children of color in the black Autistic community. As an artist-educator with Graves disease and ADHD, her heart-centered and electric approach to disability advocacy bolsters these movements with invaluable currencies: powerful, dynamic art and media that all at once educates, bridges divergent worlds, and builds a future that mirrors her Autistic son’s experience. Since its release, the zine has received national and international recognition, including features in AfroPunk, Today at Apple, and is permanently archived in Libraries at the The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Museum of Women in the Arts. This year her activist work has been featured in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Crip Camp: The Official Virtual Experience, and she was recently selected as an honoree on the 2020 Diversability’s D-30 Disability Impact List.

Twitter / Facebook / LinkedIn /Instagram

Support Disability Media and Culture

DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Geraldine Ah-Sue, Audio Producer

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Cheryl Green, Text Transcript

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)

Music

“Maruken” by Polyrhythmics (licensed under the Creative Commons CC BY-NC 3.0 License).

Sounds

“VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

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Ep 91: Disabled Engineers

Sun, 29 Nov 2020 09:01:29 +0000

Today’s episode features an interview with Emily Ackerman, a doctoral candidate in chemical engineering at the University of Pittsburgh and a disabled activist. Emily will talk about how she got into chemical engineering, her advice for disabled students who want to be scientists, her experiences last year on campus with a delivery robot, and the importance of accessibility in the design and development of technology.

Hi! I'm a 6th year chemE PhD candidate applying systems biology approaches to viral infections like the flu and COVID-19. I'm a wheelchair user and am passionate about, among many things, the intersection of disability, tech, and education. #DEHEM #DisInHigherEd #DEHEMRollCall pic.twitter.com/EgFtrtQFp3

— Emily Slackerman Ackerman (@EmilyEAckerman) October 1, 2020

Transcript

About

Emily sits among plants in a power wheelchair behind a glass door. She is dimly lit, with long brown hair, a tan turtleneck, and black pants and boots.

Emily Ackerman is a doctoral candidate in chemical engineering and a disabled activist. She is particularly invested in achieving equity in STEM education and technology for the disabled community. She lives in Pittsburgh with her cat, Poppy.

Website: https://www.emilyeackerman.com/

Twitter: @EmilyEAckerman

Support Disability Media and Culture

DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Cheryl Green, Text Transcript

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)

Album: NO BIG DEAL

Music

“Robot” by Razor5 (Robot by Razor5 is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License).

Sounds

“VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

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Ep 90: Disabled Immigrants

Mon, 16 Nov 2020 06:49:24 +0000

Every political issue is a disability issue and as the daughter of immigrants, I know that immigration is an important disability issue. Today I get a chance to talk with Conchita Hernandez Legorreta about her experiences as a disabled immigrant. Conchita was born in Mexico and grew up in California. She advocates for the rights of blind children and their parents in the public-school setting in the United States and abroad. Conchita is the founder and Chair of METAS which stands for Mentoring Engaging and Teaching All Students, a non-profit organization that trains educators in Latin America that work with blind, low vision students and other disabilities. She’s also a co-founder of the National Coalition of Latinx with Disabilities that seeks to amplify the voices of disabled Latinx in the disability rights movement. Currently, Conchita works as a Blind and Low Vision Specialist for the state of Maryland. For more after this episode check out another short interview I did with Conchita for the podcast about the 30th anniversary of the ADA which is episode 82a.

Transcript

[Google doc] [PDF]

About

Conchita Hernandez Legoretta, a Latina woman smiling at the camera. She has long wavy brown hair and is wearing gold hoop earrings.

Maria (Conchita) Hernandez Legorreta was born in Mexico and grew up in California. She advocates for the rights of blind children and their parents in the public-school setting in the United States and abroad through a lens of intersectionality focusing on social justice. Conchita received her Bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary’s College of California, majoring in International Studies, Spanish, and History. She then went on to Louisiana Tech University where she received her Master’s in Teaching with a focus on teaching blind students. As well, Conchita earned a master’s certificate in working with Deaf-Blind students from Northern Illinois University. She is currently a Doctoral student at George Washington University pursuing a degree in Special Education. Conchita has been published in Future Reflections and Rooted in Rights. Conchita keeps up with research in special education and serves as a peer reviewer on the Journal of Blindness Innovation and Research. Conchita conducts workshops on best practices for educators and professionals in the field of disability and advocacy in the United States and internationally. Conchita worked in the rehabilitation field in Nebraska where she set up innovative programming for disabled adults. Conchita is the founder and Chair of METAS (Mentoring Engaging and Teaching All Students) a non-profit organization that trains educators in Latin America that work with blind/low vision students and other disabilities. In this role she engages lawmakers in policy discussions around people with disabilities and inclusion. Conchita is also a co-founder of the National Coalition of Latinx with Disabilities that seeks to amplify the voices of disabled Latinx in the disability rights movement. Currently, Conchita works as the Maryland Blind and Low Vision Specialist. Conchita strives to be a voice for change for educators, professionals and advocates to make full inclusion a reality for people with disabilities in Latin America.

Twitter: @Conchitahdz

Support Disability Media and Culture

DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Geraldine Ah-Sue, Audio Producer

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Cheryl Green, Text Transcript

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)

Music

“Moonglow” by Podington Bear (Moonglow by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.)

Sounds

“VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

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Ep 89: Museums

Sun, 01 Nov 2020 12:41:22 +0000

I love museums. I miss going to them but am glad there are so many museums with online exhibits and programming. Today we’re talking about museums with Amanda Cachia, an independent curator and critic from Sydney, Australia who is now based in the U.S. She received her PhD in Art History, Theory & Criticism from the University of California San Diego in 2017. Her research focuses on modern and contemporary art; curatorial studies and activism; exhibition design and access; decolonizing the museum; and the politics of embodied disability language in visual culture. You’ll hear Amanda talk about her scholarship and work as a disabled curator, museum accessibility during this pandemic, how curators can make accessibility part of their practices, and how technology can bring people closer to art in new ways.

Transcript

About

A short-statured woman with long brown curly hair and brown eyes stands in the middle of a white cube gallery space, smiling at the camera. She is wearing red lipstick to match the red and white scarf wrapped around her neck. On every wall of the gallery space hangs contemporary art that includes brightly-colored photographs of abstract shapes, a round wooden ring hanging from the ceiling, a black and white video installation of a sign language interpreter and a low-lying red lounge chair on a mat. The ceiling is exposed so all the beams, wiring and fan ducts are visible.

Amanda Cachia is an independent curator and critic from Sydney, Australia. She received her PhD in Art History, Theory & Criticism from the University of California San Diego in 2017. Her research focuses on modern and contemporary art; curatorial studies and activism; exhibition design and access; decolonizing the museum; and the politics of embodied disability language in visual culture. She is currently working on two book projects: a monograph based on her dissertation entitled In My Language: Translation in Contemporary Disability Art solicited by Duke University Press, and the edited volume Curating Access: Disability Art Activism and Creative Accommodation for Routledge that includes over 30 contributors from around the world. Cachia currently teaches art history, visual culture, and curatorial studies at Otis College of Art and Design, California Institute of the Arts, California State University Long Beach, and California State University San Marcos. She serves as caa.reviews Field Editor for West Coast Exhibitions (2020-2023).

Twitter: @AmandaCachia2

Support Disability Media and Culture

DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Cheryl Green, Audio Producer and Text Transcript

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)

Music

“Awakenings” and “Vantage Points” by Ketsa (Source: freemusicarchive.org. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 license).

Sounds

“VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

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Ep 88: Policy

Mon, 19 Oct 2020 08:46:08 +0000

With Election Day just two weeks away in the United States on November 3rd, this is the perfect time to talk about policy. Today’s episode features an interview with Liz Weintraub. Liz is an advocate who has held many board and advisory positions at state and national organizations. She is a full time member of the policy team for the Association of University Centers on Disabilities and she is also the host of Tuesdays With Liz: Disability Policy For All, where she talks about policy in accessible language. You’ll learn how Liz got involved in disability policy, why she loves it and why it matters. Please note our conversation took place before the coronavirus pandemic.

Transcript

About

A picture of a woman with a blue sweater and a white turtleneck with glasses and smiling for the camera.

Liz Weintraub has a long history of leadership in self advocacy, and has held many board and advisory positions at state and national organizations. She is a full time member of the AUCD’s policy team and also the host of Tuesdays With Liz: Disability Policy For All, where she attempts to make policies in accessible language so policy is accessible to all.

In the Spring of 2018, Liz served as a Fellow for Senator Casey of Pennsylvania, working in his DC Office where she helped lead the way on disability policy by helping the Senator hold the administration accountable for disability stakeholder input into key programs; calling attention to the need for accessible supports and services for students and employees with disabilities on college campuses who have been sexually assaulted, which resulted in a S.2530; and helped organize a first of its kind Pennsylvania Disability Employment Summit with over 250 participants. Said Senator Casey, “Liz has shown the Senate how important it is to have staff members who have developmental and intellectual disabilities. She’s helped reshape the culture of the Senate.”

In the fall of 2018, Liz told the story of her personal experience as a woman with disabilities as she testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the potential implications of a Kavanaugh confirmation to the civil rights of people with disabilities. Read her submitted written testimony and watch her oral testimony on AUCD’s website.

Prior to coming to AUCD, Liz worked for the Council on Quality & Leadership (CQL). Liz is an alumni of the LEND training program at the Center for Leadership in Disability at Georgia State University. Liz was a past chair of the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council. Liz is rejoining the Council for another term. Liz has received numerous awards, recognition, and commendations for her work. Liz enjoys mentoring people with disabilities.

Twitter: @tuesdaywithliz

Support Disability Media and Culture

DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Geraldine Ah-Sue, Audio Producer

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Cheryl Green, Text Transcript

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)

Music

“Frogs in Tuxes” by Podington Bear (Frogs In Tuxes by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.)

Sounds

“VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

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Ep 87: Climate Action

Mon, 05 Oct 2020 11:13:20 +0000

Today’s episode is on climate action with Kera Sherwood-O’Regan, an indigenous multidisciplinary storyteller and activist based in Aotearoa, also known as New Zealand. Kera’s work and activism centers structurally oppressed communities in social change, and crosses the intersections of indigenous & disability rights, health, and climate change. Kera will share about her involvement in climate activism and its intersections with disability and indigenous activism and why climate movements must center indigenous and disabled people.

Transcript

About

Photo of Kera Sherwood-O’Regan, an Indigenous Māori woman with light olive skin and long brown hair, sitting in her living room. She is wearing a white collared jumpsuit, vintage style tortoiseshell glasses, Haus of Dizzy love heart earrings, and red lipstick. She wears a Māori pounamu greenstone pendant around her neck, and she is smiling slightly at the camera. There is a green houseplant and wooden furniture in the background.

Kera Sherwood-O’Regan (Kāi Tahu, Te Waipounamu) is an indigenous multidisciplinary storyteller and activist based in Aotearoa New Zealand. She runs social impact creative agency, Activate [www.activate.film], to co-create community-led stories and projects for social change. Kera’s work and activism centers structurally oppressed communities in social change, and crosses the intersections of indigenous & disability rights, hauora (health), and climate change. She is also the Founder of Fibromyalgia Aotearoa NZ [www.fibromyalgia.org.nz], and in her spare time facilitates support groups for people living with chronic pain, and collaborates with many NGOs on issues of climate justice.

website: www.keraoregan.co.nz

twitter: @keraoregan

instagram: @kera.oregan

linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keraoregan/

Support Disability Media and Culture

DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Geraldine Ah-Sue, Audio Producer

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Cheryl Green, Text Transcript

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)

Music

“Origami” by Podington Bear (Origami by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.)

Sounds

“VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

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Ep 86: Transportation

Sun, 20 Sep 2020 10:20:49 +0000

Today’s episode is about transportation with Maddy Ruvolo. Maddy is a disabled urban planner passionate about transportation access for the disability community. She also just graduated this year from UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs. Maddy will share how she first became interested in transportation and the results from a survey she conducted of people with disabilities in San Francisco about new mobility technologies and services. You’ll learn more about new mobility and Maddy’s vision for inclusive and accessible cities in the future.

Transcript

About

A white woman with curly brown hair is standing at a microphone, smiling. She is wearing a green dress and a simple gold necklace. Photo credit: John Livzey.

Maddy Ruvolo (she/her) is a disabled urban planner and researcher passionate about transportation access for the disability community. She has worked for the UCLA Institute of Transportation Studies, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, the Los Angeles Department of Transportation, and the Oakland Department of Transportation. Maddy has a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from UCLA and a B.A. in American Studies from Scripps College. Maddy began her career at disability rights organizations and brings her lived experience with disability to all facets of her work.

Twitter: @MaddyRuvolo

Support Disability Media and Culture

DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Cheryl Green, Audio Producer and Text Transcript

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)

Music

“Night Watch” and “Pinky” by Blue Dot Sessions. (Source: FreeMusicArchive.org. Licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial License)

Sounds

“VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

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Ep 85: Fat Liberation

Mon, 07 Sep 2020 13:34:21 +0000

Today’s episode is all about fat liberation with Max Airborne and Caleb Luna. Max is an organizer for collective liberation, rooted in fat liberation and disability justice. They co-founded Fat Rose and an organizer for the No Body Is Disposable campaign. Caleb is a performer-scholar-activist. They are a Ph.D. candidate in Performance Studies at UC Berkeley, where their research focuses on historicizing performances of eating and cultural representations and fat embodiment. Max and Caleb will talk about their lived experiences as fat people, the hate, violence, and oppression toward fat people and what fat politics and liberation is all about.

Transcript

About

Caleb, a fat brown disabled femme, places their hands on their hips and looks at the camera defiantly. They are wearing blue plants, a blue bomber jacket with pink florals, and a black t-shirt that reads GORDA in a cursive script.

Caleb Luna (they/them) is a performer-scholar-activist. They are a Ph.D. candidate in Performance Studies at UC Berkeley, where their research focuses on historicizing performances of eating and cultural representations and fat embodiment. They are interested in embodied difference as a generative resource toward fatter understandings of collective freedom. You can find their writing online at Black Girl Dangerous, Everyday Feminism and The Body Is Not An Apology. Their print publications include Nepantla: An Anthology Dedicated to Queer Poets of Color (2018); Canadian Art magazine (Winter 2018); and the forthcoming Queer Nightlife anthology. They also produce exclusive content at Patreon.com/CalebLuna.

Twitter: @chairbreaker_

Max Airborne, a fat white person wearing blue jeans, an aqua t-shirt, a red knit beanie and round glasses, sits on a scooter in front of San Francisco ICE headquarters, speaking through a bullhorn. Resting on the front of their scooter is a large cardboard sign hand-painted with the words “No Body Is Disposable.” On their left someone is interpreting in ASL, and on their right someone is recording audio using a handheld device.

Max Airborne is an organizer for collective liberation, rooted in fat liberation and disability justice. They co-founded Fat Rose: fatrose.org

Instagram: @fatlibink

Twitter: @fatroseaction

Support Disability Media and Culture

DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Cheryl Green, Audio Producer and Text Transcript

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)

Album: NO BIG DEAL

Music

“Affairs of State” by Shaolin Dub. (Source: FreeMusicArchive.org. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.)

Sounds

“VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

]]>

Ep 84: Anthologies

Sun, 23 Aug 2020 12:51:40 +0000

Today’s episode is all about anthologies with Kelly Jensen, a writer and editor who has a new anthology out now titled, Body Talk: 37 Voices Explore Our Radical Anatomy. I also have a new anthology out this summer titled Disability Visibility and so excited to have this conversation with Kelly as two disabled editors. You’ll hear about the unique aspects of anthologies, Kelly’s approach to finding contributors and editing their writing, and wondrous radicalness of bodies. And full disclosure, I have an essay in Body Talk about saliva and you can read a short excerpt here.

Book with a blue cover with a background showing illustrations of different types of bodies. The title reads, “BODY TALK: 37 Voices Explore Our Radical Anatomy” edited by Kelly Jensen, editor of (DON’T) CALL ME CRAZY. On the right side is a list of the 37 contributors.

You can also join Kelly and me in conversation for an online book event on September 27, 2020, 4 pm Pacific co-organized by the Disability Visibility Project and Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability at San Francisco State University.

Anthologies by Disabled Editors with Kelly Jensen and Alice Wong. September 21st, 2020, 4pm PT/7pm ET. Join us for a conversation between Kelly Jensen and Alice Wong, two disabled writers/editors who both have anthologies out this summer. Kelly Jensen’s “Body Talk: 37 Voices Explore Our Radical Anatomy” is available now by Workman Books. Alice Wong is the editor of “Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-First Century.” 10 lucky participants will win a free copy of either book! ASL/captioning provided. Register: tinyurl.com/DisabilityAnthologies. Webinar co-organized by the Disability Visibility Project and the Paul K. Longmore Institute on Disability. Text is on a white background bordered by yellow. To the left of the text is an image of Kelly and the cover of her book, and to the right is an image of Alice and her book.

Transcript

About

Black and white headshot of Kelly Jensen.

Kelly Jensen is a former teen librarian who worked in several public libraries before pursuing a full-time career in writing and editing. Her current position is with Book Riot (bookriot.com), where she focuses on talking about young adult literature. Her books include Here We Are: Feminism for The Real World and (Don’t) Call Me Crazy, a collection of art, essays, and words to launch a powerful and important conversation about mental health. It was named a best book of 2018 by the Washington Post and earned a Schneider Family Book Award Honor. Her new anthology is Body Talk: 37 Voices Explore Our Radical Anatomy, available August 18, 2020 by Workman Books.

Website: https://kellybjensen.com/

Twitter: @veronikellymars

Instagram: @heykellyjensen

Support Disability Media and Culture

DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Geraldine Ah-Sue, Audio Producer

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Cheryl Green, Text Transcript

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)

Music

“Rebound” by Podington Bear (Rebound by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License)

Sounds

“VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

]]>

Ep 83: Disabled Dancers

Sat, 08 Aug 2020 11:16:08 +0000

Today’s episode is all about disabled dancers with India Harville, an African American queer disabled femme teacher, somatic bodyworker, dancer, instructor, activist, and educator. You’ll hear India talk about how she became involved in dance and what it means to her, what accessed centered movement is and how it’s rooted in disability justice, and the connections between bodywork, dance, and healing. Please note our conversation took place in January of 2020, before the coronavirus pandemic.

Transcript

About

IMAGE OF MIXED ABILITIES DANCE TEACHER INDIA HARVILLE. SHE IS AFRICAN-AMERICAN WITH HAIR IN LOCKS, WEARING ALL BLACK, SITTING ON THE FLOOR WITH HER HANDS CLASPED, SMILING AT THE CAMERA.

India Harville is an African American queer disabled femme teacher, somatic bodyworker, dancer/dance instructor, performance artist, social justice activist, and educator dedicated to facilitating people in personal and collective healing and transformation.

India has over 17 years experience in the fields of embodiment via massage, somatics, and dance. India is trained in several massage/somatic modalities including Swedish, Deep Tissue, Neuromuscular Therapy, Shiatsu, Thai, and Rosen Method Bodywork. India has studied several forms of dance including NIA, Zumba, KiVo, Dancing Freedom, DanceAbility, and American DanceWheels wheelchair ballroom dance. India has over 15 years teaching experience.

India’s eclectic toolkit makes her very adept in helping people deepen their connection to themselves and to helping people find more pleasure and ease in their lives.

India holds a BA in health psychology from New College of Florida and a MA in Integrative Medicine from the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS).

India has received many awards/fellowships including the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship Award to conduct research on the body’s response to stress in Dusseldorf Germany, three scholarships/residencies to study/teach/perform mixed abilities dance, including one with Sins Invalid in Berkeley California, and has conducted research at The Touch Research Institute in Miami Florida, University of California San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco State, and Ed Roberts Campus in Berkeley California.

India has had health challenges since infancy, but she did not adopt a politicized disabled identity until 2011. In the last seven years her health conditions have been her greatest teacher. Her personal journey with disability deeply informs how she works with others.

India is originally from Michigan, but considers herself a Bay Area convert after living here for over a decade. When India is not working with clients, she enjoys time in nature, reading, and meditation.

Website: http://lovingtheskinyouarein.com/

Support Disability Media and Culture

DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Cheryl Green, Text Transcript

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)

Album: NO BIG DEAL

#ADA30InColor: 13 essays by disabled people of color on disability rights and justice

Music

“Loca salsa 2” by zagi2, March 3, 2015 (Licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported license CC BY-NC 3.0)

Sounds

“VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

]]>

82a: Americans with Disabilities Act

Sun, 26 Jul 2020 08:45:54 +0000

Surprise! This is a bonus episode talking about disability rights and the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (also known as the ADA). I recently spoke with Conchita Hernandez Legorreta for an upcoming conversation on immigration and Conchita had some really important thoughts about disability rights, leadership and the ADA. Here is a short excerpt from my interview with Conchita. You can also learn more about Conchita in episode 90 of this podcast.

Transcript

[Google doc]

About

Conchita Hernandez Legoretta, a Latina woman smiling at the camera. She has long wavy brown hair and is wearing gold hoop earrings.

Twitter: @Conchitahdz

Support Disability Media and Culture

DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Cheryl Green, Text Transcript

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)

Album: NO BIG DEAL

Sounds

“VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

]]>

Ep 82: Americans with Disabilities Act

Sun, 26 Jul 2020 08:00:59 +0000

Today is July 26, 2020 and in the United States it is the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, also known as the ADA. I’m much more comfortable asking questions, but I’m gonna share my personal story with you all on this occasion in this interview by my friend Rochelle Kwan. The tables are turned! Rochelle is the Community Producer for the podcast Self Evident and the storytelling team lead at Think!Chinatown, a community organization based in New York City Chinatown. I first met Rochelle when she worked at StoryCorps and we immediately bonded about Lunar New Year festivities and dumplings. You’ll hear about my early years, the influence of the ADA on my life, my thoughts about the future of accessibility, and more.

Three Asian Americans taking a selfie at an outdoor sidewalk. In the back is Luigi Villanueva, on the left is Alice Wong, a wheelchair user with a mask over her nose attached to a ventilator, on the right is Rochelle Kwan. Everyone is smiling.

Transcript

About

Rochelle Kwan, a Chinese-American woman with short black hair, stands in the middle of a San Francisco Chinatown street looking down at the camera with a soft smile. She wears a long, red cheongsam dress, black boots, gold hoop earrings, and a jade ring. In the background are rows of hanging red lanterns, neon signs with Chinese characters, and parked cars. This photo was taken by her sister, Elodie Kwan.

Rochelle Hoi-Yiu Kwan is a writer, audio producer, and cultural organizer who brings together her backgrounds in social work and media to engage with communities to celebrate the power of everyday voices. Her work includes developing a community engagement program with AAPI communities at StoryCorps, training students to lay the foundation for the Hunter College Asian American Studies Oral History Archive, producing Chinatown community storytelling projects with Think!Chinatown, and cultivating meaningful relationships with AAPI communities around the country with Self Evident. When she’s not thinking about storytelling, you can typically find her dancing all night long, cooking family recipes, or eating mangoes.

Photo of an Asian American woman in a power chair. She is wearing an orange-red jacket and black pants. She is wearing a mask over her nose attached to a gray tube and bright red lip color. Her hands are resting over her joystick. Photo credit: Eddie Hernandez Photography

Alice Wong is a disabled activist, media maker, and consultant. She is the Founder and Director of the Disability Visibility Project® (DVP), an online community dedicated to creating, sharing and amplifying disability media and culture created in 2014. Currently, Alice is the Editor of Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories from the Twenty-first Century, an anthology of essays by disabled people, available now (June 30, 2020) by Vintage Books.

Twitter: @SFdirewolf @DisVisibility

Support Disability Media and Culture

DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Geraldine Ah-Sue, Audio Producer

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Cheryl Green, Text Transcript

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)

Music

“Gentle Marimbas” by Podington Bear (Gentle Marimbas by Podington Bear is licensed under a Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License.)

Sounds

“VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

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Ep 81: Bioethics

Sun, 12 Jul 2020 08:32:14 +0000

We’re right in the middle of the summer and the coronavirus pandemic in the United States and other countries around the world continues to spread with little end in sight. What’s a better time than now to talk about bioethics? Today I’m in conversation with Dr. Joe Stramondo. Joe is an assistant professor of philosophy and associate director of the Institute for Ethics and Public Affairs at San Diego State University. His teaching and writing focus primarily on the intersection of philosophy of disability and bioethics. We spoke in late April of this year after we were both on Ethics Talk, a podcast by the AMA Journal on Ethics. Joe will describe how he got into philosophy and bioethics, what bioethics is, and some of his recent writing on the impact of the pandemic on disabled people.

Transcript

About

Dr. Joe Stramondo, a white, cis man with dwarfism smiles at the camera. He has a shaved head and short beard andis wearing dark rimmed glasses, a dark driver’s cap, and dark cardigan over a light t-shirt.

Joseph Stramondo is an assistant professor of philosophy and associate director of the Institute for Ethics and Public Affairs at San Diego State University. His teaching and writing focus primarily on the intersection of philosophy of disability and bioethics. More specifically, he has written more than twenty scholarly articles and book chapters on topics ranging from informed consent procedures to physician assisted suicide to reproductive ethics to assistive neurotechnology. His current research is devoted to developing two book manuscripts. The first is under contract with Routledge and will address the ways in which the field of bioethics fails to address the moral salience of the social categories of gender, race, disability, and sexuality. The second will offer a systematic, if limited, defense of the moral permissibility of using reproductive technology to choose to have a disabled child. When Dr Stramondo isn’t working, you will find him spending time with his partner, two kids, and their canine companion ‘Odysseus.’

Website: http://philosophy.sdsu.edu/bios/stramondo.htm

Twitter: @PhilosopherCrip

Support Disability Media and Culture

DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Cheryl Green, Text Transcript

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)

Music

“Big waves hit land” by straget. Source: freemusicarchive.org. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.

Sounds

“VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

]]>

Ep 80: Fashion

Sun, 28 Jun 2020 12:18:51 +0000

Today’s episode is about fashion with Stephanie Thomas. Stephanie is a Disability Fashion Styling Expert and Founder and CEO of Cur8able, a business dedicated to the art and science of dressing with disabilities. For over two decades she’s researched clothing and retail trends exclusively for people with disabilities. As an amputee herself, Stephanie believes this is more than her profession, it’s her lived experience. You’ll hear about how she got into fashion, what it’s like being a disabled entrepreneur, what it means to be a stylist, and more.

Transcript

About

Stephanie Thomas, a Black woman with oval shaped eyes, round nose, smiling. Her chin is resting on her clasped hands. Her hair locs are pulled up in a high bun and wearing a sleeveless black top. The background is a grayish black backdrop. My condition’s name is Symbrachydactyly. I am a congenital amputee missing digits on my right hand and feet. Photo credit: Benjo Arwas @benjoarwas

Born a congenital amputee missing digits, Los Angeles-based Stephanie Thomas is the CEO of Cur8able, a disability fashion stylist, and editor of Cur8able.com a lifestyle blog at the intersection of fashion and disability. She curates the blog according to her disability fashion styling system. Also, Stephanie is a trusted voice actor, audio describer, and member of the SAG AFTRA actors with disabilities committee.

Stephanie holds graduate degrees in communication and fashion journalism. She is also the author and editor of Fitting In: An Anthology of the Social Implications of Fashion and Dressing with Disabilities, coming August 2020. Recently Stephanie participated in the Instagram based #sharethemicnow campaign where she was matched with Selma Blair and took over Selma’s Instagram account for a day. The premise of the #sharethemicnow was to give black women access to audience of the women they were matched with.

New Textbook:

Fitting In: The Social Implications of Fashion and Dressing with Disabilities (Coming Spring 2020)

Features:

Website : www.cur8able.com

Instagram | Twitter | Facebook @cur8able

Stephanie Thomas Instagram @disabilityfashionstylist

TEDx TALK: Stephanie Thomas: Dressing with Disabilities

Support Disability Media and Culture

DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Cheryl Green, Audio Producer and Text Transcript

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)

Album: NO BIG DEAL

Music

“Onwards Upwards” by Ketsa. (Source: freemusicarchive.org. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 License.)

Sounds

“VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

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Ep 79: Disabled Candidates

Mon, 15 Jun 2020 12:06:22 +0000

For the last four years I’ve been a co-partner #CripTheVote which is an online movement encouraging the political participation of disabled people. Getting involved can mean voting, volunteering, attending a public meeting, or running for office. Learning about the issues counts too. Today’s episode features a conversation with Amanda Siebe, a disabled candidate who ran for a Congressional House seat representing District one in Oregon. Please note that Amanda and I spoke last year before the recent May primary. Unfortunately Amanda was not elected as the candidate for the Demcratic general election but you will hear about her experiences running for office, her platform, and why political change and representation is so important.

Transcript

About

Amanda Siebe, a white woman in a wheelchair and her service dog, Dobby.

Amanda Siebe was raised in Beaverton, OR where she lived with her parents and three siblings. She attended Jesuit High School in Portland, OR and was a recipient of the President’s Award for Community Service. After high school, Amanda attended Western Oregon University (WOU) where she studied International Relations, Spanish, and Sociology, focusing on Community Organizing and Immigration. In 2009, Amanda was awarded WOU’s Saul Alinsky Community Organizing Award for her work with the Monmouth-Independence Tenants Union. Amanda volunteered for the Boy Scouts of America, the Girl Scouts, and was a volunteer EMT at Polk County Fire District No. 1. In 2012, Amanda was diagnosed with Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD), also known as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), following a work-related injury. Since her diagnosis, she has become a relentless advocate for chronic pain, patients, and disability rights.

Amanda has dedicated her life to improving her community and tries to teach her son, Keagan, to do the same. Since high school, she has been marching for police reform, immigrant rights, LGBTQ rights, government reform, women’s rights, and more. In 2016, she traveled to Standing Rock to stand with the Water Protectors against the Dakota Access Pipeline. In her free time, Amanda tutors and mentors local kids from ages 10 to 18, helping with homework, and teaching them to be better and demand more from our government. For her, there’s no battle too big or fight too hard to take on. Now, she’s determined to take the fight for equality and justice to Congress.

Twitter: @SiebeforORD1

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Credits

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Cheryl Green, Text Transcript

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

Music

Music, “Wind chimes 1,” by giddster, August 21, 2018.

Sounds

“VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

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Ep 78: Hate Crimes

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 11:56:39 +0000

Today’s episode is about hate crimes with Dr. Sachin Pavithran, the Director of Policy at the Center for Persons with Disabilities at Utah State University. Sachin is also a member of the Access Board, an independent federal agency and President of the Board of AUCD (Association of University Centers on Disabilities). We talked in October last year about his personal experiences and please note there will be discussions on hate, hate crimes, racism, racial profiling, police brutality, xenophobia, and violence.

Transcript

About

Picture of Sachin Pavithran, a South Asian man in a suit holding white cane outside the Capitol in Salt Lake City.

Sachin Pavithran was born in India, but grew up in Dubai which is in the United Arab Emirates. Sachin came to the US at the age of 17 to start his undergraduate degree at Utah State University. His undergraduate degrees are in Business Information Systems, and another degree in Marketing. Sachin received his Masters in Vocational Rehabilitation Counseling and has a PhD in Disability Disciplines with an emphasis on disability policy. Sachin is currently the Program Director of the Utah Assistive Technology Program (UATP) and the Director of Policy for the Center for Persons with Disabilities. Sachin enjoys being an advocate for people with disabilities. He keeps up with the research and development of various assistive technologies, and is involved nationally in working with legislators in the Federal and State Government to bring change in Policies that have a direct impact on individuals with disabilities. He has reached out to the international community on Disability Policy and Infrastructure Development based on the requirements set forth by the UN CRPD. He has trained and presented in several countries such as the United Arab Emirates, India, Egypt, Syria, Philippines, Thailand, Turkey and Mexico. Sachin has over eighteen years of direct involvement in development, testing, and training for accessibility for assistive technology, extensive experience in lecturing and training others in accessible technology. Sachin provides technical assistance on accessible information technology for individuals and groups. He helps in the evaluation of products related to web accessibility and design. Sachin has had extensive experience working with the higher education community dealing with access to instructional materials and transition from K – 12 to post-secondary education and then to the workforce. He is strongly engaged in the dialogue about cultural diversity, inclusion of people with disabilities and LGBTQ to promote equality on a state and national level. He has served on various boards nationally such as, The Research and Development committee for the National Federation of the Blind, the Assistive Technology Act Programs national board, Association of University Centers on Disabilities national board, and Senator Hatch’s Advisory committee for disability policy. He was appointed by President Obama to the U.S. Access Board where he chairs several rule making committees in this capacity. He was appointed to the US Commission on Civil Rights where he serves as a strong advocate for civil rights for all nationally. Sachin aspires to be in the fore-front of establishing and implementing national and international policy that impacts people with disabilities around the world.

Twitter: @SDPavithran

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DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Cheryl Green, Text Transcript

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)

Album: NO BIG DEAL

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

Music

Music “Broken,” by Kevin Brown, November 16, 2019

Sounds

“VOCODER countdown” by Jack_Master. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

“8 Bit Beeping Computer Sounds” by sheepfilms. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons 0 License.

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Ep 77: Mental Health Advocacy

Sun, 17 May 2020 08:13:32 +0000

This May is Mental Health Awareness month and today I speak with Kathy Flaherty about mental health advocacy. Kathy is the Executive Director of Connecticut Legal Rights Project a statewide non-profit agency that provides legal services to low income individuals with mental health conditions, who reside in hospitals or the community, on matters related to their treatment, recovery, and civil rights. Kathy combines her personal experience as a recipient of mental health services and her legal background to speak to issues affecting those living with mental health conditions.

*Content warnings: this interview will discuss the following topics that may be traumatic and triggering: gun violence, hospitalization, psychiatric institutions, forced medication, suicide, and suicidal ideation.

Transcript

About

A head and shoulders picture of a woman with short brown/gray hair, glasses, and a big smile standing in front of a column in a government building. The picture is off center and there are blurred lights in the background. She is wearing a gray patterned sweater over a gray, blue and black patterned dress.

Since 2015, Kathy Flaherty has served as Executive Director of Connecticut Legal Rights Project, Inc. (CLRP) (www.clrp.org) a statewide non-profit agency that provides legal services to low income individuals with mental health conditions, who reside in hospitals or the community, on matters related to their treatment, recovery, and civil rights. Kathy spent 13 years as a Staff Attorney at Statewide Legal Services of CT, Inc., the centralized intake hotline for all the Connecticut legal services programs.

Kathy combines her personal experience as a recipient of mental health services and her legal background to speak to issues affecting those living with mental health conditions.

Kathy is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers-CT (the state’s lawyer assistance program) www.lclct.org ; she is a member of the Advisory Board of the Connecticut Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement (CABLE) (www.cableweb.org.) Kathy is the co-chair of the Keep the Promise Coalition (http://www.ctkeepthepromise.org/), a coalition of advocates (people living with mental health conditions, family members, mental health professionals and interested community members) with a vision of a state in which people with mental health conditions are able to live successfully in the community because they have access to housing and other community-based supports and services that are recovery oriented, person-driven and holistic in their approach to wellness. She is also a member of the steering committee of the Connecticut Cross Disability Lifespan Alliance (http://bit.ly/CCDLA), an alliance of people of all ages with all disabilities who pursue a unified agenda in support of building a great life in the community.

A graduate of Wellesley College and Harvard Law School, Kathy has dedicated her professional life to advocating for the rights of the underserved.

Kathy lives in her hometown of Newington with her husband, Jim Valentino, and their rescue dog Bella.

Kathy is on Twitter @ConnConnection and is on Instagram at @reddevilsfan8332. Kathy has written op-eds published in the Hartford Courant and CT Mirror on a variety of topics, including politics, law, mental health, adoptee rights, and soccer.

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DONATE to the Disability Visibility Project®

Credits

Cheryl Green, Audio Producer and Text Transcript

Alice Wong, Writer, Audio Producer, Host

Lateef McLeod, Introduction

Mike Mort, Artwork

Theme Music (used with permission of artist)