You First: The Disability Rights Florida Podcast Disability Rights Florida

Content warning: mentions of suicide, assisted suicide, and medical violence against people with disabilities.
In this compelling episode of the You First podcast, hosts Maddie and Keith continue their in-depth interview with Anita Cameron, a prominent activist in the disability rights movement. They explore Anita's role at Not Dead Yet, focusing on their work against assisted suicide and their perspectives on medical discrimination and healthcare rationing affecting the disabled community. Anita shares personal stories, including a poignant account of their mother's struggle with assisted suicide pressures and her fight for proper healthcare. The discussion extends to the implications of assisted suicide laws in both the United States and Canada, highlighting the risks and biases involved. Anita ends by offering powerful advice for aspiring activists and emphasizes the importance of ongoing advocacy for disability rights.
Lastly, we are up for a podcast award! Please vote for 'You First: The Disability Rights Florida Podcast' under the 'Society and Culture' category on the People's Choice website.
Relevant Links
Not Dead Yet: https://notdeadyet.org/ Diane Coleman’s article ‘Assisted Suicide and Disability: Another Perspective’: https://dredf.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Diane-Coleman-article-on-ABA-website.pdf Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund’s Assisted Suicide Law Info: https://dredf.org/public-policy/assisted-suicide/ Canada’s Medicaid Assistance in Dying (MAID): https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/health-services-benefits/medical-assistance-dying.html Patients Rights Action Fund: https://patientsrightsaction.org/ Patient’s Rights Council: https://www.patientsrightscouncil.org/site/

On this episode of You First, we talk with the fantastic disability rights activist Anita Cameron. Anita was, and still is, a core reason why we have disability rights today. They were an early adopter of disability rights and justice advocacy and heavily involved and a leader of the organization ADAPT (known throughout the years as American Disabled for Accessible Public Transit or American Disabled for Attendant Programs), the Atlantis community, amongst many other pivotal leadership roles. Anita joins us today to share the history of the disability rights movement and their own stories, experiences, and wisdom as someone involved in disability activism for decades. Anita will tell us about their work in this field, different protests, and the disabled disobedience that got us the crucial laws and protections we have today. We had the pleasure of speaking with Anita for over 2 hours and decided to split this into two episodes.
Lastly, we are up for a podcast award! Please vote for 'You First: The Disability Rights Florida Podcast' under the 'Society and Culture' category on the People's Choice website.
Relevant Links
Anita Cameron website: https://bit.ly/3WfDA0Z Anita Cameron’s Twitter: https://x.com/adaptanita Dennis Schreiber: https://bit.ly/4cSBERv Disabled Americans Rally for Equality (DARE): https://bit.ly/3WeYaPb ADAPT – American Disabled for Accessible Public Transit or American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today: https://bit.ly/3Wghrj5 Lighthouse for the Blind: https://bit.ly/4cCycLe Wade Blank – founder of ADAPT: https://bit.ly/3W0DIjx Atlantis Community: https://bit.ly/3WhHmac and https://bit.ly/3zytwat When You Remember Me movie: https://bit.ly/4czY4Hs We will ride! – The Gang of 19: https://bit.ly/4cz9b3D We Were There, Too: Blacks in the Disability Movement (coming soon – for info, follow Anita’s website or social media) Free Our People Micassa: https://bit.ly/3VWM4ca Gwen Jackson – ADAPT: https://bit.ly/4cx7mUP ADAPT history: https://bit.ly/3WhHmqI Healthcare Policy and Finance and Colorado ADAPT relationship: https://bit.ly/4czFfV2 Find your local ADAPT group: https://bit.ly/3wT7NbW

In this unique episode of You First, hosts Maddie and Keith share a personal and insightful discussion about Long Covid and its effects on everyday life. Initially delayed due to Maddie's Long Covid flare-up, this episode takes a candid and casual approach to a serious topic, highlighting symptoms, the politicization of masking, and the ongoing pandemic. The conversation takes an unexpected yet comforting turn into the world of grilled cheese, exploring how this simple meal has served as a go-to comfort food during tough times. Tune in for both serious insights and light-hearted moments as the hosts navigate these intertwined subjects.
Relevant Links
Long COVID Basics (CDC) Living with Long COVID (CDC) Guidance on “Long COVID” as a Disability Under the ADA, Section 504, and Section 1557 Accommodating Employees with Covid-19 or Long Covid Penn Medicine Launches Region’s First Post-COVID-19 Neurological Care Clinic Long COVID-19: Symptoms and Stories National Institutes of Health: Long COVID MaskBloc.org: Masks For All Florida-based Mask Bloc: SWAMP Central Florida Grilled Mac & Cheese Recipe POD Access Newsletter

Today's episode features disability and artificial intelligence (AI) experts Larry Weru, Ariana Aboulafia, and Jennifer Gray. AI has been around for years, but things changed when OpenAI released ChatGPT. Since then, the news around AI has increased a lot. AI is more than just a chatbot responder; it can be used in many different ways. We talk with the guests about how AI impacts people with disabilities in their healthcare, education, and employment. The guests provide both intriguing and alarming information about the implications for people with disabilities.
Relevant Links:
Larry Weru’s bio: https://bit.ly/3x6hCUt Jennifer Gray’s bio: https://bit.ly/3KvALSQ New Disabled South: https://bit.ly/3HzJsdg Ariana Aboulafia’s bio: https://bit.ly/3KBv9X7 Center for Democracy & Technology: https://bit.ly/3RiYyJx New Disabled South’s Study on the Benefits and Challenges of Autonomous Workplace Technology on Disability Rights and Labor Rights: https://bit.ly/4bLRA8a Center for Democracy & Technology’s Project on Disability Rights in Technology Policy: https://bit.ly/458k7SV Automating Ableism (article): https://bit.ly/45bJXW4 99% of Fortune 500 companies use AI (article): https://bit.ly/4bIOFx9 A racist soap dispenser? Critical Theory and the non-neutrality of society (article): https://bit.ly/4c1zkId

This podcast episode features Andrew Pulrang and Gregg Beratan, prominent figures in disability advocacy and social change. Their pioneering initiative, #CripTheVote, created alongside Alice Wong, has been important in raising awareness about the political power of disabled citizens and sparking meaningful conversations about disability, politics, and activism. Through their efforts, Pulrang and Beratan have used social media to foster a continuous online space that acts as a living archive for disability voting and civic engagement work. Our conversation also considers and discusses concerns and hesitancy around voting, especially for people with disabilities. We discuss the different approaches and why voting can be an effective way for people with disabilities to advocate for themselves.
Relevant Links
Follow Andrew Pulrang on Twitter: x.com/AndrewPulrang Follow Gregg Beratan on Twitter: x.com/GreggBeratan Disability Rights Florida Voting Resources: https://bit.ly/3UN9bp6 Access the Vote Florida: www.AccessTheVote.org Rev Up Campaign through AAPD: www.AAPD.com/about-rev-up Disability Victory: DisabilityVictory.org Detroit Disability Power: DetroitDisabilityPower.org New Disabled South: NewDisabledSouth.org

In this episode of You First, co-hosts Keith and Maddie speak with Indigenous activist and disability rights leader Vesper Moore about the Mad Movement, psychiatric survivorship, and envisioning a future of collective care. Vesper, deeply involved in mental health and disability rights activism, discusses their work in altering perceptions and legislation surrounding mental health both nationally and with international bodies. The conversation delves into the history of psychiatric survivor movements, the problematic nature of involuntary commitment, and the importance of community care over institutional care. Moore emphasizes the power of peer support and shares insights into the Kiva Centers, a peer respite group that offers an alternative to traditional psychiatric institutions. Furthermore, Vesper touches on their advocacy work against re-institutionalization and for more humane, community-focused approaches to mental health care, advocating for dialogue and solidarity within the disability rights movements. The episode concludes with a call for comprehensive community support systems and the significant role of peer-led initiatives in transforming mental health care. 
Content Warning: This conversation includes instances of ableism, saneism, racism, involuntary incarceration, and mentions violence against BIPOC, disabled people, and houseless folks. Discretion is advised.
Relevant Links: 
Vesper Moore’s website: https://bit.ly/4aG6VpE  Bethlem/Bedlem Hospital: https://bit.ly/49m8Bnp  Lunatics' Friend Society: https://bit.ly/4aGxzPu  Rusk State Hospital Revolt: https://bit.ly/43IIzcQ  Drapetomania (YouTube video): https://bit.ly/4aFSP7P  Hiawatha Insane Asylum: https://bit.ly/43IIENG  Taíno people: https://on.natgeo.com/49mEs7h  Kiva Centers: https://bit.ly/49mEvQv  CAHOOTS (Crisis Assistance Helping Out on the Streets): https://bit.ly/43JA1Co  Bandelier National Monument Kivas: https://bit.ly/43HCWf1