Disability Visibility Alice Wong: Disability Activist, Media Maker, Consultant

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 (@Conchitahdz) 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 look forward to more in episode 90.

Today’s subject is this podcast because it’s episode 100!! Whether this is the first time you’re listening or if you’re a longtime listener, this podcast is co-audio produced by three people and myself: Sarika Mehta (@sarikadmehta), Geraldine Ah-Sue (@geraldineah_sue), and Cheryl Green (@WhoAmIToStopIt). I’m proud to work with all three of them since the podcast started in 2017. You’ll hear us talk about the lack of disabled voices in radio or podcasts, our collaborative process, and the future of the podcast. And this is a supersized episode! After the conversation, you’ll hear some feedback from podcast listeners. On my website you can also find more such as a downloadable list of all 100 podcast episodes you can share as a resource and another document with responses by students from Mid-Peninsula High School in San Mateo, California. And now for a very important update. Friends, this is the last episode of the Disability Visibility podcast. I’ll talk about how I came to this decision in the conversation you’re about to hear. I hope you will continue to subscribe because I may still produce other audio stories in the future, just not regular podcast episodes. It has been an absolute joy to create and collaborate with so many awesome people. In addition to Sarika, Cheryl, and Geraldine, I want to thank Mike Mort for creating the logo, Wheelchair Sports Camp for allowing me to use 2 of their songs as the theme music, and Lateef McLeod for the introduction. I also want to thank the 100+ guests for sharing their wisdom and time and for trusting their story with me. And most importantly, I want to thank YOU. This is not the end, but the beginning of new adventures. Thank you for being in community with me. Disability Visibility is a production of the Disability Visibility Project, an online community dedicated to recording, amplifying, and sharing disability media and culture. Text transcripts and links for each episode are available at: https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/podcast-2/ Twitter: @DisVisibility Support this podcast: patreon.com/DVP

Today I’m in conversation with my friends Andrew Pulrang (@AndrewPulrang) and Gregg Beratan (GreggBeratan). 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. Disability Visibility is a production of the Disability Visibility Project, an online community dedicated to recording, amplifying, and sharing disability media and culture. Text transcripts and links for each episode are available at: https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/podcast-2/ Twitter: @DisVisibility Support this podcast: patreon.com/DVP

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. Disability Visibility is a production of the Disability Visibility Project, an online community dedicated to recording, amplifying, and sharing disability media and culture. Text transcripts and links for each episode are available at: https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/podcast-2/ Twitter: @DisVisibility Support this podcast: patreon.com/DVP

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. For more, you may want to check out episode 32 of this podcast with Dr. Mansha Mirza who talked about a project in Illinois that helps refugees with disabilities access employment and career opportunities. Disability Visibility is a production of the Disability Visibility Project, an online community dedicated to recording, amplifying, and sharing disability media and culture. Text transcripts and links for each episode are available at: https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/podcast-2/ Twitter: @DisVisibility Support this podcast: patreon.com/DVP

Today’s episode is about art and technology featuring a conversation with Lindsey D. Felt (@ldfelt) and Vanessa Chang (@vxchang). 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. Disability Visibility is a production of the Disability Visibility Project, an online community dedicated to recording, amplifying, and sharing disability media and culture. Text transcripts and links for each episode are available at: https://disabilityvisibilityproject.com/podcast-2/ Twitter: @DisVisibility Support this podcast: patreon.com/DVP