Down to the Struts

Qudsiya Naqui

A podcast about disability and design, where we uncover the building blocks for a more inclusive world.

  1. 6d ago

    Arts & Media Mini Series - Recast of Disability Reproductive Freedom with Sara Luterman

    In addition to making media accessible and centering disabled storytelling through podcasting and other creative forms, it is essential that we make visible the views of disabled people on critical issues of the day. In this important conversation with Sara Luterman of the 19th, we discussed Sara’s reporting on a first of its kind poll by Data for Progress about disabled people’s views on abortion. These views are diverse and complex, rooted in histories of institutionalization, forced sterilization, and the use of abortion to erase disability. This type of polling highlights the critical importance of cross-movement solidarity between the movements for disability justice and reproductive justice, to ensure that the battle for reproductive autonomy is not just about the right to abortion, but also the right to bear children, and to effectively care for ourselves and our families. These issues are more important than ever, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health, which overturned Roe v. Wade and the Constitutional right to abortion, resulting in a massive erosion in access to reproductive healthcare for birthing people. -- Let us know what you think with a comment or review! Visit our website⁠ ⁠for⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ transcripts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Getting Down To It⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support the team behind the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠with a donation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Arts & Media Mini Series - Recast of Disability Reproductive Freedom with Sara Luterman
  2. Jul 21

    Arts & Media Mini Series - Recast of Disabled Podcasters Unite with Cheryl Green & Thomas Reid

    When Qudsiya spoke with Cheryl Green and Thomas Reid back in Season 4, they were on the precipice of launching a new project with the support of our beloved disabled ancestor, Alice Wong to bring more disabled creatives into the world of podcasting. Since then, Thomas and Cheryl launched Pod Access, a hub for disabled podcasters, including a library of disabled led podcasts, a skill share platform, a podcast featuring insights about how to launch and grow a podcast specifically designed for disabled podcasters, and many other resources and opportunities for collaboration.    In this episode, you’ll get a firsthand window into Cheryl and Thomas’s podcasting origin stories, their creative process, and why they believe disability isn’t a specialty topic—it’s an essential lens for telling stories about everything from culture, to climate, to the economy.   Nearly six years ago, Alice Wong introduced Qudsiya to Cheryl Green, who then introduced her to Thomas Reid. Alice began a chain of connections without which Down to the Struts Would never have been born. This is a testament to the power of disability community, and the magic that spreads when we help each other share our stories   -- Let us know what you think with a comment or review! Visit our website⁠ ⁠for⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ transcripts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Getting Down To It⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support the team behind the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠with a donation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Arts & Media Mini Series - Recast of Disabled Podcasters Unite with Cheryl Green & Thomas Reid
  3. Jul 14

    Arts & Media Mini Series - Recast of Accessing The News with Sean Collins

    It’s Disability Pride Month, and we’re continuing our trip down memory lane with a brand new mini series featuring past podcast conversations with leaders who have reshaped arts and media through the lens of disability. The Trump administration continues to threaten the erasure of disabled people from American society, most recently by calling into question a decades-old Supreme Court precedent in the case Olmstead v. L.C. that enshrined a right to community integration for disabled people under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Now, more than ever, we need to lift up disability culture and tell disabled stories through every form of media possible. We also must ensure that media is accessible to disabled people because the ability to share our stories in our own voices is more important than ever. As we continue the struggle to protect our right to live and thrive in this world, this season, we’re uplifting the journalists, podcasters, musicians, and artists who, every day, ensure that accessibility, disability culture, and disability stories are front and center. We’ll begin with one of our earliest podcast guests, Sean Collins, to  learn about why image descriptions in news articles are essential to accessing the news. We hope you enjoy revisiting these episodes with us! And stay tuned for a very special brand new episode to close out this mini series! -- Let us know what you think with a comment or review! Visit our website⁠ ⁠for⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ transcripts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Getting Down To It⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support the team behind the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠with a donation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Arts & Media Mini Series - Recast of Accessing The News with Sean Collins
  4. May 10

    Mother's Day Feed Drop: Qudsiya Naqui On Babies Down Bottles Up!

    Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! We have a very special episode on Qudsiya’s first mother’s day as a mom. Down to the Struts collaborated with the ladies of Babies Down, Bottles Up, a podcast about blind parenting featured in our feed last week. Qudsiya, Josselyn, Kisha, and Terrin had a fascinating conversation over their favorite beverages about how the law treats disabled parents, and what blind parents need to know about navigating the family regulation system. The BDBU team shared their own stories of encounters with CPS, the pressures of trying to prove you are a competent disabled parent, and the importance of fiercely protecting their dignity and autonomy in a system designed to police disabled parents because of ableist assumptions that they are not worthy of birthing and caring for children. Qudsiya, Josselyn, Terrin, and Kisha also shared important tips and resources for blind parents navigating family regulation. And, in true BDBU fashion, even as they discussed this serious topic, they managed to have some fun.   Check out the original BDBU episode page for more information and resources. -- Let us know what you think with a comment or review! Visit our website⁠ ⁠for⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ transcripts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Getting Down To It⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support the team behind the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠with a donation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Mother's Day Feed Drop: Qudsiya Naqui On Babies Down Bottles Up!
  5. May 5

    Feed Drop Mini Series: Featuring "Babies Down, Bottles Up," An Unfiltered Podcast About 3 Blind Moms

    We’re back with the final installment of our mini series featuring some fabulous disability podcasts that the team has been enjoying lately. Here at Down to the Struts, we explore disability, design, and intersectionality, including the multitude of identities each of us holds and how they shape—and are shaped by—the world around us. A new identity for Qudsiya showed up when she became a parent with a disability. She wanted to learn from the many disabled parents who’ve come before her, so she went in search of them. She was delighted when she found the ladies of Babies Down, Bottles Up, a podcast featuring blind moms, bold stories, and a splash of wine. Hosts Terrin, Josselyn, and Kisha know how to have a great time while getting real about life as blind parents. Today, we’re sharing one of Qudsiya’s favorite BDBU episodes, “Canes, Trains, and Planes,” which offers practical advice for traveling with children while blind. The BDBU team and Down to the Struts are also cooking up a special surprise for our listeners, so stay tuned for that in the coming weeks. In the meantime, be sure to subscribe to Babies Down, Bottles Up wherever you love to listen, check out the original episode page for Canes, Trains, and Planes, and, if you’re a blind parent, download the BDBU blind parenting toolkit for some fantastic and simple tools to guide you through the many phases and facets of parenting. -- Let us know what you think with a comment or review! Visit our website⁠ ⁠for⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ transcripts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Getting Down To It⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support the team behind the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠with a donation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Feed Drop Mini Series: Featuring "Babies Down, Bottles Up," An Unfiltered Podcast About 3 Blind Moms
  6. Apr 28

    Feed Drop Mini Series: Featuring "Proud Stutter" The Podcast

    We’re back with the second installment of our mini series featuring a small selection of other must-listen disability podcasts. This week, we’re exploring a new aspect of disability culture from our friends at Proud stutter. Proud Stutter is a podcast about changing how we understand and talk about stuttering. In this episode, host Maya Chupkov chats with Ina Lalich, a San Francisco-raised, multilingual woman who stutters. Maya and Ina talk about language (Ina speaks English, Serbo-Croatian, and French), identity, and learning to take up space. Ina frames stuttering as a tool that enhances creativity, builds empathy, and brings precision to how we communicate. Stigma towards those who stutter is an example of how ableism undergirds what we as a society view as quote normal, and guides how we treat those whose voice or way of being deviates from that normal. Proud Stutter is doing powerful work to open our minds to all the different ways there are to voice. Be sure to take a listen, and to follow Proud Stutter on your favorite podcast app. Check out the original episode page for more information about the show. -- Let us know what you think with a comment or review! Visit our website⁠ ⁠for⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ transcripts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Getting Down To It⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support the team behind the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠with a donation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Feed Drop Mini Series: Featuring "Proud Stutter" The Podcast
  7. Apr 21

    Feed Drop Mini Series: Featuring "Crip Crap: The Podcast"

    We’re back in your feeds for another mini series. This time, we’ll be featuring three other disability podcasts that are must-listens. First up is Crip Crap. Crip Crap was established in late 2021 as a container for producing and advancing disability media. It was created by Kennedy Healy, a white, fat, queer crip Writer and media maker, and Justin Cooper, a Black visual artist and disability advocate who became an ancestor in July 2024. Together, Justin and Kennedy have created a rich repository of conversations about representations of disability in media and in media making. We’re thrilled to share one of them in our feed today. It’s entitled “Access and Acting” with actress Terri Lynne Hudson. Kennedy, Justin, and Terri talk about access and representation, and the state of the entertainment and theater industries for disabled talent in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope you enjoy, and be sure to subscribe to Crip Crap on your favorite podcast app. Check out the original episode page for transcripts and more information about the show. -- Let us know what you think with a comment or review! Visit our website⁠ ⁠for⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ transcripts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Getting Down To It⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support the team behind the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠with a donation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Feed Drop Mini Series: Featuring "Crip Crap: The Podcast"
  8. Mar 31

    Immigration Mini Series Finale - "Unseen: Life As A Disabled Immigrant" Podcast with Qudsiya Naqui & Conchita Hernandez

    We’re wrapping up our Immigration Mini Series with some brand new content, brought to you by our friends from Unseen. In January 2026, Qudsiya joined forces once more With Unseen’s impact campaign to conduct a know your rights presentation specifically for disabled immigrants, so they can understand and assert their rights during encounters with ICE. This episode of the Unseen podcast includes vital information about how to disclose a disability, seek accommodations, and how to develop a safety plan if you are a disabled immigrant, the family member or loved one of a disabled immigrant, or an ally who wants to support this community as they face this administration’s draconian and unceasing assault on immigrants. We urge you to listen and share this information with others in your community to ensure our collective safety.   Check out the Unseen immersive podcast and visit the film’s website for more information about how to bring Unseen to your community. The impact campaign has also created this repository of resources for disabled and undocumented immigrants and their allies. If you want to learn more about the film’s origin story and the creation of the impact campaign, tune in to Qudsiya’s conversation with the film’s co-creators, Set Hernandez and Pedro, which we also rebroadcast for this mini series. -- Let us know what you think with a comment or review! Visit our website⁠ ⁠for⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ transcripts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Getting Down To It⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Support the team behind the podcast ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠with a donation⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    Immigration Mini Series Finale - "Unseen: Life As A Disabled Immigrant" Podcast with Qudsiya Naqui & Conchita Hernandez

Trailers

4.9
out of 5
31 Ratings

About

A podcast about disability and design, where we uncover the building blocks for a more inclusive world.

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