A podcast about disability and design, where we uncover the building blocks for a more inclusive world.
The Down to the Struts podcast is a remarkable show that combines informative content with captivating storytelling. Each episode provides a unique perspective on disability, shedding light on untold stories and challenging societal norms. The host's ability to create an engaging and joyful listening experience makes this podcast stand out among others. As a listener, I not only learn something new in each episode but also have the pleasure of immersing myself in stories that touch my heart.
One of the best aspects of this podcast is the array of diverse speakers and topics covered. The host ensures that every episode offers a fresh perspective by featuring individuals from various backgrounds who share their experiences with disability. This diversity adds depth to the discussions and allows listeners to gain insights into different aspects of disabled life. Whether it's exploring workplace accommodations or discussing personal triumphs, each episode brings fresh perspectives that broaden our understanding.
Moreover, the speakers featured on this podcast are excellent storytellers who captivate listeners from start to finish. Their ability to communicate complex ideas in a relatable way truly sets this podcast apart. By sharing their personal struggles, successes, and lessons learned, they empower others who may be navigating similar challenges. The guests' authenticity and vulnerability make for compelling episodes that leave a lasting impact.
While still in its early stages, one could argue that the Down to the Struts podcast could benefit from expanding its reach and visibility. As more people discover this valuable resource, it has great potential to become an even stronger voice within the disability community. Additionally, providing transcripts or closed captions for each episode would enhance accessibility for all listeners.
In conclusion, the Down to the Struts podcast is an incredible resource for anyone interested in gaining a deeper understanding of disability issues and learning from firsthand experiences. Its blend of informative content, engaging storytelling, and diverse perspectives make it both educational and enjoyable to listen to. I highly recommend this podcast as it consistently delivers thought-provoking episodes that inspire and empower.
This week, Qudsiya speaks with Professor Jamelia Morgan, an award-winning and acclaimed scholar and teacher at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, where she also directs the Center for Racial and Disability Justice. Professor Morgan's work focuses on the intersection of race, gender, disability, and criminal law and punishment. Qudsiya and Jamelia talked about her personal path to studying these issues, the particular harms that people of color with disabilities face when it comes to policing and mass incarceration, and her transformative vision for a world that prioritizes justice and inclusion over violence and punishment.--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
Qudsiya sits down with Joe Shapiro, investigative correspondent for National Public Radio. Joe was one of the first journalists to cover the disability civil rights movement and the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act. In this episode, Qudsiya and Joe talk about how Joe came to cover disability issues, his observations about how the movement has evolved over time, and his perspectives on disability coverage today.--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
Welcome to Season 10 of Down to the Struts! To kick things off, Qudsiya sits down with the indomitable Chai Feldblum. Chai is a civil rights advocate and scholar. For nearly four decades, Chai has fought for the rights of LGBTQ and disability communities through legislative advocacy, teaching, scholarship, government service, and much more. She played an integral role in the drafting of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Qudsiya and Chai talk about Chai's work on the ADA, including the unlikely coalition that she brought together, and so much more.The Art of Legislative Lawyering and the Six Circles Theory of AdvocacyLet 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
Season 10 of Down to the Struts is headed your way. Qudsiya give listeners a sneak peek at the voices of the journalists, activists, scholars, and creators who will lead us in a deep dive into disability history and culture this season. We're in double digits y'all! Make sure you're subscribed and tuned in on April 29 for our first episode.Visit our website for transcripts.-- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, Getting Down To It Support the team behind the podcast with a donationLet us know what you think with a comment or review onApple podcasts.
We've reached the end of the road—no pun intended—with our final listener favorite from season 9, featuring Anna Zivarts, author of the exceptional book, “When Driving Is Not An Option: Steering Away from Car Dependency.” This one resonated with many of you who, like Qudsiya, cannot drive a car. As we shockingly learned from Anna in this episode, this is the case for a whopping 31 out of 100 Americans. It can often be a struggle to get around in our car-centric country, but Anna gives us a blueprint and a vision for achieving the accessible communities we've all dreamed of.Visit our website for transcripts.-- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, Getting Down To It Support the team behind the podcast with a donationLet us know what you think with a comment or review onApple podcasts.
We've arrived at our penultimate listener favorite from season 8. We called this one “Access: A love Story.” It was magical for Qudsiya to revisit the unforgettable day that she and her partner, also a Down to the Struts alum, Sean Collins, promised to love each other for the rest of their lives. They've been married for nearly two years now, and they've had their fair share of adventures since. But they continue to cherish those precious moments with the people they hold dearest in the world, because of the incredible work of access artist Cheryl Green and photographer extraordinaire, Jasmine Oliver, on their accessible wedding album. Qudsiya and Sean think of Cheryl and Jasmine every time they experience the symbiotic pleasure of image combined with voice. Also thanks to the audio talents of Ramya Amuthan with production and sound design support from the one and only Thomas Reid. Access truly is an act of love. And here, once again, is Qudsiya and Sean's love story. Visit our website for transcripts.-- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, Getting Down To It Support the team behind the podcast with a donationLet us know what you think with a comment or review onApple podcasts.
Here's your favorite from Season 7. Qudsiya is a huge history nerd, and she had a blast unpacking blind history with Andrew Leland, author of the award-winning memoir, The Country of the Blind. Andrew and Qudsiya explored blind culture, blind politics, and their own relationships with blindness. It was a great conversation—thanks to all of you for giving us a chance to revisit it.Visit our website for transcripts.-- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, Getting Down To It Support the team behind the podcast with a donationLet us know what you think with a comment or review onApple podcasts.
We're recasting this listener favorite from Season 6. Qudsiya loves this conversation with human rights lawyer and disability justice champion, Haben Girma—author of the acclaimed memoir, “Haben: The Deafblind Woman Who Conquered Harvard Law.” Haben and Qudsiya talked about the concept of empowered interdependence. This is the idea that we all deserve to have access to the tools to define our own lives, and the ability to lean on one another to access those tools. Empowered interdependence acknowledges that all of our lives are intertwined, and we are stronger when we solve problems together. It's a timely message, and, as always, Haben shares it with infinite wisdom.-- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, Getting Down To It Support the team behind the podcast with a donationLet us know what you think with a comment or review onApple podcasts.
Welcome back to our series highlighting listener favorites over the last nine seasons. We're on to your favorite from season 5. Qudsiya spoke to Jennifer Natalya Fink, author of the incredible bookAll Our Families: Disability Lineage and the Future of Kinship. The book opened up a fascinating conversation about how we think about disability within our own families, and how rethinking those family narratives might help us build a more inclusive and accessible world.Visit our website for transcripts.-- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, Getting Down To It Support the team behind the podcast with a donationLet us know what you think with a comment or review onApple podcasts.
In season 4, Qudsiya had the incredible opportunity to sit down with the legendary international disability rights advocate, Judy Heumann, before her passing on March 4, 2023. Now, almost two years later, her legacy lives on. As we continue the fight for disability rights, the memory of her struggle, and the struggle of so many others who fought, and continue to fight, for dignity, equal opportunity, and access for disabled people has never been more important.Visit our website for transcripts.-- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, Getting Down To It Support the team behind the podcast with a donationLet us know what you think with a comment or review onApple podcasts.
We hope you're enjoying our past season rebroadcasts so far. It's been fun to take this trip down memory lane to revisit some of the episodes that you all enjoyed the most. We're on to season 3, and Qudsiya's conversation with Lydia X. Z. Brown, a disability justice advocate and activist, who has dedicated their life and resources to combating injustice, oppression, and violence in all its forms. This is another foundational episode Qudsiya often recommends to listeners who want to understand the concept of intersectionality. Lydia breaks it all down for us in this episode, and applies the concept of intersectionality to the context of algorithmic bias, which is a hot topic these days with the rise of artificial intelligence.Visit our website for transcripts.-- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, Getting Down To It Support the team behind the podcast with a donationLet us know what you think with a comment or review onApple podcasts.
Qudsiya is back with your listener favorite from Season 2—Designing Access for Disabled Students.Qudsiya spoke with Roger Ideishi about his efforts to challenge traditional approaches to occupational therapy by insisting that students with intellectual and developmental disabilities play a central role in shaping their own classroom experiences. Roger has also championed the inclusion of disabled people in arts and culture. In 2022, he was honored as part of The Kennedy Center's Next 50 leaders and change-makers in the arts.And don't forget to send your audio or written testimonials sharing about what Down to the Struts has meant to you. You can email them to downtothestruts@gmail.com.Visit our website fortranscripts.-- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, Getting Down To It Support the team behind the podcast with a donationLet us know what you think with a comment or review onApple podcasts.
As the team works on season 10, we wanted to bring you something extra special. Over the coming weeks, we'll be recasting listener favorites from across all nine seasons of the podcast, highlighting one episode from each season that you, our listeners, particularly enjoyed. First up is season 1, “The Language of Disability” with disability studies scholar and activist, Sara Acevedo. Qudsiya often points new listeners to this episode as a foundational primer on the concepts of disability justice, the social versus the medical model of disability, the term “crip”, and many other critical concepts that help us understand the disabled experience. After you listen, please remember to send your audio or written testimonials sharing about what Down to the Struts has meant to you. You can email them to downtothestruts@gmail.com. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, Getting Down To It Support the team behind the podcast with a donation Let us know what you think with a comment or review on Apple podcasts.
The team at Down to the Struts is thrilled to share the trailer for Season 4 of Contra*! This season, Aimi Hamraie and the Critical Design Lab share oral history interviews from the Remote Access Archives. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, they spoke with scholars and activists about mutual aid and pandemic times. This season, they'll be sharing some of these conversations. Aimi Hamraie, Cavar, Jen White-Johnson, Jiya Pandya, Julia Rose Karpicz, Katie Sullivan, and our very own Down to the Struts creator and host, Qudsiya Naqui, contributed to this season's introduction. Contributors to the episodes include: Hector Ramirez, Thomas Reid, moira williams, Qudsiya Naqui, Corbett O'Toole, Sky Cubacub, Katie Goldfinch, Brian Lobel, Susan Molloy, and India Harville. And don't forget to submit your Down to the Struts audio and written testimonials! We want to hear from you about what our podcast means to you, and the impact it's had in your life. Please share your audio files or written comments to downtothestruts@gmail.com. We hope to share your reflections during season 10! Visit our website for transcripts. -- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, Getting Down To It Support the team behind the podcast with a donation Let us know what you think with a comment or review on Apple podcasts.
Check out the trailer for Pod Access, a brand new resource hub for Deaf and disabled podcasters from Cheryl Green and Thomas Reid. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, Getting Down To It Support the team behind the podcast with a donation Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts Let us know what you think with a comment or review on Apple podcasts.
BONUS EPISODE: Qudsiya chats with Kayla Hamilton, the Bessie Award-winning dancer, educator and consultant. Her performance, choreographic and disability arts work has been presented by institutions across the US. In July 2024, Kayla announced the creation of Circle O, a new cultural organization established by and for black disabled and other multiply marginalized creatives. In this episode, Kayla shares her origin story and how it has informed her approach to being a creative maker, and how she engages with communities through artistic expression. Kayla views disability as both subject and method. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, Getting Down To It Support the team behind the podcast with a donation Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts Let us know what you think with a comment or review on Apple podcasts.
In the Season 9 finale, Qudsiya sits down with a dear friend and a champion of equal employment opportunity for people with disabilities, Amir Rahimi. Amir and Qudsiya talked about Amir's journey with blindness and employment, and how he uses stand up comedy to make sense of ableism. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, Getting Down To It Support the team behind the podcast with a donation Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts Let us know what you think with a comment or review on Apple podcasts.
Qudsiya speaks with Marissa Ditkowsky, Disability Economic Justice counsel at the National Partnership for Women and Families. Marissa and Qudsiya talk about the need to advance economic justice for disabled women, and the resources disabled women need to survive and thrive: from consumer protection to access to employment, to reproductive healthcare. And, they talk about what the National Partnership is doing to help make that thriving a reality for disabled women across the US. Listeners should check out the systems transformation guides that Marissa and her team have developed that set forth a vision for disabled women's economic equality. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, Getting Down To It Support the team behind the podcast with a donation Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts Let us know what you think with a comment or review on Apple podcasts.
Qudsiya sits down with retired DC Circuit Court Judge, David Tatel. Judge Tatel's recently released Book, Vision: A Memoir of Blindness and Justice, chronicles his experiences as a civil rights lawyer, a champion for access to justice, and a jurist on our nation's second highest court. In this conversation he discusses his book and his journey with vision loss, including the dog, Vixen, who guided him to embrace his identity as a blind person. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, Getting Down To It Support the team behind the podcast with a donation Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts Let us know what you think with a comment or review on Apple podcasts.
With just two weeks until the US election, access to the ballot has never been more important. But disabled people continue to face accessibility barriers when attempting to vote. This episode dives deep into the realm of voting access with Dessa Cosma and Kenia Flores of Detroit Disability Power. Dessa and Kenia walk Qudsiya through the process of conducting a polling place audit and how Detroit Disability Power is helping organizations across the country ensure that polling places are fully accessible. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, Getting Down To It Support the team behind the podcast with a donation Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts Let us know what you think with a comment or review on Apple podcasts.
In this episode, Qudsiya will take you on a journey with one of her favorite adaptive sports organizations that prioritizes giving blind people access to the natural world. She joined the Metro Washington Association of Blind Athletes, affectionately known as MWABA, for a bike camping adventure along the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal in Washington DC. Thanks to a grant from the Adventure Cycling Association, 25 campers, including blind athletes, sighted tandem captains, and volunteer drivers spent one hot, sweaty, but incredibly fun night biking and camping along the Potomac River. Through Qudsiya's firsthand account of the experience, you'll be immersed in the sounds and stories that made the trip so special. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, Getting Down To It Support the team behind the podcast with a donation Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts Let us know what you think with a comment or review on Apple podcasts.
Welcome to season 9 of Down to the Struts! To kick off this season, Qudsiya sits down with Anna Zivarts, the author of When Driving Is Not An Option: Steering Away From Car Dependency. Anna shares how she has helped to build a coalition of non-drivers to create more accessible communities where disabled people, older adults, children, and so many others can move freely without a car. She also offers some helpful tips about advocating for more inclusive transit systems so that we can all get around with independence and dignity. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, Getting Down To It Support the team behind the podcast with a donation Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts Let us know what you think with a comment or review on Apple podcasts.
Down to the Struts is back September 24th! Listen to the trailer for a sneak peek at the questions Qudsiya will explore with our guests in season 9: Why is disabled humor so important? What would it look like to travel in a world that isn't designed with cars at the center? How can we ensure that disabled people have what they need to participate in our democracy? And how can we make sure that the wonders of nature are accessible to everyone? Visit our website for transcripts. -- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, Getting Down To It Support the team behind the podcast with a donation Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts Let us know what you think with a comment or review on Apple podcasts.
Over the next few weeks, we'll be bringing back some early episodes of Down to the Struts to get ready for season 9. This episode was first broadcast in July 2021, but with a key election just months away, it couldn't be more timely now. Qudsiya sits down with Lisa Schur and Doug Kruse, both professors at Rutgers University. They discuss their research on voting access for people with disabilities, and how to ensure participation in democracy is accessible to everyone. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, Getting Down To It Support the team behind the podcast with a donation Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts Let us know what you think with a comment or review on Apple podcasts.
Over the next few weeks, we'll be bringing back some early episodes of Down to the Struts to get ready for season 9. This episode, originally broadcast in November 2020, dives into the world of adaptive sports, and specifically looks at Goalball, a sport designed for blind and visually impaired people. Qudsiya is an athlete herself, and in this episode interviews Karla Gilbride and Justin Chan, the co-founders of the Metro Washington Association of Blind Athletes. Their conversation explores the importance of design in making athletics accessible, the power of sports to transform lives, and beating stereotypes on and off the court. Visit our website for a video about Goalball from the Paralympic Games, information about this episode's guests, and photos of the MWABA Goalball players, and for transcripts. -- Subscribe to Qudsiya's Substack, Getting Down To It Support the team behind the podcast with a donation Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts Let us know what you think with a comment or review on Apple podcasts.
Qudsiya shared her love of libraries with Emily Drabinski, the president of the American Library Association. They chatted about ALA's innovative Libraries Transforming Communities program, which is dedicated to providing libraries with the tools and resources they need to be more accessible for people with disabilities, and to enhancing the capacity of small and rural libraries to address the needs of their communities. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Loving Down to the Struts? Support the team behind the podcast with a donation. Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts. Let us know what you think in the Spotify Q+A, or leave a review on Apple podcasts. Subscribe to Qudsiya's newsletter, Getting Down To It
Justice Shorter is a skilled organizer and facilitator, disability justice amplifier, and senior advisor on issues at the intersection of race, disability, gender, climate, and crisis. She is a national expert on disability inclusive, disaster protections, and emergency management. And, she is a rare return guest on Down to the Struts. Justice joined the podcast in season one, alongside Conchita Hernandez Legorreta and Melissa Lomax for the episode WOC World, about an online community dedicated to uplifting and supporting blind women of color. On her second visit to the podcast, Justice talks to Qudsiya about her newly published Disaster Justice Guidebook for people of color with disabilities. The book weaves together storytelling, practical advice, and the collective wisdom of six phenomenal people to create a roadmap for environmental crisis response, rooted in and centered on the lived experiences of people of color. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Loving Down to the Struts? Support the team behind the podcast with a donation. Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts. Let us know what you think in the Spotify Q+A, or leave a review on Apple podcasts. Subscribe to Qudsiya's newsletter, Getting Down To It
Diego Mariscal is the founder, CEO and Chief Disabled Officer of 2Gether-International (2GI), the leading nonprofit startup accelerator run by and for disabled entrepreneurs. A trailblazer at the intersection of advocacy and entrepreneurship, Diego joins Qudsiya to discuss his entrepreneurial origin story, how he started 2GI, and his advice for aspiring disabled entrepreneurs. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Loving Down to the Struts? Support the team behind the podcast with a donation. Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts. Let us know what you think in the Spotify Q+A, or leave a review on Apple podcasts. Subscribe to Qudsiya's newsletter, Getting Down To It
Down to the Struts welcomes disability equity researcher Bonnie Swenor for a conversation about one of Qudsiya's favorite topics: advancing data and research on the disability experience. They dive into the early experiences that spurred Bonnie's love of science, how her disability journey impacted her pursuit of a career in public health, and using data to uplift the disabled scientists and researchers who contribute in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and math. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Loving Down to the Struts? Support the team behind the podcast with a donation. Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts. Let us know what you think in the Spotify Q+A, or leave a review on Apple podcasts. Subscribe to Qudsiya's newsletter, Getting Down To It
Award-winning recording artist and social entrepreneur Lachi joins Down to the Struts to talk about her love of music, and her vision for how disability culture can transform the music industry. Lachi also tells Qudsiya about her experience hosting the pilot episode of Day Al-Mohamed's PBS Masters Series, Renegades. If you want to learn more about Renegades, head back to episode 2 of this season. Finally, be sure to listen through to the end of this episode for a very special clip from Lachi's incredible song Lift Me Up, produced in 2023 to honor the life and legacy of lifelong Disability Rights Advocate and Down to the Struts alum, Judy Heumann. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Loving Down to the Struts? Support the team behind the podcast with a donation. Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts. Let us know what you think in the Spotify Q+A, or leave a review on Apple podcasts. Subscribe to Qudsiya's newsletter, Getting Down To It.
What is disability culture? Qudsiya is joined in conversation by author, filmmaker, and policy expert Day Al-Mohamed. They talk about Day's approach to transforming social and cultural attitudes about disability. Day sees this as a central tool that goes hand-in-hand with advancing policies that ensure rights and legal protections for disabled people. Day wants people to see disability culture as cool -- and Qudsiya thinks that's a worthy objective too. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Loving Down to the Struts? Support the team behind the podcast with a donation. Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts. Let us know what you think in the Spotify Q+A, or leave a review on Apple podcasts. Subscribe to Qudsiya's newsletter, Getting Down To It.
Season 8 kicks off with a very special first episode—a love story, just in time for Valentine's Day. On August 19th, 2023, Qudsiya married the love of her life, Sean Collins, in a small celebration in Chicago. Listeners may remember hearing from Sean in the season 1 bonus episode Accessing the News, where he shared his gift of crafting vivid image descriptions to bring important news events to life for blind, low vision, and disabled news readers. Qudsiya and Sean enlisted photographer Jasmine Oliver (J Lauryn Photography) and access artist Cheryl Green (Social Audio Description Collective), also a past Down to the Struts guest, to create an immersive accessible platform so they could forever cherish their wedding day both visually and through audio. In this episode, Qudsiya, Jasmine, and Cheryl take a behind the scenes look at how they created the accessible wedding album, how the experience transformed Jasmine's perspective on her craft as a photographer, and the new possibilities for access art that Cheryl uncovered in the process. Access is not just about having what we need as disabled people to equitably participate in things like work and education. It's equally about being a part of the moments in our lives that bring us joy, bonding us all in shared humanity, disabled and non-disabled alike. In this episode, you will hear music from Qudsiya and Sean's wedding by Adrian Morris of Quartetto Solo, the song “Made of Gold” by Ibeyi, and “The Way I Am” by Ingrid Michelson, performed by Qudsiya's niece, Zoha Hasan. Image descriptions were performed by Ramya Amuthan. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Loving Down to the Struts? Support the team behind the podcast with a donation. Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts. Let us know what you think in the Spotify Q+A, or leave a review on Apple podcasts. Subscribe to Qudsiya's newsletter, Getting Down To It.
Season 8 of Down to the Struts is coming to your podcast feeds on Tuesday, February 13. Listen now for a sneak peek into this season's interviews with disabled filmmakers, access artists, entrepreneurs, and scientists, all of whom are leveraging their disabled genius to create a more just, accessible, and inclusive world. Music by Adrian Morris of Quartetto Solo. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Loving Down to the Struts? Support the team behind the podcast with a donation. Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts. Let us know what you think in the Spotify Q+A, or leave a review on Apple podcasts. Subscribe to Qudsiya's newsletter, Getting Down To It.
A bonus discussion between Down to the Struts host Qudsiya Naqui and friend and Getting Down To It editor, Avery Anapol. Get to know the voice, the history and the motivation behind the podcast. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Loving Down to the Struts? Support the team behind the podcast with a donation. Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts. Leave a review on Apple podcasts. Subscribe to Qudsiya's newsletter, Getting Down To It.
Qudsiya sits down with Andrew Leland, Author of the acclaimed new book, The Country of the Blind: A Memoir at the End of Sight, published this year by Penguin Press. The book was recently longlisted for the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Nonfiction administered by the American Library Association, and Publisher's Weekly named it among the best books of 2023. Andrew's book reminded Qudsiya of her own journey to, and through, the country of the blind. They talk about the contours of that space and its place in their lives, plus Andrew's reflections on how writing the book has shaped his own relationship to disability and ableism. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Loving Down to the Struts? Support the team behind the podcast with a donation. Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts. Leave a review on Apple podcasts. Subscribe to Qudsiya's newsletter, Getting Down To It.
Qudsiya interviews Set Hernández and Pedro, two of the co-creators of the film Unseen. The film, directed and produced by Set, chronicles the multitudes of Pedro, an aspiring social worker, as he navigates life as an undocumented immigrant with low vision. Pedro, Set, and Qudsiya talked about the shared experience that led them to create the film, the role of accessibility as a core value in the filmmaking process and the healing space that they hope unseen will generate as it touches audiences around the country and around the world. Qudsiya served as the impact producer for Unseen from 2022-2023. For more about the film, visit www.unseen-film.com. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Loving Down to the Struts? Support the team behind the podcast with a donation. Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts. Leave a review on Apple podcasts. Subscribe to Qudsiya's newsletter, Getting Down To It.
Qudsiya sits down with Áine Kelly-Costello, a multiply disabled storyteller, researcher and advocate based in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Their conversation covers Áine's research and work at the intersection of climate, migration and disability justice. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Loving Down to the Struts? Support the team behind the podcast with a donation. Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts. Leave a review on Apple podcasts. Subscribe to Qudsiya's newsletter, Getting Down To It.
Qudsiya is joined by educator, author and diversity consultant Diana Pastora Carson. Diana and Qudsiya talked about Diana's own journey to embracing disability inclusion as she battled to free her brother, Joaquin from long-term institutionalization so that he could live in his community. Diana also shared the tools she has developed to help parents, students, and educators practice disability inclusion. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Loving Down to the Struts? Support the team behind the podcast with a donation. Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts. Leave a review on Apple podcasts. Subscribe to Qudsiya's newsletter, Getting Down To It.
Bri Joy Moore, host of the podcast Power Not Pity, joins Qudsiya to talk about the birth of the podcast, Bri's growth as a poet, and Bri's "disabled superpower". Be sure to listen all the way through for a special surprise from Bri. For our younger listeners, please note that this episode does include some explicit language. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Loving Down to the Struts? Support the team behind the podcast with a donation. Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts. Leave a review on Apple podcasts. Subscribe to Qudsiya's newsletter, Getting Down To It.
Qudsiya sits down with Peter Torres Fremlin, the author of the newsletter Disability Debrief, a project that brings together disability news and resources from over 125 countries around the world. Peter recounts his travels as an international disability rights expert, his own personal journey into disability identity, and gives us a behind the scenes look at Disability Debrief. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Loving Down to the Struts? Support the team behind the podcast with a donation. Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts. Leave a review on Apple podcasts. Subscribe to Qudsiya's newsletter, Getting Down To It.
Qudsiya speaks with Dom Kelly, the co-founder, President, and CEO of New Disabled South about the road that led him to political activism, the birth of New Disabled South, its grounding in the principles of disability justice, and its innovative regional organizing approach. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Loving Down to the Struts? Support the team behind the podcast with a donation. Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts. Leave a review on Apple podcasts. Subscribe to Qudsiya's newsletter, Getting Down To It.
Check out this special sneak peek into the voices you'll hear in Season 7, dropping into your feeds on August 8. Qudsiya is excited to get back down to it with everyone in a few short weeks! Visit our website for transcripts. -- Loving Down to the Struts? Support the team behind the podcast with a donation. Leave a review on Apple podcasts. Subscribe to Qudsiya's newsletter, Getting Down To It.
Check out this amazing episode of Ten Thousand Things from our friends at KUOW in Seattle, featuring a meditation on voice from disability justice activist, oracle, and cyborg, Alice Wong. Ten Thousand Things with Shin Yu Pai is an acclaimed podcast that amplifies heartfelt stories from Asian America. You should definitely check it out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you love to listen—and tell them we sent you! Transcript available here. To hear more from Alice Wong, check out Qudsiya's conversation with Alice in season 3, episode 1 of Down to the Struts. -- Loving Down to the Struts? Support the team behind the podcast with a donation. Leave a review on Apple podcasts. Subscribe to Qudsiya's newsletter, Getting Down To It.
On March 4, 2023, the disability community lost one of its most significant leaders—Judy Heumann left us to carry on her legacy of demanding that disabled people have the right and the opportunity to live in their communities, access employment, go to school, and so much more. Beyond being a dedicated and savvy international disability rights advocate, she was a beautiful and kind soul, a connector, and a bridge-builder. Qudsiya shares Season 4, episode 1, “Reflections on the Disability Revolution” as a tribute to Judy's life and legacy.Transcript available here.—If you're enjoying the podcast, please spread the word by leaving a rating and review on Apple podcasts, tagging us @DownToTheStruts on social media, or sharing the podcast with a friend.Buy Qudsiya a coffeeSubscribe to "Getting Down To It", Qudsiya's monthly newsletter
In the final episode of season 6, Qudsiya is joined by Haben Girma, a human rights lawyer, author and disability activist who is the first Deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School. Haben and Qudsiya talk about centering access, and why it is the key to achieving empowered interdependence to tear down the ableist social and physical structures that surround us.Transcript available here.—If you're enjoying the podcast, please spread the word by leaving a rating and review on Apple podcasts, tagging us @DownToTheStruts on social media, or sharing the podcast with a friend.Buy Qudsiya a coffeeSubscribe to "Getting Down To It", Qudsiya's monthly newsletter
Qudsiya interviews May Wong, lead game designer at Interior Night, about their debut game, As Dusk Falls, which received rave reviews, including for its accessibility for disabled gamers. Qudsiya and May talk about how access was built into the game design and the lessons May learned from the experience.Transcript available here.—If you're enjoying the podcast, please spread the word by leaving a rating and review on Apple podcasts, tagging us @DownToTheStruts on social media, or sharing the podcast with a friend.Buy Qudsiya a coffeeSubscribe to "Getting Down To It", Qudsiya's monthly newsletter
Qudsiya is joined by NASA's Denna Lambert, for a conversation about Denna's efforts to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and access in space innovation and exploration. They talk about Denna's experience as part of the second disabled cohort to experience zero gravity and its implications for access here on Earth, and how being a single mom to a four-year-old is sometimes like being in space.Transcript available here.—If you're enjoying the podcast, please spread the word by leaving a rating and review on Apple podcasts, tagging us @DownToTheStruts on social media, or sharing the podcast with a friend.Buy Qudsiya a coffeeSubscribe to "Getting Down To It", Qudsiya's monthly newsletter
Qudsiya and Mustafa Rfat talked about Mustafa's experiences navigating the refugee resettlement process as a disabled refugee, and his concrete recommendations for resettlement agencies, disability services organizations, and policymakers for designing services that meet the intersectional needs of this population.Transcript available here.—If you're enjoying the podcast, please spread the word by leaving a rating and review on Apple podcasts, tagging us @DownToTheStruts on social media, or sharing the podcast with a friend.Buy Qudsiya a coffeeSubscribe to "Getting Down To It", Qudsiya's monthly newsletter
Bhavna is an Indian American artist specializing in cut paper and embroidery. She has exhibited widely across Southern California, and she lives and works in San Diego. Qudsiya and Bhavna talked about her journey from India to the United States, and its connection to her journey living in her disabled body. She describes both as forms of immigration.Transcript available here.Mentioned in the episode:Bhavna's work for Script/Rescript Script/Rescript show, curated by Amanda CachiaBhavna's essay in Catapult magazineArtist Sunaura Taylor's websiteAge of Disability by Sunaura Taylor (Orion Magazine)Solidarity Across Species by Sunaura Taylor and Astra Taylor (Dissent Magazine)—If you're enjoying the podcast, please spread the word by leaving a rating and review on Apple podcasts, tagging us @DownToTheStruts on social media, or sharing the podcast with a friend.Buy Qudsiya a coffeeSubscribe to "Getting Down To It", Qudsiya's monthly newsletter
Our very first guest this season is Andraéa LaVant, the president and founder of Lavant Consulting. Andraéa tells Qudsiya about her journey to becoming a disability activist, her role as the impact producer for the acclaimed film, Crip Camp, and the creation of Lavant Consulting, a firm dedicated to shaping the way the world reaches, views, and values people with disabilities.Transcript available here.If you're enjoying the podcast, please spread the word by leaving a rating and review on Apple podcasts, tagging us @DownToTheStruts on social media, or sharing the podcast with a friend.Buy Qudsiya a coffeeSubscribe to "Getting Down To It", Qudsiya's monthly newsletter
Down to the Struts will return for its sixth season on February 7. Can't wait? Subscribe to Getting Down To It, Qudsiya's monthly newsletter where she shares her own thoughts, links and resources on disability justice and more.If you're excited for the upcoming season, please spread the word by leaving a rating and review on Apple podcasts, tagging us @DownToTheStruts on social media, or sharing the podcast with a friend.Transcript available hereBuy Qudsiya a coffeeNewsletter: Getting Down To It
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