Episode 44: Surgery and SADness - The Accessible Stall

It’s been a while! On this episode, we talk about surgeries in relation to disability. How much “improvement” is worth having a surgery for? What if you don’t want a surgery but have to? We dive right into these hard questions. We also talk about Seasonal Affective Disorder, which we both agree is the most apt name for a condition of all time. Enjoy guys! Happy holidays from us to you, and we look forward to giving you more amazing episodes in 2018!

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Episode 43: Ashley Harris, Friendship and Wholesomeness - The Accessible Stall

On this episode, we talk about making friends with other disabled people. And we could think of nobody better to do that with than our good friend Ashley Harris! You guys remember Ashley, right? She was our very first guest, and now she’s back to talk with us about this amazing New York times piece we all loved. Read it here.

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Episode 42: Language and Disability - The Accessible Stall

On this episode, we talk about how language and disability interact. In English there are tons of idioms, expressions, and terms that are related to disability. We discuss them, as well as words in general. This episode was a long time coming and we hope you like it. Enjoy!

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Episode 41: Awareness Campaigns, and Colors - The Accessible Stall

In this episode, we discuss awareness campaigns. Do they work? How much do they work? Are they effective? And how does color fit into all this? We discuss!

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Episode 40: Hierarchies, Silliness, and Glee - The Accessible Stall

On this episode, we’re back after a small hiatus to discuss disability hierarchy. Is it real? We discuss.

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Episode 39: Fitness and Disability - The Accessible Stall

On this episode, we talk about how to stay fit while disabled.

NB: Kyle said “jQuery” in this episode telling a story, he meant “NodeJS”.

Notes from this episode: Emily’s Seated Workout List, Percentage of Disabled People in the US, source 1, Percentage of Disabled People in the US, source 2

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Episode 38: The Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations - The Accessible Stall

The Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations is a form of subtle prejudice where the people at the top of the social hierarchy don’t hold marginalized people to the standards of everyone else. How does this apply to disabled people? We discuss.

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Episode 37: Alienation, Education, and Bullies - The Accessible Stall

The disability community is supposed to be a bastion of open-mindedness. But is it? Do we shun people who think slightly differently than the collective “us”? We discuss as Emily tells the story of something that happened to her at a conference recently.

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Episode 36: The Accessible Stall and Ellen Seidman - The Accessible Stall

We have wanted to talk about disability and parents on this show for a long time. Specifically, the dynamic between an able-bodied parent and a disabled child. There were just two small problems: We are not parents, and we are disabled. Therefore, we had to bring in someone who knows that dynamic first-hand. The internet has tons of blogs written by parents of children with disabilities, but very few get the official Accessible Stall seal of approval. So, in this episode, we sat down with Ellen Seidman, the author of Love That Max. Enjoy!

Who is Ellen Seidman?

Ellen Seidman runs the popular disability “mom blog” called Love That Max. She started this blog in 2008 and has been keeping it up to date since then. Aside from the fact that that’s an accomplishment in itself, she talks about her son Max who has cerebral palsy. She’s also super fun to talk with and an amazing podcast guest!

Why have a parent on the show?

We’ve talked about groupthink and defining ourselves as a community before to break down what it means to be “in” the disability community. Part of the reason we do this show is to bridge gaps by having honest conversations. Right now, there’s a huge gap between parents of people with disabilities, and people with disabilities ourselves. We thought this conversation needed to happen in order for everyone to learn from each other. Plus, hearing Ellen’s journey of learning about disability through her son is just plain cool. We get into some of the uglier parts of disability in this episode too, which is something we think is not talked about often enough.

This Ellen Seidman person sounds cool, where can I find her?

You can find Ellen at the links above, as well as on Facebook here, and on Twitter here.

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Episode 35: Acquiring Disability and Hearing Aids - The Accessible Stall

In this episode, we talk about acquiring disability. Even though we have had ours from birth, acquiring disability can still affect us. For example, our reasoning for making this episode was that Emily recently figured out she needed hearing aids. Although hearing aids are just another piece of assistive technology, Emily’s first day with them made us think: If acquiring disability is this challenging for someone born with another one, what would it feel like to have lived a non-disabled life and be thrust into having a disability? We discuss that and more in this episode. We hope you enjoy it!

Please note: In the episode, Emily says she has “profound” hearing loss, but this is not technically correct. Her hearing loss is significant, though.

Acquiring disability

We’ve talked about access before on this show. We’ve talked about disability on this show (obviously!) But, we both don’t know what it’s like to have your first disability be one that you’ve acquired, or what it’s like to have your access suddenly limited or changed. However, Emily recently getting hearing aids due to hearing loss gave us a glimpse into what that might be like. We recorded this episode on the first day Emily had her new hearing aids. She did not like them. But if it takes so long to become comfortable with an acquired disability when you already have a disability, it must be a challenge to acquire your first one late in life. That isn’t to say there aren’t exceptions. But Emily’s “day 1” struggle was real.

Above all else, what this episode really taught us was that change takes time. And that’s okay. Acceptance doesn’t happen overnight. In Emily’s example, the hearing aids were “an attack on [her] senses”.

It made us realize that being “born this way” helped us deal with acceptance because we simply had to from the minute we were born. This is different from self-acceptance, which we also touch on. But our lives never vastly changed overnight like they can when you acquire disability. And we realized that in a very roundabout way we were grateful for being “born this way.”

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Episode 34: Sheltered Workshops vs. Sweatshops - The Accessible Stall

In this episode, we discuss sheltered workshops. Sheltered workshops are places that can employ people with disabilities and pay them lower than the minimum wage. Obviously, we think this is horrific.  We talk about them in this episode, and compare them to sweatshops, because Kyle found another article which he thinks is absurd called The Feminist Side of Sweatshops. Enjoy!

What are sheltered workshops?

If there’s ever been one thing that all people can agree on, it’s that the purposeful exploitation of people is wrong. And yet, according to the Department of Labor:

Under FLSA Section 14(c), a worker who has a disability for the job being performed is one whose earning or productive capacity is impaired by a physical or mental disability, including those relating to age or injury. Disabilities that may affect productive capacity include blindness, mental illness, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, alcoholism, and drug addiction. The following, taken by themselves, are not considered to be disabilities for purposes of paying special minimum wages: educational disabilities, chronic unemployment, receipt of welfare benefits, nonattendance at school, juvenile delinquency, and correctional parole or probation.

Often, these “wages” are much lower than the federal minimum wage. How much lower?  “Rates may go as low as less than a dollar per hour”. Yes, you read that correctly.

This sounds terrible!

It is. Sheltered workshops need to be stopped. It’s that simple. We need to take action. And if you’re thinking to yourself “how bad could it be?” We’ll show you. This map from Rooted in Rights shows all known companies and organizations in the US that have certifications which them to pay workers with disabilities a wage less than the federal minimum. This is a huge problem. Why? Because it’s not only exploitation of labor and people with disabilities. It’s also that this is a problem nobody knows about. And if you don’t have a disability? Odds are you probably didn’t know about this.

There is simply no excuse for them.

Notes from this episode: Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) Section 14(c) Advisor, Fact Sheet #39: The Employment of Workers with Disabilities at Subminimum Wages

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Episode 33: Accessibility = Wheelchairs?! - The Accessible Stall

In this episode, we talk about why disability seems to be synonymous with a wheelchair. There’s a lot to unpack here and we really liked it so we’re trying to get this one out as fast as possible! Please excuse lazy show notes. Enjoy!

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Episode 32: Carly Findlay, Rude People, Australia - The Accessible Stall

We’re SO excited about this episode. On this episode, we have our friend, and fellow activist Carly Findlay on to talk about her activism, rude people, and Australia. Carly Findlay is an award winning writer, speaker and appearance activist. Carly has the rare, severe skin condition called Ichthyosis. You won’t believe some of the stories she has to tell. Some of them we could barely believe ourselves! Enjoy!

Who is Carly Findlay?

She writes on disability issues for publications including ABC, Daily Life and SBS. She was named as one of Australia’s most influential women in the 2014 Australian Financial Review and Westpac 100 Women of Influence Awards. Carly has appeared on ABC’s You Can’t Ask That and Cyber Hate with Tara Moss, and has been a regular on various ABC radio programs. She is currently writing her first book – a memoir. Read her writing on appearance diversity and disability at carlyfindlay.com.au.

She sounds cool!

She is cool. We know how to pick our guests, if we do say so ourselves. While we mainly had Carly on our show to gush about how cool she is, we also talked about the weird stuff she hears on a daily basis being someone with a visible disability. Some of them are genuinely hilarious, and her laughter is nothing short of contagious!

And, we touched on weird myths Americans believe about Australia, and of course unwanted help too, which is the gift that keeps on giving on this show. Her patience with us as ignorant Americans knows no bounds and was much appreciated.

We hope that you like this episode as much as we liked making it. We know we say that after almost every episode, but this one was a real treat to make. To say we were so excited to work with (the legendary) Carly Findlay is a huge understatement, and we welcome her back anytime!

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Episode 31: Disability and College - The Accessible Stall

We recently received a request for an episode from a listener. We’ve never gotten one of those before, so to say we were excited about it would be putting it very mildly. As it turns out, the request was from a young autistic woman named Nicole who is starting college soon, and wanted to hear our thoughts on how disability affects the college experience. As always, we hope you enjoy this episode!

Disability and College

This was a very strange episode for us to make. We both had extremely different college experiences. Emily dormed at school, I did not. Emily had friends, I did not. Emily utilized her school’s ODS, I did not. Basically, our time at college couldn’t have been any more different if we planned them out.

Because of this, we have totally different stories to tell. We meet in the middle as usual though! Accessibility is a huge problem at many colleges. While Emily and I were generally fortunate in that we went to colleges that had the resources to provide a (mostly) accessible time at college, we also talk about times where we’ve had to work with our professors and instructors to get things done.

Self-reliance is important for anyone to learn starting college. But having a disability adds an entire separate layer on top of it all. On the other hand, having a disability allows you to learn self-reliance very quickly. It’s a skill that you will use for the rest of your life.

We also share our embarrassing first day stories, so if nothing else about this episode catches your attention, you may want to listen just for that. We hope you enjoy this episode, but especially Nicole. We hope this episode helps you (and anyone else who listens!) a little. And if you’re someone starting college soon, don’t worry! You’ll be fine.

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Episode 30: Jessy Yates, the MTA, and Buttons - The Accessible Stall

It seems like we just can’t get enough of the MTA. On this episode, we discuss the newest pilot program by the MTA to encourage riders to get up for people with disabilities or pregnant women. How is the MTA trying to achieve this? With buttons that you pin onto your shirt. We thought this was so odd that we brought our good friend Jessy Yates on to discuss this with us. Enjoy! By the way, we get a little bit risque and racy in this episode, so consider this a small content note.

Who is Jessy Yates?

Jessy Yates is an actor, performer, burlesque dancer, and *~professional disabled person~*. What’s more, she is a very good friend of ours. We have been trying to get her on our show for a long time. As a result, we are very excited!

Tell us more about these buttons.

The idea behind these buttons is that it will encourage people riding the train to get up for the people wearing them. However, there’s several things about this that is odd.

1. Wheelchair users don’t exactly need a button to tell passengers they need a seat. Wheelchair users need improved access and more space.
2. People who have invisible disabilities could and should just ask someone to get up.
3. If someone who isn’t willing to get up for you when you ask, they aren’t going to get up for you when you wear a button that asks.
4. It’s just a button. What can it actually achieve?

However, we are both skeptical (and of course we ordered buttons, I mean, come on), and we have an opportunity to test our hesitations “in the wild” once we receive them.

During our discussion with Jessy though, our opinions changed. She brought up some really good points that made us go from being generally against them to skeptical. We’re very excited to see if they actually work.

Where can I find Jessy Yates?

You can find her:

• On Instagram here
• On Twitter here
• And on Facebook here

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Bonus Episode: Disability in the News - The Accessible Stall

We don’t usually do this, but we got so fired up we just had to record an episode immediately.  We spoke about how disability is portrayed in the news, but the show notes will tell you all you need to know about why we’re angry about it.  So angry that we disrupted our own schedule to release this episode as soon as possible. Please enjoy.

Show Notes: O.C. Mom Who Attended Every Class With Quadriplegic Son Earns Honorary MBA Alongside Him

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Episode 29: Bureaucracy, Canada, Andrew Gurza - The Accessible Stall

On this episode, we sit down with fellow podcaster and friend Andrew Gurza. He recently a hard time getting his passport. Such a hard time in fact, that he managed to get himself on national news in Canada. So we thought we’d chat with him about his experience, and the weird little differences between the US and our neighbors to the north. We hope you enjoy this episode! More is always on its way, and we thank all of you, as always, for listening.

Who is Andrew Gurza?

He’s just some guy. Just kidding! Andrew is a “Disability Awareness Consultant and Cripple Content Creator working to
make the lived experience of queerness and disability accessible to all.” Sounds pretty cool, doesn’t he? We think so too, so naturally we had to have him on our show. He also hosts two podcasts, which you can find at the link above. (Spoiler alert: We have both appeared on his show separately and those are the best episodes in our not-so-humble opinion!)

What’s the big deal then?

Andrew Gurza was denied service at a passport office in Canada because of some stupid bureaucratic rule. The rule states that a government employee can’t assist someone filling out a form, for fear that they will lead on the person filling out the form. That makes sense on paper, but what if someone can’t fill out a form? Shouldn’t the rules be bent in that case? According to the Canadian government, no.

We talk about various bureaucratic BS like that that you have to navigate when you’re someone with a disability. And we also talk about how weird Canada is! Did you know their milk comes in bags?! We didn’t!

Anyway, we hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did making it! Go check out Andrew’s podcast!

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Episode 28: New York Subway Lawsuits - The Accessible Stall

On this episode, we talk about the recent lawsuits filed by disability rights activists suing New York City for having a subway system so inaccessible it’s practically unusable some days.

Notes from this episode: New York City’s Subway System Violates Local and Federal Laws, Disability Groups Say, Disabled NYers File Class Action Lawsuit Against MTA Over Inaccessible Subway Stations

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Episode 27: Disability Employment - The Accessible Stall

Sorry for the wait! It’s been a long time. How have you been? It’s about time we did a proper episode on this. In this episode, we talk about disability employment. Consider this: People with disabilities are among the highest unemployed groups in the United States. We discuss this, and working in the disability field. Enjoy!

We genuinely appreciate your patience and we’re happy to finally be back on a normal schedule.

What’s so important about disability employment?

If you aren’t someone with a disability, probably not too much. But if you are, employment is likely something you’ve thought about since you were old enough to work. People with disabilities are among the highest unemployed groups in the United States. We are more than three times more likely to be unemployed than able-bodied people overall.

Why is that? There are lots of reasons, but we focus on these two:

1. Employers tend not to hire us because they see us as potential liabilities and grounds for a lawsuit.
2. Employers believe that accommodating an employer with a disability costs a huge amount of money.

The first reason is one that theoretically could be true, but in practice it isn’t. In reality, people with disabilities are happy to have jobs at all. Yes, we can sue for almost anything under the ADA, but it’s usually not worth the trouble.

The second reason is completely false. According to a study by JAN and ODEP:

The employers in the study reported that a high percentage (59%) of accommodations cost absolutely nothing to make, while the rest typically cost only $500.

While disability employment might not seem like a huge issue, it is. We didn’t even get a chance to discuss something as horrible as sheltered workshops, for example, but that’s for a different episode on a different day.

 

Notes from this episode: Persons with a Disability: Labor Force Characteristics Summary, Accommodation and Compliance Series Workplace Accommodations: Low Cost, High Impact

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Episode 26: Self Care and Silliness - The Accessible Stall

With all that’s going on in the world, how the heck can we even begin to prioritize self care? And for that matter, what does self care really mean? In this episode, we answer those questions while keeping things light and a little silly. We discuss the struggles that come with taking care of the most important thing in your life: you.

So many people think: “But I’m too busy for self care.”

We know. We feel you. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in the day-to-day and neglect basic things you should do to care for yourself. We’re not talking luxuries, though it’s definitely okay to treat yo’self.

 

We mean remembering to eat regularly. Exercising. Taking time out for a shower or bath. Watching a funny TV show or playing a video game. Meeting your needs and unwinding are necessary.

It’s pretty common to worry that if you pause to focus on yourself, you’re giving up valuable time for activism.

Emily admits to struggling with this in this episode. But as Kyle points out, are you really being the best activist you can be if you’re not focusing on self care enough to function at your full capacity?

Remember, it’s okay to disengage.

And it’s also okay if it’s a learning process for you to do so. (Especially if you’re like Emily, who lives for consuming the news.) While it’s definitely important for you to stay updated on what’s going on around you, it’s equally important to take a break in the interest of self care. It’s the best way to avoid overloading yourself or burning out.

Also remember we’re not here to be authorities.

We’re just two people having some real talk and some fun along the way. Seriously though, chill out and take some time for yourself. Your body and your brain will thank you.

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Episode 25: Accessibility vs. Inclusion - The Accessible Stall

Is complete accessibility necessary for inclusion? Can anything be truly inclusive it it’s inaccessible? In this episode, we explore these questions and try to figure out where access and inclusivity intersect. A transcript for this episode can be found here. This transcript is due to our generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you.

What prompted the conversation about accessibility and inclusion?

Recently, the Washington Post published an article about an access “solution” developed for people with mobility disabilities. “Infinity Mirrors,” an exhibit at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden was not created in a way that’s accessible for wheelchair users. So, the Smithsonian’s Accessibility Program got to work with the Hirshhorn’s multimedia and technology team to recreate the experience of the exhibit using virtual reality (VR). The result? People unable to access the exhibit can take it in through a VR headset.

Is that really a solution for inaccessibility?

Not really. It’s an awesome use of VR, but it doesn’t solve the real issue. The exhibit itself is still not accessible for wheelchair users to experience in person. And if a wheelchair user goes to the museum with a group and has to hang back and see the exhibit with a VR headset while everyone else goes inside the actual exhibit, that’s pretty exclusionary.

But aren’t there laws requiring public places like museums to be accessible?

Yes. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) requires access to public places. Museums should be taking this into account when building new structures or installations. And the Smithsonian itself actually has Guidelines for Accessible Exhibition Design. It seems, in the case of “Infinity Mirrors,” they’re forsaking the law and their guidelines in favor of art.

Does this one museum exhibition matter on a larger scale?

It sure does. It’s an example of issues that come up over and over again. First, accessibility is still frequently an afterthought. Second, it’s often conflated with inclusion. People think that efforts to make something accessible also make it inclusive by default. But that’s definitely not the case. Access is only the first step toward inclusion. 

Join us as we dive into why access and inclusion are not interchangeable and talk about the importance of making accessibility meaningful.

Notes from this episode: Robot Visits White House

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Episode 24: A Day Without a Woman - The Accessible Stall

Today is International Women’s Day. Today is also “A Day Without a Woman,” a form of protest by the same people behind the Women’s March on Washington, which took place on January 21^st, 2017. We like the idea of the Women’s Strike in theory. Women’s rights are human rights, after all. But is it a good idea in practice? Join us as we discuss in our first non-disability related episode of The Accessible Stall.

What is A Day Without a Woman? How do I participate?

Per their website,

Anyone, anywhere, can join by making March 8th A Day Without a Woman, in one or all of the following ways:

1. Women take the day off, from paid and unpaid labor
2. Avoid shopping for one day (with exceptions for small, women- and minority-owned businesses).
3. Wear RED in solidarity with A Day Without A Woman

That sounds fine. What’s your problem with it?

It does sound fine. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with participating in the strike, we feel that it’s misguided. The goals are unclear, and the people who need to hear the message the most likely won’t. It’s a great idea in theory, but it’s exclusionary to those who can’t afford to take off from work or who can only shop at places like Walmart. To put it simply, it’s a gross display of socioeconomic privilege. And we feel it’s worth discussing, as we both are staunchly for women’s rights, but think there are other, more effective forms of grassroots activism.

But you can just wear red, you don’t need money to participate!

True. But we examine the effectiveness of “color wearing” activism in this episode. If, on the one hand, it’s the only way/most accessible way you can participate? Go for it! Otherwise, it’s just slacktivism at its finest.

We went outside the box a little bit in our conversation during this episode. We hope you like it as much as we liked making it.

Notes from this episode: A Day Without A Woman Letter to Employer.

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Episode 23: Initiating The Uninitiated - The Accessible Stall

All too often, we struggle with the question: how can we advocate successfully when the people that need to know better are the ones hardest to reach? comes up. We try to tackle this in our latest episode. There’s a ton to unpack here. A transcript for this episode can be found here. This transcript is due to our generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you.

Where’s the line? Ignorance versus Willful Ignorance

One of the issues we talk about in this episode is ignorance. More to the point, we talk about the difference between ignorance and willful ignorance. Recognizing the difference is fundamental to understanding this episode. However, they are often used interchangeably. While the difference between them should be somewhat obvious, the question that still remains is: When does ignorance become willful? Where is that line?

How can we “initiate the uninitiated”?

This is the crux of our conversation. When confronting someone ignorant of disability issues about disability issues, how much slack should we give the person? Too much and they may assume they’re always in the right with no room to improve; too little and we come across as mean-spirited and rude. Luckily, we’ve come up with a list to ensure everyone walks (or rolls!) away happy.

Show me that list, yo.

1. Realize this is all subjective. Every disabled person has a different experience in their day-to-day life, so keep that in mind!
2. Ask a lot of questions and don’t worry about offending or how you’re coming across until you’re done asking. Use common sense, it’ll get you a long way!
3. Listen to the feedback about how you asked your question and how phrasing it better would have helped.
4. Most importantly, listen to the answers!

That is the greatest list of all time. Is the episode this good?

Probably not, but if you’ve listened or read this far you’ll enjoy it!

Notes from this episode: “Almost Politically Correct Redneck” memes

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Episode 22: Prioritizing Advocacy - The Accessible Stall

Have you ever noticed clashes among disability advocates over which issues are most important to address? Have you ever felt overwhelmed when trying to decide what advocacy issues most urgently require your attention? You’re not alone. In this episode, we talk about prioritizing advocacy in light of current events.

How do we even begin to figure out how we can go about prioritizing advocacy?

Ponder this: advocates fought like hell to block the nomination of Betsy DeVos for Secretary of Education. She was nominated anyway. What’s the next cause disability advocates should take on? Where will we be heard?

There’s another layer to this conundrum. We supposed to be a “disability community,” but more often than not, our advocacy priorities are at odds with other people who also count themselves as part of that community. We recognize that our overarching goals are the same: access and inclusion. Unfortunately, here’s where the similarities often hit a wall. The best ways to reach these goals will look different to everyone.

Everyone wants a chance to grab the megaphone and speak their minds, but the resulting discord can create confusion among the people we want listening. And that gets us nowhere.

But the reality is that there’s a lot happening in the world that does require advocacy. We’re not all going to agree on what’s most important.

So, how can we decide where to direct our advocacy efforts? What can we do so our advocacy is more than just shouting into the void?

Now, more than ever, prioritizing advocacy is a crucial strategy if we want our voices heard.

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Episode 21: Disability and Depression - The Accessible Stall

In this episode, we talk about disability and depression. We know it’s not the most pleasant topic. But, we wouldn’t be keeping it real if we acted like life is sunshine and roses all the time. And let’s be honest, depression is one of the realest parts of the human experience for so many. A transcript for this episode can be found here. This transcript is due to our generous supporters on Patreon. Thank you.

Why is it important to be open about disability and depression?

Here’s the problem: far too often, people assume that if a disabled person is depressed, the disability must be the direct cause. Even more problematic is that these kinds of assumptions aren’t just made by friends or family, but also by medical professionals.

It’s true that there can be a strong correlation between disability and depression. But it’s important to remember that people can be depressed for any number of reasons.

That said, it’s also important to recognize when disability is contributing to depression, and acknowledge that these feelings are valid. We’ve both encountered this. For instance, we’ve come face to face with physical limitations caused by our disabilities. We’ve had to grapple with things we can’t do. Experiences like this can definitely trigger or amplify emotions, especially for people who are already depressed.

So, we decided to record this episode for three main reasons:

1) To push back against the taboo of mental health disabilities;
2) To explore the connections between being disabled and being depressed;
3) And, most importantly, to let you know that you’re not alone.

Disclaimer: We understand that not everyone considers mental health issues to be disabilities. And we know people use a range of terms to refer to mental health disabilities. For the purposes of this episode, we are defining mental health issues as a category under the umbrella of disability.

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Episode 20: Bodily Autonomy

We’re taking a break from our miniseries on building a better community and tackling the topic of bodily autonomy.

What is bodily autonomy?

For a simple definition, we consulted our good friend, Wikipedia, which defines bodily autonomy as:

…the inviolability of the physical body and emphasiz[ing] the importance of personal autonomy and the self-determination of human beings over their own bodies. It considers the violation of bodily integrity as an unethical infringement, intrusive, and possibly criminal.

In this episode, we discuss how bodily autonomy pertains specifically to people with disabilities.

How does bodily autonomy affect the disability community?

People with disabilities are more likely to have their autonomy challenged than any other group of people. Don’t take our word for it, though. Check out the statistics. This is outrageous. But when you have a disability, it’s not only often seen as okay, but in some cases it’s expected and normalized.

We dive deeper into the issue. How does having different mobility levels affect the perception of autonomy?  How does autonomy tie into bigger issues such as personal privacy?

When you’re a person with a disability, there are many situations in which having your autonomy challenged or removed can lead to very literal objectification of your body.

True ownership over our own bodies is one of the few things we (philosophically) truly have. Without it, we are objects, and that is never a good thing.

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