This episode features Dr. Autumn Asher BlackDeer, a queer decolonial scholar from the Southern Cheyenne Nation and an assistant professor in the Graduate School of Social Work at the University of Denver. She discusses how social science methods can be reshaped to learn from communities and implement this knowledge into practice. Our conversation c…

Dr. Willi Horner-Johnson takes a cross-disability approach to pregnancy and health in her work as Associate Professor at Oregon Health and Science University's School of Public Health, director of the Oregon Office on Disability in Health, and co-PI of the National Center for Disability and Pregnancy. Her work studies both pregnancy of people with …

Jared Smith, associate director of WebAIM, shares his expertise from over 20 years of working in web accessibility. In this episode, Smith highlights how online access means equity to information and ecommerce for all. He describes his team’s systems to search websites for a wide variety of barriers, even with few federal guidelines in place. Tune …

In this episode, we welcome back Dr. Lisa Iezzoni, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical school and an internationally recognized health services researcher, to discuss her new book, Making Their Days Happen: Personal Assistant Services Supporting People with Disability Living in Their Homes and Communities. Learn about the research findings a…

Dr. Megan Morris is a University of Colorado-Anschutz Associate professor, certified speech-language pathologist, and founding director of the Disability Equity Collaborative, a community aimed at advancing equitable care for patients with disabilities through practice, policy and research. Dr. Morris focuses on understanding, identifying and addre…

Linda Mastandrea, Director of the Office of Disability Integration and Coordination at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), shares her work as a disability law and civil rights attorney. She discusses her role in the COVID-19 response, the lack of data on how emergencies impact people with disabilities, and the barriers for people with d…

Dr. Kimberly Phillips, Research Assistant Professor at the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire, provides an overview of her broad range of projects on increasing equity for people with disabilities through employment and community participation. She differentiates the medical and social models of Disability and provides insig…

Dr. Kathleen Bogart, Director of the Disability and Social Interaction Lab at Oregon State University, discusses her research on congenital and acquired disabilities, ableism, and stigma-related stress management. She describes the disability self-concept as an individual's disability identity and how someone navigates the world in relation to that…

Dr. Sophia Mitra, Professor of economics, co-director of the disability studies program, and founding director of the research consortium on disability at Fordham University, discusses the association between disability and economic outcomes. She describes how the current economic system contributes to economic deprivation for people with disabilit…

MaryBeth Musumeci, associate director of the Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured at the Kaiser Family Foundation, discusses how states are expanding access to behavioral healthcare, including the role of telehealth. She also describes the ethical issues behind COVID-19 mandates, the rights of nursing home residents during the pandemic, and new op…

Dr. Sophie Mitra, professor in the department of economics, co-director of the disability studies program, and founding director of the research consortium on disability at Fordham University, discusses the disability data initiative. Dr. Mitra shares her findings that people with disabilities are often not included in national surveys, not asked m…

In this episode, the Director of the Institute for Ethics and Public Affairs at San Diego State University, Dr. Joe Stramondo, discusses his paper "Causing Disability, Causing Non-Disability: What's the Moral Difference?". In this conversation, he describes society's standard view of disability and the reasons why there is a moral asymmetry between…

Music producer, composer, and hearing technology consultant Richard Einhorn describes his diverse experiences from creating award-winning music to advocating for adults with hearing loss worldwide. Einhorn tells his story of suddenly losing hearing and experimenting with powerful hearing assistance technologies. He shares his optimism for universal…

This episode features Taryn Williams, the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Disability Employment Policy at the United States Department of Labor. She shares the mission of the Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) and this office's policies and programs aimed at increasing employment opportunities for people with disabilities. She discusses…

Sandy Ho, a White House Champion of Change in 2015, returns to discuss her work supporting the inclusion of people from intersecting backgrounds in disability research and advocacy. She shares a brief history of the connection between intersectionality and the disability justice framework and why an intersectional approach is key to combating ablei…

In this episode, we talk with Sandy Ho, a disability activist, policy researcher at the Lurie Institute for Disability Policy at Brandeis University, and co-founder of Disability and Intersectionality Summit. Sandy shares details from the report, Civic Engagement and People with Disabilities, which she co-authored. She discusses how ableist attitud…

A Planetary Science graduate student at Johns Hopkins University, L. Miché Aaron describes both her research studying minerals on Mars and her grassroots efforts to diversify science. Miché shares the story of her ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) diagnosis and how society conditioned her to internalize stigma related to neurodiversit…

Keyonna Mayo, a Baltimore City disability community leader, and Corey Warren, an attorney from Disability Rights Maryland, describe the obstacles faced by the disability community in Baltimore City. Keyonna discusses gaps in community accessibility within Baltimore City, including sidewalks, and describes how both people with disabilities and the c…

Assistant Professor at UNC School of Medicine and pediatric neurologist at the Carolina Institute of Developmental Disabilities, Dr. Diana Cejas discusses how ableism impacts patients and physicians in this two-part episode. She explains how disability is more than pathology, and shares how the culture in medicine pressures physicians to hide their…

Assistant Professor at UNC School of Medicine and pediatric neurologist at the Carolina Institute of Developmental Disabilities, Dr. Diana Cejas discusses how ableism impacts patients and physicians in this two-part episode. She explains how disability is more than pathology, and shares how the culture in medicine pressures physicians to hide their…

University of California San Francisco Internal Medicine resident, Dr. Justin Bullock, shares his journey through medical training with bipolar disorder and explains how it drives his advocacy for disability inclusion among physicians, particularly those with a mental illness. Dr. Bullock compares residency to a marathon, highlighting how it can pu…

Dr. Lisa Meeks is focused on promoting equal access in health professional education for trainees with disabilities. Dr. Meeks aims to change the paradigm from focusing only on individuals accommodations for people with disabilities to removing ableist barriers and creating inclusive environments that are accessible for all. Dr. Meeks highlights ho…

In part two of this episode, Dr. Doron Dorfman describes his work identifying the "disability con", and the burden of proof for people with disabilities. He explains the importance of expanding understanding of disability law to combat these misperceptions and discusses how his work shows that disability equity must stem from the recognition that d…

Associate Professor of Law at Syracuse University College of Law, Doron Dorfman shares his work examining how ideologies, stigma, and stereotypes of disability impact policies, and the high stakes implications during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Dorfman shares examples of how disability advocacy has been critical in combating these biases and changin…

Sarah Szanton is the professor for health equity and social justice and director of the Center for Innovative Care in Aging at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. In this episode, Dr. Szanton describes her innovative model, Community Aging in Place—Advancing Better Living for Elders (CAPABLE), which combines multifactorial interventions focused on…

Molly Joyce, a nationally acclaimed composer, joins us to discuss the intersection of disability and music. Molly highlights what she calls a false social constriction — artists being limited by normative standards of performativity and virtuosity. She delves into the meaning of her debut album, Breaking and Entering, and how it promoted her creati…

Dr. Lisa Iezzoni is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical school and an internationally recognized health services researcher. Dr. Iezzoni, with her decades of work on health inequities for people with disabilities, discusses disparities in healthcare and why the needle has not moved on closing these gaps for the disability community. She shar…

In this episode, we talk with Andrés Gallegos, chairman of the National Council on Disability (NCD), about his recent commentary in Health Affairs, “Misperceptions of People with Disabilities Lead to Low-Quality Care: How Policymakers Can Counter the Harm and Injustice.” He shares insight on the impact of gaps in disability data, the underrepresent…

Dr. Ruffin describes his experiences as a medical provider with a disability during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as how masks have hindered his ability to communicate with patients. He also talks about his own experience with hearing loss and how it gives him a more complete understanding of hearing care. Lastly, Dr. Ruffin advocates for more inclus…

Dr. Terri Massie-Burrell, the Director of Student Disability Services at Johns Hopkins, shares her journey to working in disability services and how her experience as an African American woman with a disability informed her trajectory. She discusses how her field has changed and her hopes for a future where accommodations are no longer stigmatized.…

Dr. Scott Landes is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Syracuse University. Dr. Landes has recently published multiple research articles characterizing the greater risk of poorer COVID-19 outcomes faced by people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). His work highlights the vulnerability of this group during the COVID-19 pande…

Sara Luterman, a journalist focusing on disability issues, talks about her coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics include COVID-19 in nursing homes, medical rationing, and quality of life metrics. Sara delves into specific issues facing long-term care settings during the pandemic and potential alternatives to nursing homes, particularly through …

In this episode, Nick and Bonnie talk with three trainees at the Disability Health Research Center: Caroline Cerilli, Jessica Campanile, and Sabrina Epstein. The three share their experiences with the lack of disability inclusion in public health and pre-medical education. They discuss their experiences with the DHRC, including creative ways to mak…

Andy Imparato, Executive Director of Disability Rights California, shares his work on disability issues during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to his California work, Andy is a member of the Biden-Harris Administration COVID-19 Health Equity Task Force, and he discusses his national work to include disability in diversity conversations. Episode …

Dr. Mildred Solomon, President of the Hastings Center, joins Bonnie and Nick to discuss her leadership at the Center and how it relates to disability issues. She reviews several historical and current projects on bioethics. Additionally, Dr. Solomon explores COVID-19 and disability, particularly her piece in the New England Journal of Medicine arou…

Nanette Goodman researches economic outcomes of people with disabilities, and she recently examined this issue through the lens of intersectionality. She shares her staggering findings in this episode: people with disabilities are twice as likely than those without to live in poverty, and this proportion increases substantially for disabled people …

In this episode, Bonnie and Nick interview Dr. Anjali Forber Pratt, assistant professor at Vanderbilt University, Paralympian and disability rights activist. She talks about disability identity from both a personal and academic research perspective. Drawing on the disability justice framework, Dr. Forber-Pratt also reflects on the importance of int…

Kathy Flaherty, Executive Director of the Connecticut Legal Rights Project, discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected people with psychiatric disabilities, particularly those in inpatient facilities. Kathy shares her work in Connecticut advocating for the rights of patients in psychiatric hospitals as well as her own experience with the flaw…

In this episode, Bonnie interviews her co-host, Dr. Nick Reed, in this bonus episode. Nick shares his personal story of how he became interested in hearing research. You’ll learn about Nick’s journey in academia and medicine and how he balances his passion for public health with his own mental health. Episode transcripts can be found at http://disa…

In this episode, Nick interviews Bonnie about her research and disability advocacy. She discusses her own experience with disability and her journey to public health. Learn more about the Johns Hopkins Disability Health Research Center here: https://disabilityhealth.jhu.edu/ Episode transcripts can be found at http://disabilityhealth.jhu.edu/includ…

In this episode, Andrew and Gregg talked about founding #CripTheVote in 2016 with Alice Wong out of a shared frustration with disability not being mentioned in the presidential debates. They gave specific examples of barriers to voting and how they vary for people with different access needs, emphasizing that the goal is for voting to be as easy as…

In this episode, Sarah Blahovec discusses the work of disability nonprofits to organize the disability vote. From voter registration to polling sites, disabled people experience barriers at every step of the voting process. Problems with the US Postal Service have been highlighted in the news recently, and Sarah and the hosts dive into the implicat…

In this episode, our guest Maureen van Stone discusses educating candidates about disability policy, increasing the disability vote, and addressing issues specific to Maryland. With her expertise in advocating for children with disabilities, Maureen explains what's at stake in this election for the disability community and shares some key state and…