Shows
Down to the StrutsImmigration Mini Series: Recast of "Embodying The Body" with Bhavna MehtaThis week, our immigration mini series takes a slightly different angle on the relationship between disability and immigration. We as a country have spent the last year grappling with the Trump administration’s hateful and xenophobic rhetoric about immigrants, who have been framed as dangerous criminals and burdens on American society. But it’s important to remember that immigrants have been, and always will be, the lifeblood of our country. This is clearly demonstrated in Bhavna Mehta’s reflections about immigrating to the U.S. as a graduate student in computer science, And how it comp...
2026-03-0337 min
Down to the StrutsImmigration Mini Series - Recast of "Empowering Disabled Refugees" with Mustafa RfatIn the next installment of our immigration mini series, we’re rebroadcasting the episode, “Empowering disabled refugees,” with Mustafa Rfat from Season 6. Since coming into office, the Trump administration has suspended refugee resettlement, strangled the asylum process, set the lowest refugee admissions cap ever, issued travel bans for immigrants coming from dozens of countries, and eliminated vital services for refugees resettling in the United States. All of these actions have disproportionate impacts for refugees with disabilities, who, according to some estimates, constitute nearly a third of the global refugee population. Check out the original episode page for...
2026-02-2436 min
Down to the StrutsImmigration Mini Series - Recast of Law, Policy, and Disabled Immigrants (Katherine Perez & Roxana Moussavian Season 2)As the Trump administration Continues to unleash Immigration officers into our communities from Los Angeles to Minneapolis, to murder and terrorize undocumented people and citizens alike, we wanted to highlight the specific dangers that disabled immigrants face, and the disabling impacts of ICE enforcement and detention in this very special mini series on the intersection of immigration and disability. We’ll start by reprising our season 2 premiere, Law, policy, and disabled immigrants, Featuring immigration and disability experts Katherine Perez and Roxana Moussavian. This episode is an excellent primer on the history of racism and ableism in the Am...
2026-02-171h 00
Down to the StrutsRecast: Alice Wong on The Year of the TigerAfter Alice's passing late last week, we wanted to reshare Qudsiya's conversation with her. Alice Wong was a disabled activist, author and podcaster behind “Disability Visibility,” and the first person Qudsiya reached out to for advice on podcasting.In their conversation, Alice tells Qudsiya what she’s learned about the visibility of the disabled experience in media and culture, and her desire to contribute to those narratives by telling her own story. They also discuss the need for more financial support for disabled creatives, as well as better representation in journalism and other media.Visi...
2025-11-2055 min
Choose to be CuriousEp. #304: Curious in Mind & Body, with Qudsiya NaquiHow might understanding the experiences of disability help us be more curious about our own and others' minds and bodies?
And, most importantly, how might any of that help us be kinder and more patient with ourselves and each other?
I’m profoundly grateful to legal scholar and disability media-maker Qudsiya Naqui for proposing today’s topic.
Qudsiya Naqui: https://law.udc.edu/qudsiya-naqui/
Theme music by Sean Balick. ”Mind Body Mind" by BodyTonic, via Blue Dot Sessions.
2025-11-0528 minDown to the StrutsBlind Birding (part 2) with Jerry BerrierTo wrap up our 10th season, we’re delighted to share the second part of Qudsiya’s conversation with Blind Birder extraordinaire, Jerry Berrier. In the second half of their chat, Jerry introduced Qudsiya to the vast diversity of birdsong, including particular birds he enjoys listening to in his local area in Massachusetts, plus lots of fun facts about birds and their behavior. He also shared several resources that you can use to enjoy and learn more about the birds in your community, including Merlin Bird ID, Larkwire, All About Birds, and Jerry’s website, birdblind.org.Listen to...
2025-08-1226 minDown to the StrutsAudio essay: We Are Not Okay…and We Will Keep ResistingThis Disability Pride Month isn’t just about celebrating the disability community: it marks a season of resistance. Our very existence is under threat, from drastic cuts to the social safety net, to vile attacks on the autistic community, a full-on assault on transgender lives, and the terrorizing of immigrants.But this is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that those who face oppression and state violence have leaned on each other to challenge the forces that seek to erase us. In her powerful new essay, “We Are Not Ok…And We Will Keep Re...
2025-07-2713 minDown to the StrutsBlind Birding with Jerry BerrierWe have a few more surprises in store for you this season, including this very special, two-part bonus episode. Qudsiya sat down with Jerry Berrier. Jerry is a member of Birdability.org, an organization dedicated to making birding accessible to all. He is also a member of the Bay State Council of the Blind. Jerry and Qudsiya explored the world of blind birding, chatted about Jerry’s work to develop nature trails that are accessible to all, and how he and a group of other blind birders planned the first ever national blind birder bird-a-thon in May 2025. Be...
2025-07-2218 minDown to the StrutsDisability and Journalism in India with Priti SalianFor our season finale, we'll travel across continents for Qudsiya’s conversation with Priti Salian, a journalist, media consultant, and trainer based in Bengaluru, India. Priti’s work focuses on gender equality, disability, and inclusion through the lens of human rights and solutions based journalism. She is the creator of the acclaimed newsletter Reframing Disability. Priti and Qudsiya discussed Priti’s interest in disability coverage in India, her groundbreaking research as a fellow at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism about the representation of disabled journalists in Indian newsrooms, and solutions for ensuring that disabled journal...
2025-07-0832 minDown to the StrutsDisability Cultural Centers with Dagny Brown and Mika WeissbuchOver the last few episodes, we've talked about disability rights, history, the law, and intersectional movement building. Today we're going to dive into another important aspect of the disability experience—disability culture. We'll listen in on Qudsiya’s conversation with Dagny Brown and Mika Weissbuch, two of the three co-directors of the San Francisco Disability Cultural Center, or DCC. Dagny and Mika recounted the DCC origin story, their vision for its role in San Francisco and beyond, and Qudsiya, Dagny, and Mika talked about why creating a shared space and experiences for people of all backgrounds, regardless of w...
2025-06-2422 minDown to the StrutsDisability Justice Is Trans JusticeThis episode explores how disability justice relates to the ongoing pursuit of justice for transgender communities, who are increasingly under threat in the US and many other countries. We'll listen in on Qudsiya’s conversation with Ericka Dixon and Sebastian Margaret of the Transgender Law Center's Disability Project. They discuss how we can build cross movement solidarity between transgender and disabled communities, and all who exist at those intersections.--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 tea
2025-06-1030 minDown to the StrutsDisability and Punishment with Professor Jamelia MorganThis 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 p...
2025-05-2728 minDown to the StrutsReporting the Disability Civil Rights Movement with Joe ShapiroQudsiya 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
2025-05-1325 minDown to the StrutsMaking the ADA with Chai FeldblumWelcome 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...
2025-04-2928 minDown to the StrutsTrailer: Season 10 coming soonSeason 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.
2025-04-1503 minDown to the StrutsRecast: When Driving Is Not an Option (Season 9)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...
2025-04-0124 minDown to the StrutsRecast: Access: a Love Story (Season 8)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 art...
2025-03-2534 minDown to the StrutsRecast: In the Country of the Blind (Season 7)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.
2025-03-1830 minDown to the StrutsRecast: Empowered interdependence with Haben Girma (Season 6)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 t...
2025-03-1133 minDown to the StrutsRecast: All Our Families (Season 5)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 wit
2025-03-0447 minDown to the StrutsRecast: Judy Heumann Reflects on the Disability Revolution (Season 4)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 w
2025-02-2542 minDown to the StrutsRecast: Intersectionality and Algorithmic Bias (Season 3)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 th...
2025-02-1837 minDown to the StrutsRecast: Designing Access for Disabled Students (Season 2)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 Stru...
2025-02-1046 min
Contra*Episode 40: Contra* Podcasting in Community with Qudsiya NaquiThis episode, we hear from Qudsiya Naqui, a blind South Asian lawyer and podcast creator. Qudsiya shares how remote access has transformed her daily work and inspired her to start her own podcast, Down to the Struts, welcoming her into the broader disability community.
Themes:
Disability advocacy and justice
Advocating for remote workplace access
Blindness and screen readers
Podcast remote recordings and production
Navigating access in cross disability communities
Links:
Qudsiya’s podcast, Down to the Struts
Qudsiya on Linkedin
Remote...
2025-02-0536 minDown to the StrutsRecast: The Language of Disability (Season 1)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...
2025-02-0437 min
Down to the StrutsIntroducing the Remote Access Archives (and season 4 of the Contra* podcast)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.
Con...
2025-01-2805 min
Down to the StrutsTrailer: Introducing Pod AccessCheck 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.
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2025-01-1302 minDown to the StrutsDisability and dance with Kayla HamiltonBONUS 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....
2024-12-1720 minDown to the StrutsEmployment and Disability with Amir RahimiIn 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.
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2024-12-0322 minDown to the StrutsDisabled women and economic justice with Marissa DitkowskyQudsiya 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 dis...
2024-11-1925 minDown to the StrutsOn blindness and justice with David TatelQudsiya 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.
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2024-11-0520 minDown to the StrutsVoting accessibly with Dessa Cosma and Kenia FloresWith 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.
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2024-10-2235 minDown to the StrutsAn accessible camping adventure with QudsiyaIn 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...
2024-10-0829 minDown to the StrutsWhen driving is not an option with Anna ZivartsWelcome 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 d...
2024-09-2423 minDown to the StrutsTrailer: Season 9 coming soonDown 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.
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2024-09-1002 minDown to the StrutsRecast: Making voting accessible (Season 3)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.
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2024-08-3028 minDown to the StrutsRecast: Let's play goalball! (Season 1)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...
2024-08-0848 minDown to the StrutsLibraries transform communities with ALA president Emily DrabinskiQudsiya 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.
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2024-05-0716 minDown to the StrutsNavigating crisis with Justice ShorterJustice 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 publ...
2024-04-2328 minDown to the StrutsDisabled entrepreneurs with Diego MariscalDiego 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.
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2024-04-0918 minDown to the StrutsDisability data justice with Bonnie SwenorDown 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.
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2024-03-2625 minDown to the StrutsDisability glam at the GRAMMYs with LachiAward-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 ho...
2024-03-1229 minDown to the StrutsPutting the 'cool' in disability culture with Day Al-MohamedWhat 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.
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2024-02-2732 minDown to the StrutsAccess: a love storySeason 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 p...
2024-02-1333 minDown to the StrutsTrailer: Season 8 coming soonSeason 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.
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2024-01-3002 minDown to the StrutsGetting to know Qudsiya NaquiA 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.
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2024-01-2222 minDown to the StrutsBonus: In the Country of the Blind with Andrew LelandQudsiya 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 wr...
2023-11-1429 minDown to the StrutsUnderstanding What Is Unseen with Set Hernandez and PedroQudsiya 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 fo...
2023-10-1725 minDown to the StrutsDisability and climate justice with Áine Kelly-CostelloQudsiya 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.
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2023-10-1728 minDown to the StrutsGoing Beyond Awareness with Diana Pastora CarsonQudsiya 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.
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2023-09-1918 minDown to the StrutsExploring Disabled Power with Power Not Pity's Bri Joy MooreBri 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.
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2023-09-0524 minDown to the StrutsDisability News from Around the World with Peter Torres FremlinQudsiya 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.
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2023-08-2236 minDown to the StrutsCreating space in politics with New Disabled South's Dom KellyQudsiya 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.
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2023-08-0825 minDown to the StrutsTrailer: Season 7 coming soonCheck 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.
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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.
2023-07-2502 minDown to the StrutsAlice Wong on Voice (from Ten Thousand Things)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 th...
2023-07-1119 min
Down to the StrutsRemembering Judy Heumann: Reflections on the Disability RevolutionOn 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.
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If you're enjoying the podcast, please spread the word by leaving a rating and revi...
2023-05-1043 min
Down to the StrutsEmpowered Interdependence with Haben GirmaIn 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.
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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.
2023-04-1833 min
Down to the StrutsDisabled Gaming with May WongQudsiya 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.
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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.
2023-04-0426 min
Beyond Awareness: Disability Awareness That Matters30. Embracing Disability Identity with Qudsiya NaquiIn This Episode
Qudsiya Naqui Bio
Diana interviews Qudsiya Naqui, lawyer, disability justice activist, and podcast host of Down to the Struts. In this episode, Qudsiya shares about her journey to embracing her blind identity, her disability identity, and the disability community that brought her into the fold. She speaks to the isolation felt when in her younger years, she was excluded from participation in school activities simply because people did see her need for access, nor her right to access. Finally, Qudsiya shares about many great leaders and authors who have provided a sense o...
2023-03-2440 min
Down to the StrutsDisabled in Space with NASA’s Denna LambertQudsiya 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.
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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.
2023-03-2129 min
Down to the StrutsEmpowering Disabled Refugees with Mustafa RfatQudsiya 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.
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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.
2023-03-0734 min
Down to the StrutsEmbodying the Body with Bhavna MehtaBhavna 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.
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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.
2023-02-2135 min
Down to the StrutsCripping Culture with Andraéa LaVantOur 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.
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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.
2023-02-0728 min
Down to the StrutsDown to the Struts Season 6 coming soonDown 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.
2023-01-2405 min
Down to the StrutsBonus: Disability as Freedom (panel discussion)This bonus episode features excerpts from a panel discussion that Qudsiya facilitated on “Disability as Freedom” for the Equal Justice Works leadership Development Training in 2021. In the featured excerpts of the discussion, you’ll learn about approaching legal advocacy within the frame of disability rights, justice and intersectionality in order to carve a pathway to equal justice for all. The speakers focused on the examples of disaster recovery, immigration and education. You may also recognize some familiar voices: Katherine Perez and Justice Shorter, both former Down to the Struts guests, are part of this conversation.
Equal Justice Works is the nation...
2022-09-2729 min
Down to the StrutsDisability and the creative process (with Michael A. Williams)Qudsiya is joined by visually impaired, self- taught artist Michael A. Williams for a discussion about disability and the creative process. Michael and Qudsiya talk about his artistic techniques, what drew him to add electronic music composition to his artistic portfolio, and how his art wound up in the collection of our 44th president, Barack Obama.
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.
2022-09-0620 min
Down to the StrutsAccessing employment opportunity (with Eli Dvorkin)Qudsiya interviews Eli Dvorkin from the Center for an Urban Future about the new report, Access Opportunity: Expanding Economic Opportunity for New Yorkers with Disabilities. New York City experienced a nearly 10% increase in the unemployment rate among city residents with disabilities from 7.4% in 2019 to more than 17% in 2021 as a result of the pandemic-induced economic downturn. This is not inconsistent with national trends—according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate for people with disabilities in the U.S. rose from 7.3% in 2019 to 10.1% in 2021.
Qudsiya and Eli explore some of the reasons why disabled New Yorkers continue to st...
2022-08-2339 min
Down to the StrutsChange Makers (with Lou Paniccioli)Qudsiya is joined by youth activist Lou Paniccioli, an Asian Pacific American Institute for Congressional Studies fellow, secretary of the Young Democrats of America Disability Issues Caucus, and vice chair of the New York Young Democrats Disability Issues Caucus. They talk about Lou’s journey to political activism as his chosen tool to affect social change, and the role models that have guided him along that path.
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.
2022-08-0921 min
Down to the StrutsDisability and the Federal Judiciary (with Mamadi Corra)Qudsiya is joined by Mamadi Corra, Professor of Sociology at East Carolina University (ECU). They discuss Professor Corra's research on access for people with disabilities in the US federal judicial system, his approach to disability and scholarship and his advice for disabled people of color pursuing an academic path.
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.
2022-07-2630 min
Down to the StrutsAll Our Families (with Jennifer Natalya Fink)In this episode, Qudsiya is joined by Jennifer Natalya Fink, professor of English and the director of the program in Disability Studies at Georgetown University. They talk about Jennifer’s new book, All Our Families: Disability Lineage and the Future of Kinship.
This is a powerful reflection that documents the erasure of disability from our family narratives, the damage that this can cause as we navigate our kinship ties, and how applying the principles of disability justice to bring our disabled ancestors back into our family lineage can help us hold our communities closer in webs of care.
If you're en...
2022-07-1246 min
Down to the StrutsBONUS episode: Disability and Reproductive Freedom (w/ Sara Luterman)The overturning of Roe v. Wade has sent shockwaves around the world. In this special bonus episode of Down to the Struts, Qudsiya is joined by journalist Sara Luterman. Sara and Qudsiya discuss a first-of-its-kind poll conducted by Data for Progress about disabled people’s views on abortion, the history of reproductive autonomy for disabled people in the U.S., and the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization for disabled communities.
If you're enjoying the podcast, please spread the word by leaving a rating and review on Apple podcasts, tagging us @DownTo...
2022-06-2826 min
Down to the StrutsRAMPD up: music and disability (w/ Precious Perez)In the first episode of season 5, Qudsiya is joined by musician Precious Perez. They talk about her experiences as a disabled artist and musician, her participation in the newly-launched advocacy coalition, RAMPD (Recording Artists and Music Professionals with Disabilities), and her vision for a music industry that centers and elevates disabled artists and music professionals.
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.
2022-06-1426 min
Down to the StrutsBonus: Just HumanDr. Arielle Silverman was the very first guest on Down to the Struts. Now, the disability researcher and consultant returns for a very special bonus episode. Arielle joins Qudsiya to talk about her new memoir, Just Human: The Quest for Disability Wisdom, Respect and Inclusion.
Arielle tells Qudsiya about what led her to write Just Human, her own journey as a blind person, and how she's translated her rigorous research and personal experiences into a framework for disability inclusion.
2022-03-0845 min
Down to the StrutsDisabled Podcasters Unite!The season 4 finale gets a little meta - Qudsiya is joined by Cheryl Green and Thomas Reid to talk about disability and the world of podcasting!
Cheryl and Thomas tell Qudsiya about the early days of disabled podcasting and audio production; their creative process; and a new initiative they are launching in collaboration with the Disability Visibility Project to create a learning and collaboration hub for disabled podcasters and members of the disability community who want to pursue podcasting. They also discuss the power of the collective, and the failure of mainstream podcasting to capture the authentic voices and stories...
2022-02-1546 min
Down to the StrutsArtificial DivideQudsiya is joined by Robert Kingett, a totally blind, gay, author, essayist and freelance journalist. Qudsiya and Robert discuss Robert’s journey to becoming a writer, the creation of his anthology, Artificial Divide, and why the publishing industry should advance works of fiction created by disabled authors.
2022-02-0125 min
Down to the StrutsDisabled in CourtQudsiya is joined by Erika Rickard, director of a project at The Pew Charitable Trusts aimed at modernizing our nation's civil legal system. They talked about the findings of a new report from The Pew Charitable Trusts entitled, “How Courts Embraced Technology, Met the Pandemic Challenge, and Revolutionized Their Operations,” and what more needs to be done to ensure that disabled people can access an increasingly virtual courtroom to solve consequential problems related to family and economic stability.
2022-01-1826 min
Down to the StrutsDisability SolidarityQudsiya is joined by Sandy Ho, a disability policy researcher and the founder of the Disability & Intersectionality summit. They talk about Sandy’s journey to becoming a disability justice activist and scholar and her creation of the Disability and Intersectionality Summit. Together, they discuss how we can reimagine the way we think about academia and scholarship, and who is included in those spaces.
2022-01-0429 min
Down to the StrutsSitting PrettyQudsiya is joined by writer and educator Rebekah Taussig. They talk about social media as a tool for organizing and community-building, Rebekah’s memoir, Sitting Pretty, and the lessons of disabled parenting.
2021-12-2145 min
Blind AbilitiesQudsiya Naqui – Lawyer, Advocate and Podcaster. A Conversation about Transitioning From Sighted to Blind and From College to the Workplace, Running, Biking and Getting Down to the Struts.Qudsiya Naqui has experienced losing sight, transitioning from reading to listening to audio, learning about the White Cane and advocating all along the way. Qudsiya is aa Lawyer and reflects back about her journey, her advocates, her way of choosing a college and how Tandem Biking and Running has opened up communities where she is thriving. Qudsiya has a lot to say about her experience transitioning into Blindness and the experiences Qudsiya shares are lessons we can all take from. Read more we would love to hear from you! Send us an em...
2021-10-2236 min
Down to the StrutsAccess and Inclusion in the WorkplaceKathy Martinez, president and CEO of Disability Rights Advocates, has had a long career building accessible workplaces, from Wells Fargo to the White House. In her conversation with Qudsiya, she offers advice and thoughts for employers and employees about designing a workplace that is inclusive and accessible to all.
2021-08-2443 min
Down to the StrutsIntersectionality and Algorithmic BiasAlgorithmic machine learning is everywhere, from resume scanning software to advertisements social media. But the discrimination inherently programmed into these algorithms can have real consequences for marginalized groups, including people of color and disabled people. In this episode, advocate, educator and attorney Lydia X.Z. Brown tells Qudsiya about their work to help more people understand and combat these threats. Lydia and Qudsiya also explore the definition of intersectionality, and its relevance when combating algorithmic discrimination.
2021-08-1036 min
Down to the StrutsMaking Voting AccessibleIn this episode, 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.
2021-07-2727 min
Down to the StrutsThe Year of the TigerThis season is kicking off with a very special guest: Alice Wong, disabled activist, author and podcaster behind “Disability Visibility,” and the first person Qudsiya reached out to for advice on podcasting.
In their conversation, Alice tells Qudsiya what she’s learned about the visibility of the disabled experience in media and culture, and her desire to contribute to those narratives by telling her own story. They also discuss the need for more financial support for disabled creatives, as well as better representation in journalism and other media.
2021-07-1354 min
Down to the StrutsBonus episode: Behind the Scenes of Down to the StrutsThis special Season 2 bonus episode takes us behind the scenes of Down to the Struts, for a conversation with the team. Listen to Qudsiya chat with audio producer Ilana Nevins and social media and website manager Avery Anapol about how they got involved with the podcast, what they've learned about storytelling, and what they're excited about in Season 3.
2021-06-0822 min
Down to the StrutsBlack Disabled Lives MatterThe week before this episode’s release, former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was convicted on all charges in the murder of George Floyd, one of countless unarmed Black men who have been killed by police in the U.S. Floyd’s death sparked a global resurgence of Black Lives Matter action and discussion about police abolition.
According to a study conducted by the Ruderman Family Foundation, between 2013 and 2015, half of police shootings involved disabled people. The conversation around policing and marginalized groups, and how to achieve justice for all, is wide-ranging, and far from over. We explore this and more...
2021-04-2747 min
Down to the StrutsPhysicians, Disabled Patients, and Healthcare AccessLast year, as emergency rooms and intensive care units were filled to capacity due to COVID-19, physicians had to make very difficult decisions about how to distribute scarce resources. Patients and their families relied on physicians to make these decisions in an unbiased, clear manner.
In this episode, we hear from Dr. Lisa Iezzoni, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School who co-authored a recent study revealing alarming statistics about physician perceptions of patients with disabilities.
The study, published in the peer-reviewed journal Health Affairs, found that 82 percent of physicians surveyed believed that patients with disabilities have a lower...
2021-04-1344 min
Down to the StrutsDisability-Positive EducationContinuing on the theme of disability and education from Episode 3, this episode features a conversation with disability civil rights activist Alan Holdsworth.
Qudsiya and Alan dive into Alan's work as Director of Disability Equality in Education, a non-profit dedicated to eradicating disability stigma in schools.
Listen to learn how and why disability should fit into the K-12 curricula, fighting disability stigma on college campuses, and the surprising number of U.S. presidents who have been disabled.
2021-03-3032 min
Down to the StrutsDesigning Access for Disabled StudentsThis episode of Down to the Struts takes us into the classroom, and to the crossroads of disability and education with Roger Ideishi, Director of Occupational Therapy and Professor of Health, Human Function, and Rehabilitation Sciences at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Qudsiya and Roger discuss breaking down barriers faced by disabled children, and how small design changes can build diverse educational environments with accessibility and adaptability in mind. We learn how practitioners, healthcare providers and educators can help students achieve their own goals, not those set by an ableist system.
2021-03-1646 min
Down to the StrutsCritical Design in the Age of CovidFrom Zoom conferences to live-streamed concerts, the Covid-19 pandemic appears to have made much of our world more flexible. But does this mean it's more accessible? How do we critically design digital spaces to be truly accessible, during and beyond a global crisis?
In this episode, Qudsiya discusses sociospatial thinking and critical design with Aimi Hamraie, Associate Professor of Medicine, Health, & Society at Vanderbilt University, and director of the Critical Design Lab.
2021-03-0237 min
Down to the StrutsLaw, Policy, and Disabled ImmigrantsHow have U.S. immigration laws treated disabled people? How can disability law advance immigrants’ rights? Does immigration law itself create disability?
In the premiere episode of Season 2, Qudsiya is joined by Katherine Pérez and Roxana Moussavian, who approach these complex webs from the perspective of disability law and immigration law.
2021-02-1658 min
Down to the StrutsSeason 2: Coming February 16In this season, host Qudsiya Naqui will be joined by even more wonderful guests to discuss topics like immigration, education, and much more, as they relate to disability. Listen in as Qudsiya and her guests explore intersectional problems to complex issues.
2021-02-0901 min
Down to the StrutsBonus: Accessing the News with Vox Editor Sean CollinsFrom the pandemic to civil rights protests, it’s no question the story of the past year has been told through breaking news headlines. Many of the stories shaping our world are powerfully told through image, with the help of photojournalists and everyday people with smartphones. But how do we make these very visual stories accessible to visually impaired news consumers? This is the topic of this special bonus episode of Down to the Struts.
In this episode, Qudsiya sits down with Vox Editor Sean Collins. They talk about how images enhance the information in a news article, and break do...
2021-01-1426 min
Down to the StrutsEpisode 6: Arts, accessibility, and audio description (Part 2)In the final episode of Season 1, Down to the Struts takes a journey into the arts world, offering an introduction to audio description and how to make the arts accessible to people with disabilities. Qudsiya and her guests also talk about what the pandemic has meant for accessibility and the arts. This episode is so full of important reflections and quotes, we wanted to bring it to you in two parts.
Part 2 features Nicole Sardella, a certified audio describer who works with Art-Reach and other arts and culture organisations, and shares both her experience describing, as well as some tips.
2020-12-2324 min
Down to the StrutsEpisode 6: Arts, accessibility, and audio description (Part 1)In the final episode of Season 1, Down to the Struts takes a journey into the arts world, offering an introduction to audio description and how to make the arts accessible to people with disabilities. Qudsiya and her guests also talk about what the pandemic has meant for accessibility and the arts. This episode is so full of important reflections and quotes, we wanted to bring it to you in two parts.
In Part 1, you’ll hear from Charlie Miller, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Art-Reach, a Philadelphia-based organization whose aim is to make arts and culture more accessible to people in...
2020-12-2333 min
Down to the StrutsEpisode 5: WOC WorldWhile earlier episodes of Down to the Struts have focused on how to design a more inclusive world at large, this interview looks inward, at how disabled people design and build our own spaces.
Justice Shorter, Melissa Lomax, and Conchita Hernandez Legorreta are the founders of WOC World: A Virtual Community for Blind Women of Color. Driven by their values of collective leadership, disability justice, and mutual aid, they have created an active community of support, mentorship, and love for blind women of color.
In this episode, Justice, Melissa, Conchita, and Qudsiya discuss navigating the world as people with multiple...
2020-12-0850 min
Down to the StrutsEpisode 4: Let’s play GoalballThis episode 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 (MWABA). 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.
2020-11-2448 min
Down to the StrutsEpisode 3: Unfair Nation - ‘Access-ABLE-ity’In this episode, you’ll get to know more about Down to the Struts host Qudsiya Naqui. Interviewed by her friend, civil rights lawyer and educator Ehsan Zaffar, Qudsiya discusses her experiences with structural inequality as a disabled person, from taking the LSAT to taking the escalator.
This interview was first recorded for Ehsan’s podcast “Unfair Nation: A podcast on inequality." Learn more and check out other episodes of Unfair Nation by clicking here.
2020-11-1029 min
Down to the StrutsEpisode 2: The Language of Disability with Dr. Sara AcevedoLanguage is powerful, and the way we talk about our bodies, our experiences, and disability is no exception. In episode 2, Qudsiya interviews Dr. Sara Acevedo, Assistant Professor of Disability Studies at Miami University in Ohio. A scholar activist, she works at the intersection of Disability Studies in Anthropology, Neurodiversity, and spatial politics, specializing in critical disability studies. As a disabled woman of color, Sara uses a Disability Justice lens in her teaching and research.
In Episode 2, Sara and Qudsiya discuss the complex and fluid relationship between language and disability. They cover the differences between "person-first" and "identity-first" language, the history a...
2020-10-2736 min
Down to the StrutsEpisode 1: Getting Wise About Disability with Dr. Arielle SilvermanDr. Arielle Silverman, a disabled activist and social scientist, founded Disability Wisdom Consulting to improve public understanding of disability. In this episode, Qudsiya and Arielle discuss the history of the disability rights movement, including the ADA and what this landmark legislation left out; the experience of reconciling multiple minority identities; and the surprising innovations we all use every day that were originally created as disability accommodations.
2020-10-1335 min
Down to the StrutsIntroducing: Down to the StrutsIntroducing "Down to the Struts," a new podcast about disability and design, where we uncover the building blocks for a more inclusive world. Hosted by lawyer and activist Qudsiya Naqui (she/her).
2020-10-0102 min