Maria is joined by recurring guest Kelly Diaz and disability rights activist Sasha Blair-Goldensohn to talk about disability justice on both SEX EDUCATION (2019-2023) and in real life. In Sex Education Season 4, wheelchair user Isaac Goodwin disrupts mock exams to protest the chronically broken elevator at Cavendish College, inspiring the entire student body to hold an impromptu sit-in until the lift is fixed. We talk about this inspiring direct action and how it parallels the real-life fight to make the New York City subway system fully wheelchair-accessible, a fight of which Sasha is part! Kelly and Maria also generally break down disability representation on the show, as shown through the characters of Isaac Goodwin and Aisha Green, a deaf character introduced in Season 4 who also plays a pivotal role in the sit-in.

For this episode, we recommend you first watch or have familiarity with SEX EDUCATION Seasons 1-4, but especially Season 4, Episode 7, “Episode 7,” streaming on Netflix.

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ABOUT US:

MARIA DIPASQUALE (she/her; host/editor) is a Brooklyn-based union communicator, organizer, and writer who watches too much TV. She splits her free time between devouring teen dramas, creating this podcast, tenant organizing, and writing and reading (fan)fiction. Follow Maria on Twitter @Maria_DiP26, IG @mdzip, and tiktok @marialovesunions. 

KELLY DIAZ (she/her; recurring guest) is a Research Program Manager at Yale University studying disability & chronic illness justice, access, and inclusion. She is also an adjunct instructor of Media Studies at the City College of New York (CCNY). She has a Ph.D. from the Annenberg School for Communication at the University of Pennsylvania where she wrote her dissertation on depictions of youth activism on television. She loves to analyze and discuss the intersection of pop culture and politics and is passionate about the role entertainment plays in social justice movements. She has a dog, Matilda "Tillie," who is named after the magical, brilliant, and justice-serving character!  

SASHA BLAIR-GOLDENSOHN (he/him; guest) works at Google Maps to make accessible, disability-inclusive places, transit and walking routes easier to find. He is also an activist with the Rise and Resist Elevator Action Group for New York City subway accessibility, and has appeared in the New York Times, Vital City, West Side Rag, PBS and Vice News.

JEFF MCHALE (he/him; producer) is an extremely online guy who plays games, works in the cannabis industry, and loves talking old TV.

CHARLES S. O’LEARY (they/he; art) is a designer + writer based in Richmond, VA. They're currently getting their MFA in Graphic Design at Virginia Commonwealth University, and spend most of their time unsuccessfully scheming how to get off Instagram (@c.s.0.l).

Maria and Jeff’s good union cats CLARENCE and VINNY may make an appearance and/or be mentioned. 

intro song: Stomping the Room by Delicate Beats

All opinions shared on this show are that of individuals and do not represent the views of any organization we may be affiliated with.

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SOURCES DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE: 

SUGGESTED FURTHER READING/WATCHING/LISTENING: