Down to the Struts

We 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 sure to stay tuned for part two of their conversation, coming in a couple of weeks. We promise you, it'll be a hoot!

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For 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 journalists thrive and that disability coverage reflects the diversity and dynamism of the disability community in India and beyond.

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Over 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 whether they identify as being disabled or not, is a powerful tool for breaking down stigma and confronting ableism.

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This 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.

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This week, Qudsiya speaks with Professor Jamelia Morgan, an award-winning and acclaimed scholar and teacher at the Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, where she also directs the Center for Racial and Disability Justice.

Professor Morgan's work focuses on the intersection of race, gender, disability, and criminal law and punishment. Qudsiya and Jamelia talked about her personal path to studying these issues, the particular harms that people of color with disabilities face when it comes to policing and mass incarceration, and her transformative vision for a world that prioritizes justice and inclusion over violence and punishment.

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Qudsiya sits down with Joe Shapiro, investigative correspondent for National Public Radio. Joe was one of the first journalists to cover the disability civil rights movement and the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

In this episode, Qudsiya and Joe talk about how Joe came to cover disability issues, his observations about how the movement has evolved over time, and his perspectives on disability coverage today.

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Welcome to Season 10 of Down to the Struts!

To kick things off, Qudsiya sits down with the indomitable Chai Feldblum. Chai is a civil rights advocate and scholar. For nearly four decades, Chai has fought for the rights of LGBTQ and disability communities through legislative advocacy, teaching, scholarship, government service, and much more. She played an integral role in the drafting of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Qudsiya and Chai talk about Chai's work on the ADA, including the unlikely coalition that she brought together, and so much more.

The Art of Legislative Lawyering and the Six Circles Theory of Advocacy

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Season 10 of Down to the Struts is headed your way. Qudsiya give listeners a sneak peek at the voices of the journalists, activists, scholars, and creators who will lead us in a deep dive into disability history and culture this season.

We’re in double digits y’all! Make sure you’re subscribed and tuned in on April 29 for our first episode.

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We’ve reached the end of the road—no pun intended—with our final listener favorite from season 9, featuring Anna Zivarts, author of the exceptional book, “When Driving Is Not An Option: Steering Away from Car Dependency.”

This one resonated with many of you who, like Qudsiya, cannot drive a car. As we shockingly learned from Anna in this episode, this is the case for a whopping 31 out of 100 Americans. It can often be a struggle to get around in our car-centric country, but Anna gives us a blueprint and a vision for achieving the accessible communities we’ve all dreamed of.

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We’ve arrived at our penultimate listener favorite from season 8. We called this one “Access: A love Story.”

It was magical for Qudsiya to revisit the unforgettable day that she and her partner, also a Down to the Struts alum, Sean Collins, promised to love each other for the rest of their lives. They’ve been married for nearly two years now, and they’ve had their fair share of adventures since.

But they continue to cherish those precious moments with the people they hold dearest in the world, because of the incredible work of access artist Cheryl Green and photographer extraordinaire, Jasmine Oliver, on their accessible wedding album.

Qudsiya and Sean think of Cheryl and Jasmine every time they experience the symbiotic pleasure of image combined with voice. Also thanks to the audio talents of Ramya Amuthan with production and sound design support from the one and only Thomas Reid. Access truly is an act of love. And here, once again, is Qudsiya and Sean’s love story.

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