Down to the Struts

Qudsiya 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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Qudsiya 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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Bhavna 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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Our 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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Down 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.

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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's largest facilitator of postgraduate public interest law opportunities, creating opportunities for law students, lawyers and organizers to grow their passion for equal justice into a lifelong commitment to public service. The Leadership Development Training brings together hundreds of Equal Justice Works fellows each year to build the skills they need to become effective public service leaders. A community of leaders who are committed to public service can fulfill our nation's promise of equal justice for all.

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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.

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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 struggle with job placement, despite a slow economic recovery and the role that policymakers and city government leaders can play to ensure that the city is leveraging the talents of and advancing economic mobility for its disabled residents. Eli also lifts up exemplary models from other cities around the country and urges greater investment in the well-being of disabled people as a cornerstone to building a more inclusive and accessible city for everyone.

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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.

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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.

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