Una Fonte grew up legally blind in rural Vermont, an hour's walk from a bus that came when it felt like it. After a transformative time abroad in Germany, she began organizing in the US for climate and mobility justice. Una turned that experience into a body of work arguing that transportation access is the thread connecting climate, disability, and social justice more broadly.

Questions? email [email protected]

nondriver is a production of Nondrivers Alliance. More info: https://nondrivers.org

Hosted by Anna Zivarts and Devin Silvernail. This episode was produced by Devin Silvernail.

Pick up a copy of Anna's book When Driving is Not An Option: Steering Away from Car Dependency. https://annazivarts.com/

The urbanist movement loves to talk about car-free living. What it talks about less is the people who never had a choice. Anna Zivarts has spent her career building the case that those people shouldn't be a footnote to this conversation. They're the ones who should be leading it.

Anna Zivarts is the founder of Nondrivers Alliance and author of When Driving Is Not an Option: Steering Away from Car Dependency. Anna co-created the Week Without Driving challenge and directed the Disability Mobility Initiative at Disability Rights Washington.

Chapters:

[00:00] Introduction

[03:17] When the union said "become a researcher"

[06:12] Coming to embrace disability & identity

[11:58] The book as an organizing tool

[16:13] The burden of relying on others for rides

[25:56] Car-free by choice vs nondriver by default

[36:20] Sustainable advocacy

Anna's book
When Driving Is Not an Option: Steering Away From Car Dependency

Bluesky

@nondriver.bsky.social

Hosted by Anna Zivarts and Devin Silvernail. This episode was produced by Devin Silvernail.

Questions? email [email protected]

Subscribe on YouTube

https://youtube.com/@nondriver

Follow us on Bluesky

@nondriverpodcast.bsky.social

nondriver is a production of Nondrivers Alliance. More info: https://nondrivers.org

Pick up a copy of Anna's book When Driving is Not An Option: Steering Away from Car Dependency. https://annazivarts.com/

Most people who talk about transportation alternatives have chosen to give up their car. Devin Silvernail never had that option. After a lifetime of living car-free by default, he focused his energy on fighting for equitable mobility and mobility safety improvements from inside City Hall. He reflects on organizing from within city government, and why it's important to have both an inside and outside strategy.

Devin Silvernail is a policy designer and equitable mobility advocate, born legally blind with Nystagmus. He did constituent services work in SF Supervisor David Campos's office, then served as Policy Director for Seattle City Councilmember Tammy Morales from 2020 to 2024. In 2024, he and his family relocated to Nantes, France. He is co-host and producer of Nondrivers Alliance Podcast.

Chapters:

[00:00] Introduction

[02:05] Growing Up With Low Vision in the Suburbs

[06:51] From Neighborhood Advocate to City Hall Insider

[19:52] Why We Left: The Full Cost of Car-Dependent Living

[25:04] Life in France and What Political Will Can Do

[34:45] Nondriver by Default: Who This Show Is For

[38:24] Disabled People as Oracles of the Future

Find Devin on Bluesky @devinsilvernail.bsky.social and YouTube @devinsilvernail

Hosted by Anna Zivarts and Devin Silvernail. This episode was produced by Devin Silvernail.

Questions? email [email protected]

Subscribe on YouTube

https://youtube.com/@nondriver

Follow us on Bluesky

@nondriverpodcast.bsky.social

nondriver is a production of Nondrivers Alliance. More info: https://nondrivers.org

Pick up a copy of Anna's book When Driving is Not An Option: Steering Away from Car Dependency. https://annazivarts.com/