The Take Imani Barbarin on disability rights, COVID and the war on Gaza
Dec 18, 2025
Imani Barbarin, a disability advocate and creator of the Crutches and Spice persona, dives deep into the intersection of disability, COVID, and the war on Gaza. She explores the societal lag in understanding disability and critiques how the pandemic exposed systemic ableism. Barbarin elaborates on how COVID became a mass disabling event and connects its implications to global issues, including the genocidal tactics used against disabled individuals in Gaza. Her insights challenge listeners to confront personal ableism and advocate for accessibility and justice.
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From Job Searches To Activism
- Imani Barbarin began blogging about being a Black disabled woman after difficulty finding work post-college and repeated disclosure issues in job applications.
- That writing led her to network within the disability community and snowball into activism and social media work.
Accessibility Shapes Society
- Disability touches everyday life through technologies and built environment choices like Siri and curb cuts.
- These accessibility decisions intersect with racial, economic, and queer justice and shape broader policy outcomes.
Reconsider What Counts As Disability
- The legal and social definition of disability is broad and not a fixed checklist, so people should reconsider whether conditions like asthma or migraines count.
- Learn the definition and accept vulnerability instead of forcing yourself to 'power through.'