Down to the Struts

Qudsiya sits down with Peter Torres Fremlin, the author of the newsletter Disability Debrief, a project that brings together disability news and resources from over 125 countries around the world. Peter recounts his travels as an international disability rights expert, his own personal journey into disability identity, and gives us a behind the scenes look at Disability Debrief. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Loving Down to the Struts? Support the team behind the podcast with a donation. Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts. Leave a review on Apple podcasts. Subscribe to Qudsiya's newsletter, Getting Down To It.

Qudsiya speaks with Dom Kelly, the co-founder, President, and CEO of New Disabled South about the road that led him to political activism, the birth of New Disabled South, its grounding in the principles of disability justice, and its innovative regional organizing approach. Visit our website for transcripts. -- Loving Down to the Struts? Support the team behind the podcast with a donation. Follow us on Instagram @DownToTheStruts. Leave a review on Apple podcasts. Subscribe to Qudsiya's newsletter, Getting Down To It.

Check out this special sneak peek into the voices you’ll hear in Season 7, dropping into your feeds on August 8. Qudsiya is excited to get back down to it with everyone in a few short weeks! Visit our website for transcripts. -- Loving Down to the Struts? Support the team behind the podcast with a donation. Leave a review on Apple podcasts. Subscribe to Qudsiya's newsletter, Getting Down To It.

Check out this amazing episode of Ten Thousand Things from our friends at KUOW in Seattle, featuring a meditation on voice from disability justice activist, oracle, and cyborg, Alice Wong. Ten Thousand Things with Shin Yu Pai is an acclaimed podcast that amplifies heartfelt stories from Asian America. You should definitely check it out on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you love to listen—and tell them we sent you! Transcript available here. To hear more from Alice Wong, check out Qudsiya's conversation with Alice in season 3, episode 1 of Down to the Struts. -- Loving Down to the Struts? Support the team behind the podcast with a donation. Leave a review on Apple podcasts. Subscribe to Qudsiya's newsletter, Getting Down To It.

On March 4, 2023, the disability community lost one of its most significant leaders—Judy Heumann left us to carry on her legacy of demanding that disabled people have the right and the opportunity to live in their communities, access employment, go to school, and so much more. Beyond being a dedicated and savvy international disability rights advocate, she was a beautiful and kind soul, a connector, and a bridge-builder. Qudsiya shares Season 4, episode 1, “Reflections on the Disability Revolution” as a tribute to Judy’s life and legacy. -- If you're enjoying the podcast, please spread the word by leaving a rating and review on Apple podcasts, tagging us @DownToTheStruts on social media, or sharing the podcast with a friend.

In the final episode of season 6, Qudsiya is joined by Haben Girma, a human rights lawyer, author and disability activist who is the first Deafblind graduate of Harvard Law School. Haben and Qudsiya talk about centering access, and why it is the key to achieving empowered interdependence to tear down the ableist social and physical structures that surround us. -- If you're enjoying the podcast, please spread the word by leaving a rating and review on Apple podcasts, tagging us @DownToTheStruts on social media, or sharing the podcast with a friend.

Qudsiya interviews May Wong, lead game designer at Interior Night, about their debut game, As Dusk Falls, which received rave reviews, including for its accessibility for disabled gamers. Qudsiya and May talk about how access was built into the game design and the lessons May learned from the experience. -- If you're enjoying the podcast, please spread the word by leaving a rating and review on Apple podcasts, tagging us @DownToTheStruts on social media, or sharing the podcast with a friend.

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. -- If you're enjoying the podcast, please spread the word by leaving a rating and review on Apple podcasts, tagging us @DownToTheStruts on social media, or sharing the podcast with a friend.

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. -- If you're enjoying the podcast, please spread the word by leaving a rating and review on Apple podcasts, tagging us @DownToTheStruts on social media, or sharing the podcast with a friend.

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. -- If you're enjoying the podcast, please spread the word by leaving a rating and review on Apple podcasts, tagging us @DownToTheStruts on social media, or sharing the podcast with a friend.