Accessibility, Accommodations, and Intersectionality with Imani Barbarin | #97

Click here to access a written transcript of this episode.

We discussed:

• The role humor plays in Imani's life as a disabled person when disabled people are often the butt of abled people's jokes.
• The ableist comments Imani gets on social media.
• How many of the accommodations disabled folks have been requesting for decades became widely available in the pandemic because the pandemic affected everyone.
• The importance of intersectionality in disability justice and how having a marginalized identity doesn't absolve you from doing harm.
• Centering accessibility in the queer community and other spaces.
• Elevating collaboration over competition in marginalized groups because there's enough to go around for all of us.
• Desirability and dating in the disabled community.
• How difficult it can be to get and keep disability benefits in the U.S.
• Checking in about what specific accommodations are needed rather than making assumptions or only asking people with visible disabilities.
• Imani's new talent representation with a company led by disabled folks.
• The need for separate community spaces for members of marginalized groups.

Mentioned in This Episode

• Imani's TikTok to “Montero” by Lil Nas X
• “Disability, Gender and Difference on The Sopranos“ by Kathleen LeBesco
• Imani's talent agency, C Talent
• Couples Therapy – a short film Imani recently played a role in

Featured in This Episode

Imani Barbarin (she/her) is a disability rights and inclusion activist and speaker who uses her voice and social media platforms to create conversations engaging the disability community. Born with cerebral palsy, Imani often writes and uses her platform to speak from the perspective of a disabled Black woman. In the last few years, she has created over a dozen trending hashtags, including #PatientsAreNotFaking and #AbledsAreWeird, that allow disabled folks the opportunity to have their perspectives heard while forcing the world to take notice. Imani is from the Philadelphia area and holds a Masters in Global Communications from the American University of Paris. She runs the blog CrutchesAndSpice.com and a podcast of the same name. She currently serves as the Communications Director for a nonprofit in Pennsylvania. You can keep up with Imani on her website, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter.

Did you benefit from this episode? You can show your appreciation by supporting Imani's work. You can contribute to Imani's livelihood by becoming a patron of her Patreon. You can also watch a recent short film she acted in called Couples Therapy.