The Human Experience of Disability

Episode 24: Black History Month!

In this episode, Sarah marries disability, history with black history. She shares how the Black Panthers were intricate support system to the disability rights movement. It is her way to pay homage to the black and brown community and thank them for their contribution to assisting people with disabilities as they advocated for their human and civil rights.

Episode 23: Dr. King’s Day!

On this day, Sarah remembers Dr. Martin Luther King. She contemplates on his very famous “I Have Dreams” speech. She shares how the speech has influenced her work as an s disability advocate, as well as her view on American history. This podcast episode is Sarah’s homage to Dr. King and his legacy. In addition, it is her way of acknowledging his call to action in her life from the vantage point of democracy.

Episode 22: Respect.

In this episode, Sarah Wishes everyone a Happy New Year. She leaves her closing thoughts in this episode about the community she so proudly represents. She shares that in many cases people who have met her and learned about her life have often felt admiration for her. Even though she respects and receives this admiration, Sarah shares that she doesn’t necessarily want to be admired but rather be respected. Sarah indicates that because the disability community is often a segregated and isolated community that when people meet her and learn about her they are drawn to the idea that she is inspirational. However, Sarah wants people to think deeper about how people who experience disabilities would rather be seen as viable and respectable citizens of the community and hence the world.

Episode 21: Providing services to people with disabilities versus Support them?

In this episode, Sarah talks about the difference between providing service to people who experience disabilities versus supporting people with disabilities. She talks about it in regards to the Medicaid and Medicare social service systems that often times people who experience disabilities have to depend on in order to try to self-direct their lives. Sarah encourages people to think outside the prism of the Medicaid and Medicare systems in order to connect to people to resources within their community in so that they can achieve autonomy over their lives and full inclusion in their communities.

Episode 20: What it Means to Self-Direct

In this episode, Sarah explains what self-direction means for the disability community. How self-direction has been something people who experience disabilities have had to advocate for because it is not expected that people who experience disabilities self- direct their lives. She talks about how many in society have the overwhelming perception people with disabilities need to be serviced and medically taken care due to their disability experience that they can’t self-direct their own lives. Sarah indicates that self-direction is something that the disability community continues to want to achieve through advocacy and the recognition of their humanity.