What's Up WID

WID's Former Executive Director Deborah Kaplan and WID’s current Senior Director of Operations and Deputy Director, Kat Zigmont discuss the past, present and future of accessibility in celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day.

International disability rights activist and WID’s former International Program Director, Bruce Curtis, reflects on his years in activism alongside Judy Heumann and Ed Roberts and the importance of disability rights activism today.

Keri Gray, a cancer survivor, entrepreneur, speaker, and facilitator discusses Black-disabled womanhood.

Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital” Sheri Fink and WID Executive Director & CEO Marcie Roth discuss the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and its impact on people with disabilities, which is chronicled in Sheri's book “Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital” and Apple TV+ Series of the same name.

Disabled climate activist Pauline Castres joins us to discuss the importance of climate policy, justice and activism for people with disabilities.

Chloé Hayden, an influencer and content creator who has amassed half a million followers and nearly half a billion views across social media joins us to discuss being autistic and having ADHD, navigating Internet trolls and the importance of disability representation.

Acclaimed writer and activist Eli Clare discusses the legacy of the ADA and how the path forward must include a deep analysis of the intersections of race, class, gender, sexuality, and disability to achieve collective liberation.

Multi-award-winning disabled architect, inclusive designer and access consultant Amy Francis-Smith is discussing why housing accessibility matters.

ADA and HR Facilitator and author Sheryl Ellis is discussing the importance of accessible workplace accommodations and why employers must lead the way in accessibility.

Guest disabled LGBTQIA+ content creator and accessibility consultant Shona Louise discusses the intersectionality of being LGBTQIA+ and disabled.

In honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Google User Experience Research Manager and WID Board Member Miguel Quiñones is sharing why digital accessibility benefits people with disabilities and why it should be prioritized.

Congolese disability rights activist and founder of Hero Women Rising, also known as Maman Shujaa, Neema Namadamu, is discussing how disabled women’s rights are violated in the Congo and why we need to advocate for them.

Tanya Herasymova, project manager for Fight For Right, a Ukrainian disability rights organization, is discussing how the ongoing war is impacting Ukrainians with disabilities and how you can provide support.

Bri Beck, LCPC, a disabled artist, arts therapist and disability arts coordinator is discussing the importance of mental health in the disability community. 

Award-winning author, psychotherapist and disability advocate Rebecca Alexander is discussing accessibility, community inclusion and the documentary American Masters: Becoming Helen Keller, which chronicles the life of Helen Keller. We also discuss the upcoming Netflix film being developed about Rebecca's life.

Kenyan WID Fellow Angeline Akai-Lodi is discussing her experiences as a Blind woman living in Kenya and how she hopes to use the knowledge she has gained from working with WID to continue to advocate for people with disabilities.

Disability Rights Activist Emily Ladau is discussing her new book “Demystifying  Disability” and the importance of allyship for the disability community.

Photographer and disability activist Tom Olin is discussing the role of artists in disability activism and the importance of community organizing.

Nikki Brown Booker, Program Officer for the Disability Inclusion Fund at Borealis Philanthropy is discussing her experiences as a Black and Filipino woman with a disability and the intersectionality between racism and ableism.

Damian Gregory, founder of the South Florida-based organization Nothing About Us Without Us is discussing how the COVID-19 pandemic transformed the lives of people with disabilities and how we can take what we’ve learned from the pandemic to create a society that is more inclusive of people with disabilities.

Disability activist and founder of the nonprofit Mexican Women With Disabilities Maryangel García-Ramos discusses the lack of disability representation in the media.

Join us for a special edition of What's Up WID, celebrating the 31st anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Olivia Babis, the Senior Public Policy Analyst at Disability Rights Florida and Sarah Goldman, the Director of Administration and Youth Initiatives at the Florida Independent Living Council discuss why although major strides have been made, the fight for disability rights and justice is far from over. 

Kamilah Martin-Proctor, former Vice-Chair on President Obama‘s National Council on Disability and Founder of the Martin Multiple Sclerosis Alliance Foundation (MMSAF) is discussing how unconscious bias affects people with disabilities and why people with disabilities fear going "back to normal."

Global Disability Inclusion Strategist Debra Ruh is discussing why businesses, corporations and governments need to prioritize disability inclusion.

Blind and Low Vision Specialist and founder of Mentoring Engaging and Teaching All Students (METAS) Conchita Hernandez, discusses her experiences as a disabled Latina woman and why Blind and Low Vision students of color deserve access to a quality education.

WID’s Emergency, Disaster and Climate Resilience Specialist Dawn Skaggs discusses whole community disaster preparedness and response for people with disabilities.  

For decades, people with disabilities have been institutionalized in nursing homes and congregate settings. In the U.S. alone, there are about two million people with disabilities living in these long-term facilities. In this episode, World Institute on Disability CEO and Executive Director Marcie Roth discusses the deadly and inhumane consequences of the placing people with disabilities in congregate settings.