E: Hi, I’m Emily Ladau
K: And I’m Kyle Khachadurian
E: And you’re listening to another episode of The Accessible Stall.
K: Oh my God, Emily it’s 2019!
E: We made it!
K: We did it
E: We’re here!
K: We’re in the future, there’s still no flying cars.
E: Now what?
K: I’ll guess we’ll have to just drive on the roads! Bunch of peasants… E: Sooo you might have noticed, we took a break
K: Yeah you see, what had happened was we did an episode in December, and then Emily and I both went on vacation and then when we came back it was the holidays and so we had to celebrate them and next thing we knew it was 2019, like Oh my God!
E: So basically like a whole ‘nother year showed up K: Like time, man…Geez…
E: But here’s the thing, podcasting is something that we love and if you ever force it it;s no longer something that you love and that just takes all the fun out of it. And so we decided that we were gonna give ourselves a little bit of a break but we’re back in action now and still loving it.
K: In a little bit of an uptick of news, Emily and I, we surpassed $100 a month on Patreon, which is great. This is excellent news! We no longer have to pay our transcriber out of our own pockets!
E: Yeah, it’s not really great news for us, it’s great news for access!
K: And the show
E: Yes. We love transcribing!
K: (Scoffs) Well, we love paying someone else to do it…
E: Exactly, that’s what I meant
K: If you wanna contribute you can do so at www.patreon.com/theaccessiblestallE: Because 2019, our word is “Access!”
K: Yeah man, we’re serious! Anyway, What are we gonna talk about today, Emily?
E: I feel like I just wanna look back on 2018 and look ahead to 2019, because a lot went down and I don’t even know that can recount every specific thing that happened but I sure as hell feel that I need to uh, debrief a little bit.
K: Well go on. You are much more o a historian of Disability than I am.
E: I think I want to focus on how we’re supposed to take whatever energy we found ourselves gaining in 2018 whether it was the fight against attacks on healthcare coverage for people with disabilities or whether it was the fight against discriminating against immigrants with disabilities, whatever the case was there was a lot going on in 2018. Now, I’m sort of figuring out how we can keep momentum going in 2019. And I know that we’ve done episodes before on Activist Burnout…
K: That was actually one of our best ones I think in terms of listenership. That really resonated with you guys.
E: Yeah, but the thing is on the flipside of burnout, we need to talk about momentum and what are some of the ways that we keep momentum going?
K: I mean, I don’t know. It’s so funny, I mean after you’ve burned out for awhile you sort of forget how. I mean, I do. I don’t know about you.
E: Well I think that might’ve been what happened when we took our little podcasting break because after awhile you just talk everything to death and then, especially when it comes to Disability, the reality is that things can get a little bit redundant. And it can be hard to keep that steam going when its like, “We just had this conversation!”
K: That’s true. Then again, we wouldn’t have to if the world would just be nice for a change! But I mean, you’re right. There was a lot of “noise” this year. I mean for every like sheltered
workshop issue there was a straw ban issue. I’m not saying like a straw ban isn’t important but in the grand scheme of things really like, cities are gonna do what they want.
E: I think Washington DC… K: Yeah they just passed it…
E: Yeah it’s officially enacted now. Starting now they can’t give plastic straws to patrons, and I think [starting] in July they’ll actually be fined if they do it.
K: Mhmm. New York City, I don’t know if we voted on ours yet, but I do know that ours includes an exemption for people with Disability or other medical reasons.But we did ban foam so no more styrofoam containers for your food. Hooray!
E: I mean, that actually makes a lot of sense.
K: I know. All for that.
E: I’m the type of person who honestly wants to start bringing Tupperware to restaurants
K: Are you serious? I would love to see you do that!
E: Okay. I will do it. I will do it unabashedly.
K: We go to a Chinese place together and you’re like, “Let me get a quart of Kung Pao Chicken and can you put it in this? No, no, I don’t want your cardboard with a little a metal handle!”
E: Well i don’t even know if I would do that, I was talking more about if I had leftovers from a place.
K: Oh yeah
E: Anyway, this is not a podcast about Conservation, this is a podcast about Disability. And you’re right, I think there was a lot of noise last year and it gets difficult to plow through all the noise. I mean, I keep thinking about how… I mean we’ve talked about everything and yet there’s so much that we haven’t talked about.
K: I know, right?
E: And people have come to us with podcast ideas. I know that one person in particular has suggested Service Animals and navigating public transportation and being out and about in the world with them. And I know that we’ve had…what other requests have we gotten?
K: Oh, that was the most recent one, that’s why it’s sticking out in our heads. We’ve gotten like every sort of intersection of people and Disability that you can imagine has been thrown at us. And some of them are really good but even that is like hard to sift through the amount. Especially when we’re asked to talk about a topic that Emily and I are not experts in or not the representative population of and it’s like, “Yeah well, it’s flattering that you think we’re authoritative enough to do that but it’s just not our place.”
E: Actually I think that raises a really important question if people who are listening want to give us feedback. I would love to know if you would like to hear more interviews on things that we’re not really qualified to talk about but other people are qualified to talk about. Because I think that our goal with the Podcast has very much been staying in our lane, and there’s so much outside of our lane!
K: And not for nothing, I mean I can only speak for myself, I’m gonna speak for you too a little bit; I like episodes where we bring on other people and we learn about things that we would never have thought of or a perspective that we can’t understand like, those are fun! You know? And if you guys want it I mean, just tell us! We’ve got some in the pipeline so if you want more of those just let us know!
E: A lot about language, we always love talking about language. We love picking apart phrases, we’re big fans of semantics
K (Sighs) We’re a little bit I would say, and we might be too much of fans of semantics. I am getting over a cold, I am sorry if you people can hear that.
E: Oh man, I just remembered some other topics that people asked for. I know that someone asked for what Disability Community means to us?
K: Oh yeah, right! That was a great one, we should totally do that
E: Yeah! So I think this is my not so subtle way of saying “Tell us what you want to hear!” Because we’ve kind of been doing this…not, I don;t mean selfishly in the sense that like, we’re just doing this for ourselves, but selfishly in that we are just focusing on things pertaining to ourselves.
K: And stuff we know. I mean, why wouldn’t we? But at the same time you know, we need to learn too! You know we’re not just here on two soapboxes preaching things to you guys, although we’d love to do that but…
E: I can’t even get up on a soapbox
K: I can, but it probably wouldn’t be the best idea for me to stay there. Wait…no, I can totally do a soapbox, they had me practice that in P.T. on like actual soapboxes and like a staircase with
one stair. But yeah, Emily and I are always down to learn other people’s perspectives so if you are someone who is another perspective or knows someone who is another perspective and have a topic idea please let us know! We do read every message and email we get. It’s true, every single one.
E: We are also a little bit selective
K: Oh yeah… Just because we’re asking for suggestions does not mean that you get a spot on the show
E: We do get messages from people who are like, “Can I just be on your show?” And I do love that people are into the idea of being on the show but it’s also like…Tell us something cool! What are you gonna tell us?
K: I mean, that’s really the size of it right? I don’t personally care who you are. I mean, I’m all for more diversity on our show because, Lord knows we need it but the bottom line to us is if you are cool and have an interesting thing to tell about an interesting perspective about Disability you already have our attention. You know, it doesn’t take much. That doesn’t mean don’t try! I’m just saying, we’re easy to please
E: And so now that we’ve gotten our plug for you to plug yourselves out of the way, I have an interesting question for you Kyle, and I did not prep you for this before the show!
K: Those are always the best! What’s up?
E: Do you have Podcast Resolutions for 2019?
K: Forty bajillion listens!
E: Do you have realistic podcast resolutions for 2019?
K: Yes. Yes. Yes!
E: I think that it’s important for your listeners to hear where we’re wanting to go with this coming year.
K: We?? You’re asking me! I’ll ask you next E: …That’s the point…
K: I know. Sorry it’s been awhile, I forgot how to have a conversation with my friend on the internet
(Emily giggles)
K: I think practically…I mean, like we said earlier we just hit $100 on Patreon and it’s so coal because every dollar after this technically Emily and I could keep because that’s what we needed to run the podcast but we’re not going to. It’s still something we want to re-invest in the podcast and we always want to improve our production quality and even scheduling, frankly. So I think that one of my big goals for 2019 is, and I’m gonna be a little bit modest; I think $200 on Patreon by the end of the year is doable, I think six figure listens by the end of the year is a bit more of a reach but doable and as far as something that would be more interesting to the end listener I think that more interviews or even just more frequent episodes is something that we could achieve.
E: But what’s the why behind all that?
K: Well the why is frankly that I love doing this show with my friend Emily and I need a reason to keepdoingit(chuckles). Andthatwouldbereallygoodmotivation.Butapractical“Why”isyou know, when we started this show two years ago, I remember when we got our first listeners that weren’t our immediate friends and family and I couldn’t believe it. And I don’t know about you Emily, but I still kinda feel that when people listen to our show it’s like, “Wow! Who’s doing that?” And it’s sort of fuel for this that somebody really cares about what we think about whatever the hot topic is in the Disability Community today is reassuring, and nice frankly, yeah.
E: Okay now ask me mine!! (giggles)K: Yes, what are yours?
E: Mine is to reach beyond the Disability Community. Because right now I think we still have a lot of listeners who identify as Disabled which is first of all awesome, and second of all probably because it’s not like there’s a ton of places to turn when you just want Disability-centric or Disability run media
K: That’s true
E: But my ultimate goal is to start branching out to get beyond the Disability bubble. And that’s what 2019 comes down to me as a whole.
K: Really? Not just in the show?
E: Yeah including the show but also with my work in general. I really want to get out of this self-sustaining bubble that we have. And I don’t mean just us, I mean the Disability Community as a whole and if we can start pushing some pins through that and reaching the other side of it, that would be great.
K: That could lead to more listeners, which could lead to more sponsorships which could lead to a better time for you and I
E: See, Kyle is thinking from a practical standpoint and I’m just like, “I want everybody to sit around and hold hands and sing songs together and eat S’mores!”
K: Oh yeah. One of the questions that Emily and I sort of ask ourselves before we record an episode is, “How many non-disabled people is this episode going to reach?” Because ultimately I know that everyone who listens to us will agree with us but I do know that if you identify as disabled and know who we are, you probably do. It’s way more likely that you do than not. Which is fine, you know that’s why we like you guys. But when it comes to who we wanna teach and who we wanna really, really get to the heart of what we’re saying, those are the people who don’t even know that we have a podcast or know who we are, and so Emily is absolutely right in bridging that gap. It’s paramount that we do it.
E: Well I don’t think that everybody agrees with us, I think that’s too much of a reach to say.
K: No, I’m sorry not everybody. I’m saying that if you listen to us than you probably more likely do than not.
E: I mean I like that there’s dialogue within the Disability Community too but the problem is that dialogue doesn’t extend beyond it enough
K: Out of it, yeah
E: Something that my Dad always says when I’m talking with my family about something that happened activism related or something that I’m particularly passionate about and then I say, “You know, I should write a blog about this!” And he says, “You know, I obviously support you doing your part to get the word out but think about who it’s actually going to reach. Are you going to reach the people who need to hear what you’re saying?” Like the other day, I needed to back into an Accessible parking space and someone drove right up on my tail and started honking angrily at me because they wanted to pass, and instead of taking two seconds to see that I have an Accessible license plate, like with the little Accessible icon on it and recognizing that I was in front of an Accessible spot, I just go angrily honked at. And pretty small issue, not really something that I feel like I need to raise broader awareness about….talk about picking your battles! But my dad and I were talking and he was like, “You know, you can write a blog about it but then all the people who need to read it either aren’t gonna read it, or they’re gonna read it and be like, ‘Huh! I never do that!’”
K: Plus, isn’t being honked at like, that’s a rite of passage. They don’t care that you’re disabled. Like you got honked at, you pissed somebody off on the road!
E: Oh I did get honked at
K: That’s cause you’re a terrible driver
(Emily laughs)
K: No, she’s not
E: I’ve vastly improved since the last time Kyle was in my car which was like right after I got my license.
K: No, I’ve been in your car like five hundred bajillion times E: I know. Shhhh!
K: Anyway, so I just have to interrupt you just for one moment. I just was scrolling through Facebook and I noticed a movie trailer for a movie called “The Upside” starring Kevin Hart as “Kevin Hart” and “Funny Black Man” and Bryan Cranston as “Quadriplegic Guy” Now, Bryan Cranston is not quadriplegic so we’re gonna be angry about that in a minute but the reason I’m telling you this right now is because on the poster Kevin Hart is riding on the back of Bryan Cranston’s wheelchair, and we have to see this now! I mean, we know that this is a problem.
E: I’m extremely angry about that movie, but now I’m just angry because they stole our move. K: I KNOW!
E: Which nobody else has ever done
K: In the history of humankind, ever.
(Emily giggles)
E: Well, now I’m doubly angry about that movie, thanks
K: Ya see?
E: We should definitely do a podcast talking angrily about…
K: We should just watch a bunch of Disability movies and just like, have microphones in front of us while we watch them and just talk
E: Like how the Director’s Cut works in the bonus features of a DVD? K: Yes! Exactly like that, yes.
K: You know, you talk a lot about reaching outside the Disability Community but I am subscribed to a lot of subreddits about Disability, actually I’m subscribed to like three.
E: I’m literally subscribed to our Disability. Are there other subreddits about Disability?
K: Probably. I mean, I’m part of “Disability/Disabled Gamers” and “Cerebral Palsy” which, and they’re all very small they don’t really reach the front page, but the reason I’m bringing this up is because there was a woman on the “Cerebral Palsy” Subreddit who referred to herself as “wheelchair bound.” Now look, I’m not a wheelchair user, I couldn’t care less. But the people who use wheelchairs they care a lot, and so I say “Wheelchair User.” But, you know I’m reading this account of this person who has a disability who is more than happy with calling herself “Wheelchair Bound.” Now, whatever to each their own. But…it reminded me that there are an amount of people…and I don’t know how big or small they are who just don’t really care for the activist-y side of Disability because they’re too busy trying to figure out how to live their own lives. And that was a bit… you know it took me back a step, it was like, “Oh wait, yes! I get to do this because I know how my life works.” I don’t have anything else to figure out that’s particular to my Disability except for maybe how to drive.
E: Well that’s the flip side to activism, right? I mean, well the flip side to the bubble I should say…
K: Yeah!
E: Is that technically you have a disability but you’re not really in the bubble. And I think we as a Disability Community who actively considers ourselves disabled, etcetera, etcetera., whatever you know what I’m getting at. Like Disabled people who are involved in activism; that was a much simpler way to say that, could also…
K: (intensely) Members of The Bubble Clan!
(Emily laughs)
E: …Could also stand to work on not alienating people who are technically within the bubble.
K: Yeah, I mean it’s not a big deal really to not be in the Community but it just pointed out, and I’m not gonna get into the semantics of why I think she should have said “Wheelchair User” but it just made it very clear that we’re shouting into a void within a void!
E: But I don’t want this to come across as like we’re having an existential podcast crisis K: No, not at all! This is ussort of realizing how to reach those people
E: Yeah
K: I like our audience, like we love you guys. This is not…we just want there to be more of you.
E: Yeah like I don’t want anyone thinking that we have a defeatist attitude about this because it’s honestly quite the opposite
K: Yeah no, we’re on fire right now even though we don’t sound like it, we’re just very sick.
E: I’m not sick, I’m just still in that like, I had a vacation, an actual break for the first time in a very long time and I’m very disoriented having come back to a full workday.
K: Oh yeah, mee too. I’m also sick though.
E: Kyle still has his annual New Year’s/Holiday Sickness
K: My Annual Christmas Cold. (Sighs) I t’s alright, it’ll leave eventually.
E: And when it does man, oh the podcasts we will record!
K: You have no idea…Cause we don’t either!
E: That’s a Dr Seuss book, right?
K: “Oh the Podcasts We Will Record!” Yeah no, that was definitely right up there alongside such classic as, Green Eggs and Kale and T he Cat in the Papoose.
(Emily laughing)
E: And uh, One FIsh, Two Fish, Red Fish, Bitcoin
(Emily continues laughing)
E: And uh, okay we’re now going off the rails because we don’t have a long enough attention span to make our usual length episode right now!
K: Have we ever?
E: Had enough of an attention span to finish an episode?
K: I don’t think we ever had, I just think like we think that we have because the counter usually says 45:00 at this point. Now it says 25:00.
(Emily giggles)
K: Time is an illusion. But look, 2019 is going to be really good for our show because we are gonna make like so many cool episodes. We don’t know what they are yet because we don’t plan anything
(Emily bursts out laughing)
K: But they’ll be great.
E: I don’t know why I find that so funny but I do.
K: Well cause it’s true. We just sort of make what we make, when we feel like making it. And for some reason people listen to it and we love it! But we really do have a couple of cool things in the pipeline that we’re excited to share with you. We can’t tell you what they are yet because they’re not set in stone but wheels are turning, lightbulbs are turning on and all that cool stuff.
E: My wheels are actually turning
K: Yeah, even though you’re sitting in a chair without wheels at the moment!
E: Hey life update if you’ve been listening long enough, I’m getting a new wheelchair!
K: What? How come I don’t know about this?! Can I stand on the back? This the only thing I care about.
E: No it’s a manual chair
K: Oh Thank God, I don’t care.
E: But I’m getting Power Assist Wheels!
K: Ooooh, I do care! That’s cool.
E: So hopefully I’ll be able to push myself places
K: I’m gonna push you everywhere. I’m gonna do it.
E: Kyle’s a very pushy person.
K: Yes, very literally. I don’t push people around, that’s rude. I push Emily up hills(Emily chuckles)
K: I never have but I would
E: Actually, isn’t there a story about how you pushed my ex-boyfriend up a hill?
K: Uh..yeah! Yeah, he wasn’t your ex-boyfriend at the time, thank God, because that would’ve been awkward
E: He was just my boyfriend. Was he my boyfriend? Yeah he was
K: He was. Oh my God…he was! Oh that was a long time ago, Jesus! Yeah I pushed a fellow CP-er…No, he didn’t have Cp. I pushed a fellow disabled person up a hill
E: He ha Spina Bifida
K: It was a very steep hill! We helped each other out, it was a very bro-mantic moment. Then we never spoke again
(Emily laughs)
K: True story!
E: Like ever?
K: Ever
E: That’s an excellent story. We were going to see a _____Ross concert.
K: (Laughing) I don’t even think we talked anymore for the duration of the show! I think our communication ceased at that moment, we just did that nod that men do when we’ve acknowledged each other’s presence and then that’s it, we just sat in the silence and it was great.
E: I feel like that was definitely a “you” problem.
K: Oh it absolutely was, I hadn’t seen him since Kindergarten, what was I gonna talk to him about?
(Emily chuckles)
K: “So, you like this band that we’re both seeing? Of course you do!”
(Emily laughs)
E: “So how do you feel about Emily? Well….”
K: “She’s great! How do you feel about Emily?” “She’s great!“
E: Kyle and I weren’t really super close at that time
K: (sighs) That seems so weird now
E: It was a long time ago
K: Because now we are inseparable! Like a birthmark…that is on your skin forever E: You’re my birthmark?
K: She’s looking around…Do you have a better analogy?
E: Uhhh
K: Like that person who won’t get off the back of your wheelchair
E: Conjoined twins?
K: That’s…true! Okay, if we were conjoined twins….
(Emily laughs)
K: No, listen you did this!
E: Oy..I commend anyone who has listened this far…
K: Where would we be conjoined? I’m putting this out so you’re just gonna have to do this
E: (laughs) Well we could be conjoined at the head and share a brain…
K: Okay, counterpoint though…
E: Or we could be conjoined at the hip but then it’s be hard to go to the bathroom
K: If we were conjoined right now, both of those would be a problem. But if we were born that way, we wouldn’t have these disabilities, we would have that one!
E: Is being a conjoined twin a disability? I guess it is!
K: Certainly a mobility issue if nothing else. Right? I mean is that arguable? I don’t think so but…But I’m envisioning like a situation by which a mad scientist like kidnaps us and like puts us together now? Like that would be a problem. If we were conjoined at the head, you’re shorter than me by a lot so I’d have to like drag you around…And then if we were conjoined at the hip neither of us would be able to walk because you can’t, and I can barely…
E: You’re talking about this from a technicality standpoint, you haven’t even thought about how much I would annoy you.
K: No more than you already do!
E: (laughs) I honestly commend you if you’ve listened this far because we’re just getting back into the groove of things now, clearly. But for real though, I think that 2019 holds a lot of promise. And I know that that’s kind of a frighteningly optimistic thing to say based on the current state of I don’t know, the universe. But…
K: You know…Oh no, go on sorry!
E: Eh, that was kinda just a trailing off thought
K: You know, I’ve also been feeling pretty optimistic. I don’t know why, couldn’t tell ya. It just feels different
E: I’m hoping that we will see some movement towards positive change in some areas in 2019. I know that we’re currently in the middle of a garbage fire that shows no sign of slowing down, but on this here little corner of the internet, maybe we can change one person’s mind? And that means a lot.
K: I just know that whenever I’m having a bad day in 2019, I’m gonna think of Anderson Cooper taking a shot every hour, on the hour from noon till midnight during the Dick Clark New Year’s Countdown. Because he go to 11…like 11pm? And he took a shot? And he made a noise that no human has ever made!
E: Kyle, I think I missed something? Because you’re talking about my favorite news anchor but I didn’t know this happened.
K: You didn’t see this? Oh well, okay. I am about to brighten Emily’s 2019. She doesn’t even know how good 2019 already is…It’s magical
E: (laughs) We’ll put a link in the show notes too!
K: Yeah. And on that note, we are gonna end this episode because honesltly we just really refigured out how to podcast!
(Emily laughs)
K: But we hope you’ve enjoyed this!
E: We swear, we’ve been doing this for awhile we just…
K: And like, we’re actually good at it so I don’t know why we have to…It’s like riding a bike, except you do forget!
E: I can’t ride a bike
K: Neither can I
E: Greeeaaaat!
K: I’d high five you but you’re all the way over there E: Air high five!
(Kyle makes high five sound effect)
K: I don’t know why I made the sound effect. I could’ve just…
E: But hey, really thanks for sticking with us whether you’re a new listener or whether you’ve been with us from the beginning. We’re really grateful for you, we hope that 2019 is good to you and we are excited to be on this journey with you!
K: I just hope that this isn’t your first episode! If it is, I’m sorry. Go listen to the previous one, it’s much better.
(Emily laughs)
K: On that note..
E: Thanks so much for listening!
K: I’m Kyle, she’s Emily, “Like” us on Twitter, “Follow” us on Facebook, and leave us a review on Itunes
(Emily laughs)
K: And might we say, “You look great today!” E: Bye!