“Be willing to hire that person with a disability.… This isn’t just about diversity because it’s nice. These are things that make your film better, that make your industry better, and as a whole, actually can make the country better. Why? Because everyone has a place, and has a say, and has something to offer.” — Day Al-Mohamed
In this podcast, LeBrecht and Al-Mohamed discuss their work to create a space in media for stories by, for, and about people with disabilities. Listen here They are two founding members of FWD-Doc—a global, intersectional community of disabled creators and allies working in media to build a more inclusive, accessible, and equitable entertainment industry that cultivates and champions disabled media-makers, and elevates stories by, for, and about people with disabilities. LeBrecht is a film and theater sound designer and mixer, author, disability rights activist, and filmmaker, who with Nicole Newnham produced and directed CRIP CAMP. Al-Mohamed is an author, filmmaker, disability policy strategist, and a member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. THE INVALID CORPS, a documentary about disabled veterans’ contributions during the Civil War, was her first documentary as a blind filmmaker.
Photo credit: James LeBrecht, photo by Irene Searles and Day Al-Mohamed, photo by Rachel Ellis-Muniz
