Opening Doors Podcast
Opening Doors is presented in partnership with the Jack Straw Cultural Center. It is supported by the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, Washington State Arts Commission, and the National Endowment for the Arts. We are grateful for all their support.
Opening Doors - Season 2, Episode 4
Tatiana Lee: Blackness & Disability Intersecting with Art
Tatiana Lee is an actress, international model, and activist; she felt unseen in popular media while growing up in Pennsylvania. The lack of access and opportunities for herself and others with disabilities became apparent while she was pursuing an acting career in Los Angeles. During this time she learned to harness social media's power and speak boldly about accessibility and inclusion in mass media. She is the voice behind the Accessible Hollywood brand and highlights her journey as an actress, model, and lifestyle influencer born with Spina Bifida. She is a sought-after speaker and volunteers her time as a Disability Advocate for Women of Color Unite. Lee's film credits include Footloose, Jade, Together & Better. She has appeared in modeling campaigns for Target, Zappos and Apple. She currently works at RespectAbility and is the lead consultant on various TV, film and studio training projects for NBC Universal, Netflix, The Walt Disney Company and others.
Listen to the fourth episode of Opening Doors on Soundcloud or wherever you listen to podcasts!
Opening Doors - Season 2, Episode 3
Vince Medrano: Revealing Intersectional Identity through Art
Vince Medrano’s lived experience navigating the world as a queer Mexican trans guy with mental illness informs his work. His goal is to work in translational research, in the field of schizophrenia spectrum disorders, and focus on advocacy, intersectionality, early intervention, well-being, and community integration. He has a bachelor's degree in psychology, spent eight years working in mental health research at universities in Arizona and Wisconsin, and is currently working on his master’s degree in social work at the University of Washington.
Listen to the third episode of Opening Doors on Soundcloud or wherever you listen to podcasts!
Opening Doors - Season 2, Episode 2
Elsa Sjunesson: Defining Deafblind Intersectionality
Elsa Sjunneson is a deafblind hurricane in a vintage dress. In addition to numerous editorial and authorial pursuits, she destroys structural ableism in her spare time. Her memoir “Being Seen” will be released in October 2021 and her nonfiction pieces have appeared in Uncanny Magazine and Fireside Magazine. She has written for CNN Opinion, Tor.com, the Boston Globe, and the Nebula nominated Fate Accessibility Toolkit. She co-authored Marvel's Jessica Jones: Playing with Fire.
Listen to the second episode of Season 2 of Opening Doors on Soundcloud or wherever you listen to podcasts!
Opening Doors - Season 2, Episode 1
Nasreen Alkhateeb: Universal Design in Film
Nasreen Alkhateeb, an award-winning cinematographer, is committed to amplifying under-represented voices through a disabled lens. Her unique ability to motivate diverse audiences stem, in part, from her identity as a multi-heritage, first generation American. She served as lead cinematographer for Kamala Harris’ successful vice-presidential campaign and lensed film projects for the United Nations, NASA, and the Women’s March. Her directing and producing credits include films screened at the Tribeca Film Festival, Slamdance, Netflix, Amazon, IFC, and OWN.
Listen to the first episode of Season 2 of Opening Doors on Soundcloud or wherever you listen to podcasts!
Opening Doors - Episode 4
Check out out fourth episode of Opening Doors on Soundcloud or wherever you listen to podcasts!
Opening Doors episode 4 features an interview with ChrisTiana ObeySumner, the CEO of Epiphanies of Equity, a social equity consulting firm specializing in social change, intersectionality, anti-racism, and disability justice.
Refreshing Democracy Video
See SCAC in MOHAI’s Refreshing Democracy Video!
The diversity of voices and strategies that shape the United States are an essential piece of our democracy. With grand dreams and flawed foundations, our democratic nation gets better each time we refresh it—through protest, voting, running for office, and active engagement. Hear from a series of community members as they step onto our virtual soapbox and share their vision for a better democracy.
Out spot begins at 16:45 and ends at 22:55!
Opening Doors - Episode 3
Check out out third episode of Opening Doors on Soundcloud or wherever you listen to podcasts!
Opening Doors episode 3 features an interview with King Khazm, an artist, producer, educator and community organizer.
Opening Doors - Episode 2
Check out out second episode of Opening Doors on Soundcloud or wherever you listen to podcasts!
Opening Doors Episode 2 features an interview with Troy Coalman, a passionate leader, fundraiser, and tireless advocate for the disabled community.
Episode 1 is Here!
Opening Doors is a podcast about accessibility in arts and civic life, brought to you by the Seattle Cultural Accessibility Consortium and Jack Straw Cultural Center. For our first season, we aim to amplify the voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color with disabilities, and to learn how race and disability impact their access to arts and culture.
Opening Doors episode 1 launches TODAY, September 15th, and the topic is: "The Invisible Disability" with Kameko Thomas, founder of Vonem Creative Media.
Subscribe now on our page on Soundcloud - or wherever you get your podcasts.
Note: Transcript is in the episode description on Soundcloud.
Opening Doors Episode 1 with Kameko Thomas
Coming Soon: Opening Doors Podcast!
Opening Doors Podcast Logo
Opening Doors is a podcast about accessibility in arts and civic life. For our first season, we aim to amplify the voices of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color with disabilities, and to learn how race and disability impact their access to arts and culture.
Here is a preview of what to expect from Opening Doors, produced in partnership with Jack Straw Cultural Center. This season consists of four interviews as follows:
Kameko Thomas: The Invisible Disability
Troy Coalman: How THEY see US / How WE see ourselves
King Khazm: Where Art, Racism & Disability Intersect
ChrisTiana Obeysumner: Intersectionality
Listen to our series promo and subscribe now on Soundcloud, or wherever you get your podcasts.
Our first Opening Doors episode launches on September 15 and features an interview with Kameko Thomas, founder of Vonem Creative Media.
All episodes will have transcripts.
Thank you to our supporters: Office of Arts and Culture, Awesome Foundation, and Sound Theatre Company.
Thank you to our amazing volunteers: Jennifer Rice of Jennifer Rice Communications; Elshaday Mesfin, Jack Straw intern; and Chris Moore of MoPOP & the SCAC Steering Committee.
Making Marketing Accessible to All
Host Erica Mills of Claxon Marketing and guest interviewee, SCAC Founder Elizabeth Ralston discuss:
Opening the dialogue of accessibility
Marketing your businesses toward universal accessibility
Recognizing your target population
Accessibility and sensitivity training
"Making Marketing Accessible to All" is available on Apple Podcasts
Equity in the PNW
This interview was featured in the Access Champions Podcast, which dives into issues of accessibility, diversity, & inclusion. In this episode, SCAC Founder Elizabeth Ralston talks about her journey through the world of public health and how that influenced her view on accessibility and equity. You will learn more about the founding of the Seattle Cultural Accessibility Consortium and how she has engaged and educated the community through workshops and trainings.