Disability Debunked: Vicky Levack's vision behind the new audio series
Audio series is produced by Podstarter in collaboration with the CBC Creator Network
Disability advocate and educator Vicky Levack teamed up with Podstarter in Halifax to produce an audio series for the CBC Creator Network called Debunking Disability. Produced by Rhys Waters. Associate producer Connor Sampson.
Here are Vicky's thoughts on the series.
There were many reasons I wanted to start this audio series. For one thing, although there are many disability-related podcasts, many of the ones I've come across are hosted by people on the West Coast. I felt given the fact that 30 per cent of Nova Scotians, 15 years and older, identify as having a disability, it is very important that our perspective also be part of the media landscape.
For another, many of these disability-related podcasts I listen to are hosted and focus on the male perspective and I wanted to give a voice to women and gender-diverse people, as we are marginalized even within a marginalized community.
The main reason I wanted to do this, however, is because I realized just how ignorant so-called "normal" people are when it comes to disability and neuro-diverse issues. I have had many people say that if they were disabled they wouldn't know what to do or that they would feel hopeless and kill themselves. They are not saying this to be mean, at least, I don't think so. I think it comes from fear of the unknown, and our society perpetuating the myth that the lives of people with disabilities have no meaning or that we are unable to experience life with joy because of our bodies working differently than theirs, or having challenges that they do not have.
My hope with this program is to educate the average citizen, who through no fault of their own do not have this knowledge and as a result say unintentionally offensive things. After all, when we know better, we do better. By educating a wider audience and making them aware of the issues that people with disabilities face every day, non-disabled citizens will hopefully be motivated to help correct some of these systemic injustices. Or call out ableist rhetoric or comments when they're said or used. I also want to give people space to ask these questions without fear of ridicule, or being made to feel as if they're stupid.
Lastly, I hope by allowing people to ask me these questions, other disabled people will be able to go about their lives without getting asked questions about their medical history and bodies when they're simply trying to live their lives. I plan to do this with a witty, sometimes dark sense of humour, as well as a candid conversation style and open mind.
As I stated before, I also want to use my platform, not just to voice my opinions, but to give others in the community a platform to tell their stories, and have their perspectives heard on issues that affect them, and the disabled community at large.
Most of the time when people with disabilities are discussed or our issues are discussed, our voices are neglected, and people go to so-called experts instead. We are not subjects to be studied and analyzed. We are people and it's about time the media treated us as such. These experts often have no idea what it is like to live in our bodies, yet they're charged with making decisions about them. It is time to put this medicalization on the back burner and give voice to actual citizens who deal with these decisions, and the outcomes of them every day, and I feel this is my way to accomplish this.
About the Creator Network
The CBC Creator Network amplifies the voices of the next generation of Canadian storytellers and connects them with CBC platforms, where they tell compelling stories and share unique perspectives that reflect the country in all its diversity.