Gonna make a bit of a detour here and talk about PODCASTS and how they're both amazing and awful for disabled people

i'll start with the awful: so. many. of. them. lack. transcripts. transcripts are mandatory if you want your podcast to be accessible to d/Deaf/HoH people, people with CAPD, people with ADHD, people with memory problems, and so many more. and so many podcasts just... don't.

@/podcasts: transcribe! your! damn! shows! it's an effort & costs money, but so does literally everything else you're doing. also, it helps with SEO, etc etc etc but like. the main thing here is that it makes your shows accessible & extends your reach as podcasters

with that disclaimer out of the way, i'm now going to focus on why podcasts are WONDERFUL for me as a disabled person (even as a disabled person with memory and auditory processing issues who would benefit from transcription).

i have... some form of dysautonomia (which kind idk; i was in the process of diagnosis when covid hit). i also deal with chronic pain from old injuries, persistent headaches, and a whole laundry list of things that mean i spend a LOT of time flat on my back with my eyes closed.

when my symptoms are bad enough, i literally cannot *do* anything active. i can't get up, i can't read a book or play a video game, i can't even watch TV most of the time. unfortunately, when this happens i also can't *sleep*.

this is where podcasts come in! when i'm lying awake in bed with my eyes half-open, too wiped to do anything, podcasts are a literal lifesaver for me. having ADHD, trying to lie still and not do anything is genuinely excruciating for me.

podcasts keep my mind occupied. i gain a new special interest if there's a show i really love, AND keeping my brain busy helps me stave off mental health spirals that stem from my pain, exhaustion, and anxiety.

podcasts can also take risks where many mainstream movies, shows, books, games, etc can't. there are wonderful people working in those fields & i appreciate their herculean efforts in making their chosen medium more affirming, but it's MUCH more common in podcasting ime.

with podcasts, i'm able to listen to stories about people like me - queer people, disabled people, people of color - who get to be more than just Specific Minority Lessons. marginalized people get to be scientists & magicians & heroes & god only knows what else.

i appreciate games, and shows, and books, and other forms of media which go out of their way to include people like me, but the effort required to *find* these inclusive works is massive and draining. with podcasts, all kinds of stories are right there to listen to.

i should note that i'm much more of an audio drama person than anything else. for whatever reason, nonfiction podcasts just don't *hold* me the way audio dramas do (with a couple very specific exceptions).

it is just so REFRESHING to know that even in the middle of intense symptoms & a resulting horrible mood, i can lie down and just pull up spotify and listen to someone like me doing all the kinds of things i've loved since i was a kid - and some i didn't know i'd love until now.

all of this to say that while the podcasting world absolutely has its problems, and really could do with being more accessible, podcasts are still a lifeline for many disabled people & i encourage anyone who might have an interest to dive into it and see what you find!

and to podcasters: make your shit accessible so that more people like me can listen to and benefit from your show (or even find it in the first place). disabled people WANT to be involved in these worlds, and those of you with positions of power can do a lot to make it happen.