What changes when parents stop speaking for disabled people and start listening to them?
Kim Albrecht, host of the LOMAH Disability Podcast, joins Devon Wieters for an honest conversation about disability advocacy, parenting, future planning, inclusion, and the importance of centering disabled voices. Kim explains how interviews with disabled self-advocates changed her perspective as a parent and helped her recognize assumptions that may have limited her daughter.
They also discuss person-first and identity-first language, college accessibility, inclusive housing, disability inclusion in faith communities, and why touching someone’s wheelchair without permission crosses a personal boundary. Devon shares a painful experience involving an unsolicited “healing” gesture and explains why mobility devices must be treated as extensions of a person’s body.
The conversation also references Survivor’s handling of the Dan Spilo misconduct controversy and considers the intersection of ableism, sexual assault, and whose voices are believed.
Wheel With It was formerly called Real Talk: All Things Inclusion. This episode was originally released under the Real Talk name and is now part of the Wheel With It archive.
CONTENT NOTE: This episode includes discussion of sexual assault and misconduct, ableism, and a personal boundary violation. The original recording also contains intermittent audio issues.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
• Kim created LOMAH to explore how families can support a disabled person’s future with dignity, worth, and choice through deep dives into housing, advocacy, safety, and other transition topics.
• Kim says listening to disabled self-advocates changed her parenting perspective and helped her recognize assumptions that may have held her daughter back.
• Devon and Kim explain that disability terminology varies by person and community; Devon shares that she prefers “person with a disability,” while both emphasize listening and being willing to learn.
• Kim argues that disability advocacy should center disabled people’s voices rather than parents or nondisabled advocates speaking over them.
• Devon explains why touching a wheelchair without permission violates personal boundaries and recounts how a stranger’s unsolicited “healing” gesture affected her.
CONNECT WITH KIM AND LOMAH
LOMAH Disability Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lomah-disability-podcast/id1238352496
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/journey2lomah/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lomah.org/
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