Thelma (recommended by April Sullivan)

This summer I saw the new movie Thelma with my sister and mother and mother-in-law (really, she is my sister’s mother-in-law, but I like to claim her as well). I don’t go to the movie theater often, so this was a real treat that our mother-in-law Sherry took us all to the Alamo Drafthouse for this fun new flick.

Thelma is about a grandmother who falls prey to a scam artist who swindles her out of money, which she thinks is going to help her grandson get out of jail. Thelma may have been tricked, but she is not going to let the scammers win. With help from a friend and his motorized scooter, she embarks on an adventurous journey across Los Angeles to reclaim what was taken from her. 

The movie is funny and sweet. Sherry, who uses a scooter, and my mom both really related to the main character and her old lady feistiness. We all got a good laugh out of it. It’s a feel-good movie I would recommend any to attend. And take your mother or grandmother with you.

Help (recommended by Celia Hughes)

This made-for-TV movie, streaming on Acorn TV, casts a light on the lived experience of people caught inside nursing homes during the pandemic. Sarah is a young woman new to the job who hopes she can make a difference. She is on night duty, alone, when the order comes through to lock down the facility due to Covid-19. We follow her for the next few days as she attempts to care for residents who have become ill, working with dwindling supplies and trying to keep everyone, some who have developmental and intellectual disabilities, safe.

I found my heart breaking for Sarah as she quickly learns how resilient she is, watching the people that she cares for become sicker and sicker. When help finally arrives, there is little attention paid to the enormous task she undertook, which to me underscores the forgotten people who are hidden away in nursing homes and the unsung heroes who care for them.

Inside Out 2 (recommended by Jerry Slayton)

Who remembers becoming a teenager? And the thrilling and confusing changes that came along with that? Yeah, me too.

And strangely, my ten-year-old daughter, who hasn’t reached those milestones yet, remembers it, too. (?!)

Inside Out 2 is a movie about the internal lives of people. And amazingly, no matter our age, we can all identify with that.

In the movie, the returning main character, Riley, finds herself aging into puberty. Internally, she develops four new emotions: anxiety, ennui, envy, and embarrassment. As in the first movie, we follow characters that represent these internal emotions as they react to Riley’s external experiences. The emotions also embark on an adventure through Riley’s mind that leads them to discover the true importance of all experiences, positive and negative.

With their Inside Out series, the team at Pixar have created a wonderful formula that unpacks our most complex topic, human psychology, and re-presents it to us in a digestible narrative that lets us embody all the feels. And as if that wasn’t enough, they make these movies for kids, too.

Tell Them You Love Me (recommended by Eric Clow)

I can’t think of another movie that left me feeling more conflicted than Tell Them You Love Me. This new documentary, streaming on Netflix, relates the story of Anna Stubblefield, a college professor who becomes romantically involved with Derrick Johnson, a nonverbal black man who has cerebral palsy. Through facilitated communication, Anna effectively gives Derrick a voice, but is it actually him? Anna insists that it is and that their relationship is mutual while Derrick’s family views their alleged romance as non-consensual and abusive.

This film asks more questions than it answers, challenging us to think critically about the meaning of consent while reflecting on the dynamics of disability, race, and power that can skew our perceptions. I have had a number of deep conversations with friends and loved ones about the issues surrounding this difficult documentary. Such conversations feel essential to the project of creating a more just, equitable, and compassionate society, one that values the real talents and contributions of people with disabilities without abusing their vulnerabilities. Perhaps the biggest compliment I can give this film is that if it was not made, people would not be engaging in these crucial discussions.

Tell Them You Love Me is a must-see for anyone who cares about disability justice and who wants every person, regardless of their abilities and modes of communication, to thrive.

Content Warning: This film involves discussions of sexual abuse against people with disabilities.

Walking through Peanut Butter (recommended by Nicole Cortichiato)

This ten-minute film follows an aspiring young female comedian who was recently diagnosed with narcolepsy. I’m sharing it because it’s pretty realistic, and I think it describes this rare condition in a way that people might understand. Watch it today on YouTube! (The full movie is below.)

Then Barbara Met Alan (recommended by MsBoye Nagle)

“What’s wrong with charity? I’ll tell you what’s wrong. It sees us as victims who need your help. We’re not f—ing useless. It’s society that’s disabling.” 

Then Barbara Met Alan (Netflix) is a “grown-up” movie, a pleasant change from the typical PG-rated disability-themed movies. It is the story of a revolution disguised as an irreverent, very funny, punk love story. It’s based on the true story of Barbara Lisicki and Alan Holdsworth, two cabaret performers who met in the 1990s, had sex, fell in love, and became key figures in the disability rights movement in the UK. They co-founded the Disabled People’s Direct-Action Network (DAN) and led direct action protests across the UK against societal ableism, culminating in the passing of the 1995 Disability Discrimination Act. The film tells the little-known story of how they created a ground-roots revolution of disability activists who fought for equal rights and the dismantling of discriminatory barriers faced by people with disabilities. 

This movie is groundbreaking in its authentic portrayal of adults with disabilities. From the beginning of the project, the production company, Dragonfly TV was committed to genuine representation: “…we wanted to embrace the notion of ‘nothing about us without us’ and therefore bring together as many people from the disabled community as possible, across every aspect of production. Disability was put at the heart of all decision-making…”

It stars Ruth Madeley (Years and Years, The Watch (AMC), Doctor Who, Criptales) as Barbara Lisicki and Arthur Hughes (Shardlake, Help) as Alan Holdsworth. The movie also features Matt Fraser (American Horror Story: Freak Show, Loudermilk) and Liz Carr (Silent Witness), original members of the DAN movement who, with the help of wigs and makeup, play their younger selves. In this movie, I saw myself and my friends authentically represented, and I delighted in the most realistic dialogue I’ve ever heard between disabled characters. This is not surprising given the 30 disabled core cast and crew members and the 55 disabled supporting artists throughout.

Then Barbara Met Alan magically blends original archive material with manufactured footage to create a compelling narrative. The use of original archive material, provided by Barbara Lisicki herself, adds authenticity and historical accuracy to the film. Using original photographs and footage from actual protests and events, blended with manufactured archive material, the film re-creates key moments and protests with the actors. The result is not only brilliant visual storytelling, but it also took me back to the real-life rebellious spirit and radical activism I experienced as a teenager in the UK at the end of the 20th Century. 

Then there’s the love story, narrated by Barbara who is brutally honest and irreverent. It is a passionate, funny, chaotic whirlwind relationship between two militant young people. Characters who are deliciously complex and complicated. The narrative boldly includes steamy sexual scenes, violence, righteous anger, challenging stereotypes, exposing institutional ableism, and showcasing the full spectrum of disabled lives. All while reinventing how disability can be and should be depicted on screen.

This movie is a must-see for Disability Advocates, lovers of Disability History, and Anglophiles. 

Accessibility Note: Subtitles are a must for anyone who is not bilingual like me…I am fluent in both English and American! I am happy to offer translation services for any words or phrases that leave you baffled.

Honorable Mentions

She Came to Me: In this delightfully quirky romantic comedy, a struggling opera writer (Peter Dinklage) finds his muse in a tugboat captain (Marisa Tomei). Streaming on Hulu.

American Symphony: This intimate documentary follows musician Jon Batiste and his wife, writer Suleika Jaouad, as they navigate a year of highs and lows. Jon creates a Grammy-winning symphony as Suleika endures treatments for cancer. This film affirms the power of love, compassion, and creativity. Streaming on Netflix.

What Movies and TV Shows Have You Enjoyed?

Tell us in the comments!

Attention Disabled Actors, Playwrights, and Fellow Theater Geeks!

My name is Kristen Gooch. I’m a disabled actress, poet, and advocate from Austin, Texas.

I am writing this blog because I wanted to let you know that my friends Liz Ross, Kristi Taylor, Claude Chibib, James Burnside, Tom Common, Lettie Common, Brie Hall and I are organizing a Disability Play Festival called TUBU Fest (Theatre for Us, By Us). It will be from July 18th-20th of 2024 in honor of Disability Pride Month, at Ground Floor Theatre here in Austin, Texas.

This festival will offer Disabled Actors the opportunity to perform, no professional experience necessary. TUBU Fest also offers Disabled Playwrights the opportunity to have their work showcased. Nothing like this has ever happened here in Texas before!

Plays can be anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes long. Playwrights must identify as direct members of the Disabled Community, but their plays do not have to be about Disability-Related Issues. They will have complete creative control.

Participants will never be asked to disclose information about their disabilities. There is no age requirement to participate in TUBU Fest, but we ask that anyone under the age of 18 be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times.  

We would love for you to be a part of it! Please feel free to reach out to us if you’re interested or have any questions. You can email the TUBU team or visit the TUBU Fest website.

We will have a digital directory where you will be able to submit your headshot and artistic resume. You can also indicate if you want to be an Actor, Director, Playwright, Crew Member, or General Volunteer. Sponsors would also be greatly appreciated. Brie Hall will be sharing information about TUBU on social media as well.  

If Playwrights do not wish to direct or perform in their plays, they are responsible for finding a Director and a cast of Actors. This is where our digital directory will come in handy!

We ask that plays be submitted to our TUBU Fest email address by March 2nd at 11:59 PM. And not to worry, Ground Floor Theatre is very accessible!

Liz, Kristi, Claude, James, Tom, Lettie, Brie, and I cannot wait to hear from y’all! TUBU Fest is going to be a blast, help us make some of the theater magic happen!

Previously one of the longest running actresses with TILT Performance Group, Kristen Gooch has experience in theatre, film, radio, and non-profit work. She was featured in a Capital Metro Commercial as well as a public service announcement titled “Counting All My Children,” which won a Barbara Jordan Media Award in 2021. In 2013, Kristen earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Communication Disorders from Texas State University. She has worked for the Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and is an advocate for people with disabilities. Currently, she serves on the B. Iden Payne Awards Council and the Texas Partners in Policymaking Alumni Program Board.

She delivered a thoughtful, true-to-form piece that encapsulates many of the frustrations, triumphs, and hopes that define life with a disability. As always, she articulates, frankly and unapologetically, the myriad thoughts that swirl in our minds when we think of disability rights. May it move you, with fire, to stay active in the advocacy ahead.

Thank you, Amy!

Dear Ableism,

We’re going to talk about the same things we always talk about lately. Because you’re still not hearing me. Medicaid renewals, Electronic Visit Verification, overtime, and more medical for me (supposedly for your convenience). You seem to be very bored with most of the outside world, so you keep telling me what I can’t do, instead of watching me do what I can. I think you’re jealous that I do so much despite all of your barriers.

I don’t know. I just really don’t know what it is you want. I feel like we’re constantly trying to prove ourselves to you. Paperwork, testing, and time clocks. And diagnoses. Why? Why do you need to know? Does it really matter how much money I make if you know it’s never going to cover everything I need? Do I really have to provide hourly summaries of whether I worked at the same location all day if one person is definitely needed to get me in and out of bed, and well everywhere? If you don’t care about what all my peers are doing every 15 minutes, who cares what I’m doing?

You have proven in so many ways that you don’t care about me. Clearly you don’t care about my education and growth, so don’t bother pretending that this is about ensuring my quality of life. It isn’t and we both know that. It’s about control. It’s about you refusing to understand our lives as whole people. As people who have real priorities and who want our time valued. You still don’t understand disability culture. You don’t see the point of community services. You see us, and apparently our employees, as takers, not givers. We’re system burdens, not capacity builders.

But I’m a pioneer, not a problem. I’m outstanding, and NOT an outlier! I’m a classic, and I refuse to be a casualty of your willful ignorance. We are allowed to be out in public. We’re allowed to expect to own our own time and space. We should have lives longer than 40 hours a week. People are allowed to need others to cover their shifts at any time during a pay period. Didn’t we just learn not to come to work sick during the pandemic? And no, I’m not disposable, even though you keep trying to take all of my joy apart…through burnout, bureaucracy, and complex medical frontiers.

When I feel good, I want to have fun. Or just enjoy the ability to decide what to do. Not justify my use of funding. You should be offering services to more people, not nitpicking services you offer, but apparently don’t expect people to actually use as you say they were intended.

Go away, Ableism! It’s time to find someone who appreciates all I do in spite of you and all the extra work you make for me. Someone who makes my Sunday (morning)s easy again, not hard like you. Someone who understands that “Baby you’re so classic.” Someone who says “I’m so into you I can barely breathe.” Get out of the way, Ableism. Move over, New Diagnosis Grief. It’s time to love myself again. “And all I wanna do is to fall in deep.”

A—I am 1 in 6.

Amy Litzinger is a 35-year-old self-advocate, born with cerebral palsy. She enjoys adding theatrical elements to her legislative advocacy. She is a founding member of Southwestern University’s Theater for Social Justice student organization. Notably, members decided to create a traveling show surrounding disability issues on campus. She joined Body Shift Collective through Art Spark Dance in 2010, upon completing her BA in political science, English and comparative religions. In 2014, she was an original company member for TILT Performance Group, co-writing and performing in 45°, their first original production. In 2015, Amy finished an MA in Theological Studies from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, where her thesis focused on the emerging theology of disability, and how the church can use its theology to advocate for disability issues. Concurrently, she became certified as an instructor through DanceAbility International. She is currently Public Policy Lead for Texas Parent to Parent, teaching families to participate in legislative advocacy at the Capitol, and through statewide and local committees. She serves as Chair of the governor-appointed Continuing Advisory Committee for Special Education. Amy is currently expanding her artistic endeavors to include digital art to augment her painting expertise, and rates as part of a continuing series “Dear Ableism” through The Lion and the Pirate Inclusive Open Mic.

It’s September, and my favorite month for Art Spark Texas. This is because every September we get to honor Texas artists with disabilities for their creative distinction. Every year I think that we have the best group of artists ever, but year after year I am thrilled to learn about new artists across our state who are accomplishing great things. 

There are five awards given out every year, but this year is an exception. There were so many wonderful artists nominated we just had to select six to receive awards. The Haven Street-Allen Artist of the Year honors a former Board Member for her commitment to promoting artists and creatives as an honored career. The recipient is recognized for being a catalyst for change. The SPARK Award recognizes an artist who exemplifies the mission and vision of Art Spark Texas. The Gloria Bond Creative Aging Award honors older artists who have stayed the course throughout their career or taken up a brand-new avocation or hobby in their retirement years. The Lynn Marie Johnson Media Arts Award honors an artist who is using the media arts in a way that promotes disability, identity, and inclusion. The Director’s Commendations honor artists who, through their art, are making a difference in their communities.

Haven Street-Allen Artist of the Year Award

This year, for the first time, we are proud to honor a Veteran with the 2023 Haven Street-Allen Artist of the Year Award. Army Retired Sergeant Mario Lopez is not only a gifted artist. He has galvanized the South Texas artist scene as the New Century Art Guild’s Southwest Region Liaison. He recognized a need to support Veteran artists and has devoted his time to creating art opportunities where they can exhibit and sell their work. This has not gone unnoticed by the Veteran community, who appreciate his service to his country and his support of Veteran artists. Congratulations Mario, and we wish you the best of success in your life as an artist.  

SPARK Award

The 2023 SPARK Award recognizes an actor who burst upon the scene in San Antonio and gained notice with his one-man performance of Charles Dickens. A joyful presence on any stage, Kurt Wilkinson also uses his talents to raise awareness of the accommodations necessary to include all people on the stage and in the craft. He serves as a role model to young visitors at Morgan’s Wonderland, demonstrating the infinite possibilities available as they begin to dream about their futures. We look forward to seeing the places that Kurt will go as he pursues the next role in the next play, ensuring that inclusion follows him everywhere he goes.

Gloria Bond Creative Aging Award

The 2023 Gloria Bond Creative Aging Award shines a light on a mother, teacher, and artist who has slowly revealed to all the healing power of the arts. Kathyna Hatla has been an artist all her life, but as it sometimes happens, life created a major detour. However, with the support of her family, she rekindled her love of painting. She was never formally trained and perfected her style by observing others and watching Bob Ross videos! In her own words: “I approach [painting] as problem solving. Here’s this challenge: can I figure it out? I learn as I go… and, because my life has been pretty stormy the past couple of decades, I always try to incorporate some light elements to show that there is beauty in the storm.” Thank you, Kathyna, for showing us that the creative spirit burns brightly within us all.

Lynn Marie Johnson Media Arts Award

The Lynn Marie Johnson Media Arts Award celebrates a disability rights activist, speaker, organizer, and writer who has mastered the art of social media to bring attention to marginalized poets across the country. Valois ‘Val’ Vera knows that disability is an intersection of identity and culture and that disabled and queer poets of color are seldom, if ever, seen on the virtual stage. Anyone who has a disability understands oppression and what it’s like for people to only want to look at you as an inspiration. Valois isn’t here to be anyone’s inspiration, and what started as a one-time opportunity to create space for marginalized poets to gather and share has evolved into workshops, open mics, book launches, and more. Thank you, Valois, for seizing the social media revolution to create a vibrant collective of contemporary poets and visionaries.

Director’s Commendation 1

A recipient of the 2023 Director’s Commendation started out as a scientist by trade, but after a major life event, he found his art in a single large block of lay-down lumber. Tommy Nienaber discovered that “blocks of stone, metal, and wood contained unique personalities that he had the ability to set free. The work not only increased the movement in his hands. It allowed his soul to find peace and a new direction for his life.” And through this work, he has also discovered that including his neighbors in his quest for peace and beauty has brought a welcome and surprising added value to his community. We marvel at the life Tommy finds inside every stone that he carves and celebrate the network of caring he is weaving through his generous spirit.

Director’s Commendation 2

Another recipient of the 2023 Director’s Commendation is a ten-year veteran of the North Texas Performing Arts Starcatchers company where her roles have ranged from Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz to The Dragon in Shrek the Musical Jr. Karen Lamb shares her joy of performing with studied and dedicated abandon. Which means she approaches every role with an open heart and a willingness to play. She is a leader among her peers, and with her infectious smile and positive energy, she is able to encourage people to stay positive even during tough rehearsals. Karen epitomizes her company’s belief that the future of the performing arts is accessible to all, and we look forward to many more years of accessible and inclusive theater with Karen in the leading role!

2023 Artist of the Year Awards Ceremony

We invite you to join us in celebrating these extraordinary artists at our in-person awards ceremony on Sunday, September 17th from 1:30 PM to 4 PM! This year’s event is at The Cathedral, located at 2403 E. 16th St. in Austin, TX 78702. Please RSVP here. Read more about the event below. See you there!

Event Details:

·      MC – Ann Ciccolella, Artistic Director, Austin Shakespeare

·      Music by The Spinrockers

·      Light snacks and refreshments and music starting at 1:30 PM

·      Awards Presentation until 4:00 PM

·      Captioning will be provided.

·      For more about the celebration or to request accommodations, contact April at 512-454-9912 or info@artsparktx.org.

In today’s world, provisions for people with disabilities are common and useful. As a person who is blind, I appreciate Braille door signs and elevator buttons, allowing me to independently find my meeting room. Most of us folks with disabilities are not prone to moaning and groaning about the impact of our disabilities in everyday life. After all, we practice skills that allow us to function in jobs, families, and recreational pursuits. However, throughout time, provisions for people with disabilities have been improperly used by people without disabilities who see them more as perks. They also do not recognize that their actions often harm people with disabilities.

For example, most people know drivers who illegally park in accessible parking spaces or block ramps “just for a minute.” What they don’t realize is that during that minute, Nancy, a person with a disability, not able to park, missed her job interview. She did not have the option that everyone else has of parking farther away and walking. Blocked curb ramps also limit travel, and people with disabilities who attempt to traverse the curb risk falls or injuries.

Some provisions are sharable such as family restrooms. Obviously, some people with disabilities need them as they have caregivers who assist them. Families also have a similar need, so sharing these restrooms makes sense. However, people without such needs, who lock themselves into family restrooms in order to feel safe or to sleep are abusing this provision. Some facilities solve this problem by locking family restrooms to everyone between certain hours. This means that Fred, a wheelchair user, doesn’t get to use the restroom before boarding his connecting flight, and of course the restroom on the plane is not accessible.

Similar things happen in service animal relief areas, especially at airports. These are required by the federal government because people with disabilities who travel with a service dog need to relieve them before and after long plane flights. Sharing again makes sense between pet parents and service dog handlers, but everyone needs to pick up after their dogs. A person who is blind has no problem picking up after their dog; however, they do have a problem avoiding dog poop left by others.

Today many people desire to take their pet dogs into public places that only allow service dogs. They often achieve this by purchasing vests, badges, leashes, or other dog wearables signifying that their dog is a service dog although it has not been trained to do such work. This is equivalent to impersonating a person with a disability, which is against the law in many states. Sellers of such merchandise market skillfully such that most people ordering wearables have no clue that using them is against the law, or may harm people with disabilities. Guide Dogs for the Blind, Canine Companions, and Assistance Dogs International surveyed their US teams and found that of the almost 1,400 respondents, 78% experienced an out-of-control dog vocalizing at, lunging at, distracting, or biting their service dog in places where pets are not permitted.

What this means for service animal handlers is that their lives have become more stressful and less safe due to the misbehavior of pets used fraudulently as service dogs. Many handlers do not frequent stores that are pet-friendly because they do not want their service dog to be distracted. On my way to a speaking engagement, I had a dog jump onto my dog’s side and almost cause me to fall. I did spill a cup of coffee, and the experience was frightening.

Key Take-Aways:

• Please refrain from using provisions made for people with disabilities, unless you qualify to do so.
• Avoid parking in accessible spaces or blocking ramps, so Nancy can get to her job interview.
• Avoid using family restrooms, so Fred can use the restroom before his connecting flight.
• Pick up after your dog at public relief areas, so Melanie does not wear dog poop on her shoes.
• Avoid taking pets where only service dogs are allowed, so I do not wear coffee-soaked clothes.

If you don’t have a disability, please do not use provisions meant for us. The things you consider perks are necessities for us and make our lives safer, easier, and more like yours.

Learn more etiquette around blindness and guide dogs on the following websites:

• https://www.guidedogs.com/resources/blindness-and-guide-dog-etiquette
• https://www.thedogalliance.org/

by Eric Clow

You’d be hard-pressed to find an artist who embodies the spirit of Disability Pride Month more than Jeff Moyer. Now 74, Jeff saw a fledgling disability community transform into a well-organized civil rights movement. And more than that, he was a part of it. He worked with Ed Roberts at the first-ever independent living center. He sang outside the famous 504 sit-in. He witnessed the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), then played at a Senate reception celebrating its passage.

He’s also been a fierce advocate in his personal life. Jeff worked tirelessly so that his younger brother Mark, who experienced a severe cognitive disability, could enjoy a life in the community. It took decades, but Jeff was ultimately successful. In 2010, he donated a kidney to save the daughter of a friend—an act of selfless compassion that left him with serious chronic pain.

Jeff has assumed many roles throughout his life: singer, songwriter, historian, activist, author, educator, rehab specialist—and the list goes on. A blog article is ill-equipped to capture the breadth of such a multi-faceted man. But as I spoke with him, his artistry as a lyricist and writer soared to the forefront. I hope you’ll find his creative journey as compelling and fascinating as I do.

The Troubadour

Jeff began to lose his vision when he was five. Because the cause wasn’t well-understood, many believed he was pretending. This sparked a great deal of confusion but also imparted the power of playing music by ear. “I was given piano lessons when I was six, but I couldn’t see the music and the piano teacher had been told I was pretending I couldn’t see. So he made me sit back as if I could see it. I wanted to play, so I’d imitate him and my mother would school me and teach me the song until I was playing it by memorization. And then I’d go back and perform it, and [the teacher] turned the pages as if I was learning to play.”

By the time he picked up the guitar at age 14, Jeff opted to teach himself. “I knew that I could hear chord changes, and if you can hear chord changes accurately, then even if you’re just strumming, any chordal instrument … is easy to play.” Jeff went on to learn 20 instruments, instructing himself along the way.

But perhaps his greatest teachers were the folk giants of the early 1960s. “People like Phil Ochs and Bob Dylan and Tom Paxton were probably the big three that I was listening to. And they were writing songs that said something and in chords that were easy to sing. It was all about the heart. And I fell in love with that.”

Inspired by these protest singers, Jeff penned his first lyrics when he was 15 years old. He continued to write one song each year, which he considered the minimum to be able to call himself a songwriter. But he became much more prolific when he started meditating in his 30s. “When I started getting connected to my spiritual source, instead of waiting for the muse to speak to me, I could go into the zone and pull a song out. And I wrote 60 songs in about three months in that very productive period.”

His songs aren’t merely inspired, however. They’re also crafted. “The craft of songwriting is about using words effectively and cleverly and sparely. [It’s] about editing and taking out anything that’s extraneous. And that’s true if you’re writing a short story or a memoir or a song.”

As I explored Jeff’s various albums, I was struck by both the diversity and specificity of his audiences. He’s written everything from disability rights anthems to children’s songs to an album for people in hospice care. I wondered how Jeff chose his audience. But it was actually the other way around: “my audience has found me.”

At one point scrambling to make a living, he considered working as an assembly presenter in schools. One performance led to another, and soon he was traveling around the country, performing in schools and keynoting education conferences. Music proved not only to be a powerful educational tool. It held the potential to make young people more accepting of disability, in themselves and others.

“I realized that there was no one writing music for young people where they heard disability in the music, where they could identify and say, ‘yeah, that’s me.’ And so I started doing that and I was working at a People First Conference in Michigan, and I was on my way up there and I was writing this song in my head, ‘we’re people, just people, people living our lives.’ So I’m singing on the stage and there are 150 adults with cognitive disabilities in the audience. And they said, ‘yeah, we’re people first. We’re singing the song. We’re going to get up on stage.’ And one by one, they pulled each other up on the stage until everybody was on the stage. What a great moment that was.”

Jeff’s foray into creating music for people in hospice was similarly fortuitous. “I started volunteering in hospice, which was what my heart was leading me to do. And I did 300 concerts in a big hospice center where people were dying and … got a lot of comfort through music. And I produced an album called Peace Sweet Peace.”

Jeff has written 600 songs and earned quite a following. But winning fans has never been his priority. “Our culture so adores success in its most grotesque form, like the superstar, that many people feel … if they can’t become that, then they fail. And the fact is, our successes are every interaction with another human being that is positive… We have to quit looking at a stage with adoring fans as success and look at any time we make someone else happy with our art.”

The Author

In the last 15 years, writing has taken precedence in Jeff’s life. The transition from music to this new art form was a matter of necessity. With increasing pain and limitations, Jeff couldn’t keep up with the demands of touring. “I used to do … three, four shows a day, and there’d be set up and breakdown and an hour show, very audience involving.”

Undeterred by this need to adapt, Jeff infused the same passion and work ethic into his writing. In 2016, he published his 400-page Grit: A Family Memoir on Adversity and Triumph. The book recounts his life as the Disability Rights Movement morphed into a powerful force for change. He’s also written a forthcoming short story collection called Underdogs: Heroic Stories.

Long-form memoir and short stories may seem like disparate mediums, but Jeff approaches them in a similar way. “I believe in writing short things. So, my memoir is 75 essays to tell one story… It’s a continuous story, but it’s told in small stories. And [it’s] the same with short stories, of course. You can have a quick story that has a lot of potential for thought.”

His books share more than this penchant for brevity. “I write about adversity. Because life is about adversity. Life is pain divided by moments of pleasure. Or you can look at it as pleasure divided by moments of pain, but you’re going to get both. And disability is a great teacher.”

Jeff writes on a Braille Touch keyboard with synthetic speech that reads back the text. He then sends his writing to his secretary, who edits any grammatical issues. “I believe in two pairs of eyes. And I also now use artificial intelligence. I have a piece of software that we run my writing through, and it helps me tighten [the writing], which is amazing. I’ve not used it in the creative process, but certainly in the editing.”

Jeff writes every day, dipping into poetry as well. “My main thing these days is, I write sonnets to people. I like the poetic form, the sonnet. It’s demanding. It takes some chops as a poet to write a sonnet that reads well. I like to lift up other people by giving them a sonnet about themselves.” Discussing this latest pursuit, Jeff offered perhaps the best encapsulation of his life’s work. “My job is to make other people feel good about themselves.”

Support the “Troubadour of Inclusion”

Jeff Moyer’s website is the best place to find his books, music, and other works not mentioned in this article. You can also stream many of his albums on platforms such as Amazon, Spotify, and Apple Music.

Or you can hear him speak and perform at our virtual Lion and Pirate Open Mic on Sunday, July 2nd at 1 PM Central or on the Art Spark Radio Hour on KOOP Hornsby-Austin on Monday, July 24th from 2 to 3 PM Central.

Gene Rodgers was many things. Far more than I could hope to cover in a blog article. He was a writer, performer, adventurer, activist, traveler, thrill-seeker, and TV producer. He was a dear friend to many in the disability community and beyond. He was a lover of pierogies and a ceaseless jokester, always the first to make a wisecrack. Though we miss him terribly, we reflect on his life with gratitude, gratitude that his life was so full, and that he shared it with us. He accomplished and experienced more than most people, disabled or not.

It isn’t hip to say you’re inspired by someone with a disability, but that’s exactly how I feel about Gene. Often when a disabled person is deemed “inspirational,” it’s because they bothered to get out of bed. We’re so saturated with the term that it’s lost its meaning. To inspire means to “fill someone with the urge or ability to do or feel something.” Gene lived a BIG life, and that gives me the urge to live a big life of my own. It instills the feeling that a big life is within my reach. It encourages me to mount my own thrilling adventures, though I think I’ll stop short of bungee jumping.

In the weeks since Gene’s passing, this has been the overwhelming emotion. A sense that my wildest dreams may be possible, that achieving them is worth the effort. And, of course, there’s a sadness that we won’t share any more meals, any other adventures. Thankfully, Gene captured some of his greatest moments in videos, photos, and words. I find comfort in these memories, in Gene’s voice and charisma, in his wicked sense of humor. I hope you will, too.

Gene the Adventurer

Gene was an adventure sports enthusiast. His exploits included scuba diving, sailing, bungee jumping, paragliding, skydiving, and even riding atop an elephant. He explored 44 countries on six continents. Enjoy this highlights reel set to the bluesy groove of his friend Jeff Moyer’s “Yes, I Can!”

“Popcorn Predator”

Gene was a long-time participant in Actual Lives Austin, a performance project that transformed the raw material of disability life into theatre. In this memorable piece, Gene recounts his struggle and ultimate triumph over a packet of microwave popcorn. Watch “Popcorn Predator” here.

“Who Works Monday”

In Actual Lives, Gene met and befriended fellow performer, Dave Dauber. Dave dreamt that he couldn’t remember which of his care attendants was helping him the next day, and he woke up asking, “who works Monday?” Gene helped him write a skit that they filmed and edited in time to be shown in the lobby before the next Actual Lives show. The result was a hilarious disability take on Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on First.” The audience loved it and encouraged Gene and Dave to create a TV show.

The Gene and Dave Show

Gene and Dave soon launched The Gene and Dave Show, a disability-focused infotainment show that aired on Access Austin. Over the next 15 years, they offered an informative and humorous glimpse into disability culture, spreading awareness and winning awards in the process. If you’ve never seen The Gene and Dave Show, this best-of compilation is a great place to start.

You can watch all Gene and Dave Show episodes here.

Team Everest

Trekking to Everest Base Camp might have been Gene’s most ambitious undertaking. This climb, sponsored by the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities, challenged Gene physically and mentally, but it gave him a lot to write about. You can read the adventure in his own words in this six-part blog series.

Read more about Gene’s life in his autobiography, Awesome by Accident.

Celebrate Gene’s Life

Join us at Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge on Saturday, May 6th at 12:45 PM for a celebration of Gene’s life. Afterward we’ll head to Green Mesquite Barbeque on Barton Springs Road for more stories and memories.

We’ll also be honoring Gene with a tribute by his friend, Dave Dauber, as well as a reading of Gene’s story, “Ice Cream Angel,” at our Virtual Open Mic Sunday, May 7th at 1 PM. We hope to see you there!

About Val 

Valois J Vera (aka Crip Lyrical) is a Disabled Revolutionary, Poet/Spoken Word Artist and Activist based out of Denton, TX.  

While his journalism work can be found in New Mobility Magazine, Latino Rebels, and Rooted in Rights, his poetry has been published by Spoonie Press, Mollyhouse, and the soon-to-be-released anthology American Graveyard: Calls to end Gun Violence, Volume I (Read or Green Books). Their debut collection is “Crip Lyrics: the Unapologetic Poetry of Disability” (POOR Press). 

Val serves as host of the virtual poetry showcase, “Thunder and Lightning” and performs a one-poet-show called “CripPoetix!” 

Meeting Val 

The first time I heard Valois J. Vera’s work was in the fall of 2021. REV UP Texas was holding a virtual program to kick off National Disability Voter Registration Week. In addition to giving timely voter registration information, artists from around the state joined the event to present songs, poems, and stories on the theme of the disability vote.  

Everyone loved Val’s poem about deserving to be heard in elections, and I was delighted when he began attending the Lion & Pirate Open Mic, which Art Spark Texas co-hosts each month with the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities (CTD). 

It wasn’t long before Val asked CTD and Art Spark Texas if we were interested in supporting the virtual launch of his first poetry collection (of course, we were!). Titled Crip Lyrics: the Unapologetic Poetry of Disability (POOR Press), it is an illustrated collection of liberation verses guided by lived experiences and self-reflection. The launch took place December 3, with more than 50 attendees.  

Becoming Crip Lyrical 

When Crip Lyrics came out, Val had been involved in disability justice work for much of his professional life, and was just starting out as a publishing poet. The move from writing grants, newsletters, and similar content to poetry “just happened” he says. “Poetry lends itself to movement work.” 

As a disabled creator, Val finds that art and education and advocacy are a packaged deal.  

“If someone said, would you ever write a poem about a tree? Well, yeah, but knowing me, it’s going to turn into a poem about a tree with a tree house that’s inaccessible! It’s always there. Even love poetry, a sex poem, an intimate poem—when it’s by a disabled poet, it’s an act of resistance.” 

He had also noticed that the poetry world, like many other creative spaces, didn’t often consider disabled creators.  

“There are so few physically disabled, active, visible poets, that when I show up, it’s always assumed I’ll be the first one in that space. So just being in poetry communities is laying the ground work of making them more accessible.” 

When he writes, Val finds inspiration from the world around him: in music lyrics, watching the news, and especially disability justice work. As far as other poets, he gravitates toward those who are also thinking about social justice in their work, like San Francisco poet laureate Tongo Eisen-Martin and Kyle “Guante” Tran Myhre. Gil Scott Heron’s famous poem, “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” serves as the inspiration for Val’s “The Revolution Will Not Be Accessible” (listen to Val read it!). 

Thunder and Lightning 

After a wonderful Crip Lyrics book launch at the end of 2021, Val asked CTD and Art Spark about teaming up again for something else. He had been thinking about an event that specifically highlighted the work of disabled BIPOC and disabled queer poets. He wasn’t sure if there were even enough poets out there to fill a 2-hour program, but we all agreed it was worth finding out. 

April of 2022 (National Poetry Month), we held the first Thunder & Lightning: a virtual poetry showcase featuring disabled BIPOC and disabled queer poets. It was incredible. Over a dozen amazing poets signed up to read, and it was clear that there would be more! In fact, we’ve kept it going quarterly ever since. The next showcase, re-branded as Storm the Mic, will be Friday, April 28. View recordings of past showcases on CTD’s YouTube channel. 

What’s next? 

The Thunder & Lightning showcases launched something even bigger: the Thunder & Lightning Poetry Collective (TLPC), which Val is currently getting off the ground.  

“Watching Thunder & Lightning transform into a collective, hearing that people appreciate the space, seeing the work become collaborative, that is so worthwhile. Creating spaces that don’t already exist is hard work. But I want to create those spaces.”  

In addition to organizing the virtual Storm the Mic showcases, TLPC will offer workshops to multiply marginalized poets and has an anthology in progress with Thunder & Lightning poet, Maggie Bowyer. 

As if TLPC wasn’t keeping Val busy enough, he’s working on a chapbook, also with Maggie Bowyer, due out later this year. Keep up with Val, all of his work, and the Thunder & Lightning Poetry Collective on social media: 

• Twitter, Instagram @CripLyrical 
• Facebook /CripLyrics 
• Linktree https://linktr.ee/ValoisVera 

This month we are honoring writer and visual artist Sueitko Zamorano-Chavez as our first Artist of the Month for 2023. I met Sueitko most recently as they were a vendor at our Holiday Art Market. They were referred to us through poet Val Vera who hosts the Thunder and Lightning Open Mic that Art Spark Texas has partnered with a few times. 

Val’s open mic is a poetry showcase for BIPOC and Disabled Artists. When Val reached out to Sueitko on Instagram, they thought, well, I am both of those! Sueitko’s experience at that open mic made them think how nice it was being in a community where their poems and short stories were understood in a way that they don’t typically find in traditional open mics. The content and references to disability were appreciated. It was refreshing to have that support by people who really got it! 

Sueitko’s writing and visual art are inspired by their indigenous culture. Sueitko was born in Veracruz, Mexico and moved to the United States as a teenager. They studied Psychology at the University of Texas and received a Masters degree, and are now working as a Psychologist in Austin, Texas. 

Sueitko uses their art, both visual and literary, to express their emotions. They use their art as a way to develop community, as a method for activism (or artivism), and storytelling. Every element of their work has meaning. Every word in writing and every line, color, and shape in a piece of art.  

Watching Sueitko at their booth at the Art Spark Texas Holiday Market, it was obvious that they were in their element, talking to visitors about their art. Explaining the meaning behind specific works of art as a way to show their love for their cultures and a way to connect people to issues. As Sueitko told me, some issues can become politicized and by telling the stories of the people behind the issues, they become humanized.  

For Sueitko, their art is about the community, not the money. Sure, it’s nice to sell a work of art, or have someone appreciate a poem, but art doesn’t need to be marketable or sellable, it just needs to be created by you and it is automatically beautiful and a work of art.  

Find out for yourself! Meet Sueitko as the featured guest on our January Lion and Pirate Open Mic or follow them on Instagram @2spiritqueer.