Everything You Know About Disability Is Wrong | Episode 2

Episode Summary

Podcast: Everything You Know About Disability is Wrong

Episode: Episode 2

Welcome to Everything You Know About Disability is Wrong, a podcast by disabled people for disabled people. But, if you're not disabled, stick around! You might learn something new.

In today's episode, we speak with the talented actor, comedian and founder of the Easterseal's Disability Film Challenge Nic Novick. Don't miss the conversation about love, relationships, marriage, children, and more!

Although Nic is married now, he begins by sharing about what dating was like for him before he met his wife. He met many of the people he dated in the past at little people conventions. He has been with his wife since 2009 and the two actually met at one of these conventions. Fun fact: they actually told the story of how they met at the end of the movie Marry Me with Jennifer Lopez!

Each year of the Easterseals Disability Film Challenges focuses on a different genre. Every participant is given a full assignment including genre, themes, props and locations to incorporate into their 1-5 minute films. For the 10th anniversary of the challenge, they settled on the genre romance! There is a huge lack of visibility in the media for people with disabilities in romantic relationships, and the foundation hopes to change that. As someone who has been married for 8 years now, Nic shares his best advice for making a marriage work. First and foremost is to be willing to admit sometimes when you are wrong. It is also crucial to show mutual love and respect for eachother. Then, he shares how their relationship has changed since having a child.

Before wrapping up, Nic shares how he thinks the landscape is shifting for people with disabilities in mainstream media. The best thing about the Disability Film Challenge is that it includes not just disabled actors, but also disabled writers, directors and more people behind the scenes. Audiences want to see authenticity at all costs, and the more authentic a crew is, the better it will translate. Listeners are also reminded that true representation does not always have a happy ending. Finally, they engage in the “ask us anything” segment. Don't miss our hosts' thoughts on how to talk to a partner after they unintentionally say something ableist.