Posted November 13, 2017 by Alice Wong1 Comment Podcast

EP 9: Medicaid and Community Living

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Today’s episode is on Medicaid and Community Living. Alice is joined by filmmaker, writer, activist Dominick Evans and non-profit program specialist, activist, fashionista Andraéa LaVant about their experiences with Medicaid in their respective states, Ohio and Maryland, and how they rely on personal care services to take care of themselves and participate in their communities.

What does it mean when your well-being and freedom is tied to a single program? Why do disabled people have to make trade-offs on how they want to live in exchange for mere survival? Alice, Dominick, and Andraéa explore these questions and more.

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About

Photo Description: Dominick, a white and male presenting transgender man looks at the camera, with a slight smile on his face. His eyes are also smiling. He has short, dark spiky hair, and wears glasses. He has stubble along his jaw, cheeks, and chin. He is wearing a argyle sweater with various shades of blue, gray, and black. His wheelchair headrest is visible behind his head, and there is green grass and the neighborhood behind him, faded in the background. — Image Description: Dominick, a white and male presenting transgender man looks at the camera, with a slight smile on his face. His eyes are also smiling. He has short, dark spiky hair, and wears glasses. He has stubble along his jaw, cheeks, and chin. He is wearing a argyle sweater with various shades of blue, gray, and black. His wheelchair headrest is visible behind his head, and there is green grass and the neighborhood behind him, faded in the background.

Dominick Evans is a filmmaker, writer, and activist. He has his BFA in Film from Wright State University, where he also studied politics and human rights. In 2014, he debuted his first film, the award-winning short, trip, and is currently in preproduction on the feature length film, Inamorata, about a same-sex couple and their relationship in the 1960s. Dominick, who has multiple disabilities including Spinal Muscular Atrophy, has been outspoken on including multiple disabled people both in front of and behind the screen in his work. He is currently also a vocal advocate for the inclusion of disabled people in all forms of media. When not filming, he works as a Media & Entertainment advocate for The Center for Disability Rights. He also founded the Twitter Chat, #FilmDis, which is held most Saturday nights, at 9 PM ET, and explores topics pertinent to disability and media. FilmDis has evolved into the recently formed nonprofit, a media monitoring nonprofit, which fights to promote accuracy, accessibility, accommodation, and authenticity when disability is featured in media. His work has taken him to New York Comic Con, where he has moderated and participated on multiple panels, to the White House, where he was a mentor to young and upcoming disabled media makers, and to numerous public speaking opportunities across the country.

Website: http://www.dominickevans.com/

Twitter: @dominickevans

Image description: Andraéa sitting in her power wheelchair wearing a long, white dress with brightly colored flowers lining the collar and bottom of the dress. She is sitting in front of a wooden ramp with water and the sun shining brightly behind her.

Andraéa LaVant is a sought after strategist, trainer, and advocate on issues of specific relevance to youth and adults with disabilities and other underserved populations. She currently serves as a program specialist for a national non-profit in Washington, DC. Although currently a Maryland resident, she proudly calls Louisville, KY home. In addition to her work, she loves anything that involves fashion!

Twitter: @andraealavant

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