Disability Meets Architecture
Disability Meets Architecture is a podcast miniseries about the generative frictions that can arise in conversations between disabled architects and disability activists.
The series is co-hosted by Aimi Hamraie and Jos Boys. A collaboration between Critical Design Lab and the Disordinary Architecture project, Disability Meets Architecture was funded by the Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts.
A new generation of disability scholars, activists, and designers is developing innovative approaches to accessible built environments, beyond demanding regulatory compliance. This field, known as Critical Access Studies, is questioning the ideological, epistemological, and practical underpinnings of access. Going beyond minimum standards and functional understandings of access, Critical Access has developed rich terminologies and cutting-edge design practices, both of which could transform the ways that architects understand why access matters. However, the field has made little impact on these disciplines to date. By enabling cross-disciplinary conversations between the disabled experts developing these new concepts and practices, and disabled architects specializing in accessibility, Disability Meets Architecture amplifies the creative potential and practical application of these new ways of thinking and doing accessible design. Through short films, live events, and published materials, this project fills a vital gap in architectural discourses and practices.
Episodes can be accessed via the Critical Design Lab Contra* podcast or at the links below:
Episode 1: The Round Tower (with Jos Boys and Aimi Hamraie) (captioned video or transcribed audio)
Episode 2: Conversation 1 - Access Washing (with Karen Braitmayer and Natasha Trotman) (transcribed audio)
Episode 3: Conversation 2 - Care with Teeth (with Anthony Clarke and Jeff Kasper) (transcribed audio)
Episode 4: Conversation 3 - Who Counts (with Micha Frazer-Carroll and Samir Pandya) (transcribed audio)
Episode 5: Conversation 4 - Antifascism (with Beatrice Adler-Bolton, Paul DeFazio and Scar Barclay) (transcribed audio)
Episode 6: Conversation 5 - Takeaways (with Aimi Hamraie, Jos Boys, Scar Barclay and Paul DeFazio) (transcribed audio)
To access future episodes, please subscribe to the Contra* podcast using the links on the right side of our podcast page.
Other content
IHCD Global Webcast, Disability Meets Architecture, March 7, 2025.
Co-project leaders: Jos Boys and Aimi Hamraie
Podcast editing and production: Ilana Nevins
Series production support: Scar Barclay and Paul DeFazio
Funding: The Graham Foundation for Advanced Studies in the Fine Arts