Culture and Disability

Different cultures around the world have unique perspectives on disability. We survey several different cultural values and approaches to thinking about and talking about disability. Of course, culture is not ubiquitous throughout a given region, so these are broad generalizations. But, it is useful to think about different ways people think about this topic that affects so many of us. RecommendationsAbraham: Fan-designed bird promos for Wingspan (https://store.stonemaiergames.com/collections/wingspan-fan-designed-promo-packs)Shane: Coquito!Holidays (12/24/2025):Christmas EveLast Minute Shopper’s DayNational Eggnog DayChristmas Bird Count WeekPosadasLinks and References: https://www.ohio.edu/cas/psychology/addressing-modelhttps://theconversation.com/traditional-beliefs-inform-attitudes-to-disability-in-africa-why-it-matters-138558https://asylos.org/nigeria-report/https://www.cepal.org/notes/74/Titulares2https://pwd.org.au/about-us/about-disability/history-of-australias-disability-movement/https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2022/01/17/personas-con-discapacidad-america-latinahttps://www.thewashingtoncouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/F505-slides.pdfhttps://www.worldforgottenchildren.org/blog/developmental-disabilities-in-children-across-different-cultures/22https://www.umassp.edu/inclusive-by-design/who-before-how/understanding-disabilitieshttps://ncpd.org.za/how-do-different-cultures-view-disability/https://miusa.org/resource/tip-sheets/global-disability-culture-101/https://kidsnewtocanada.ca/mental-health/developmental-disabilityhttps://rootedinrights.org/the-cultural-implications-of-being-disabled-in-india/https://dsq-sds.org/article/id/789/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

Have you ever heard of circular breathing? For musicians who play instruments that require blown air, circular breathing is a technique to produce continuous notes without being interrupted by breathing in. However, circular breathing isn't a very accurate name for it. We'll explain what it is, how to do it, and briefly touch on circular breathing as it relates to mindfulness and throat singing. Have you tried circular breathing?Get ad-free episodes and support the show: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcastLinks and References: https://www.berklee.edu/berklee-today/winter-2012/the-woodshed/circular-breathinghttps://www.healthline.com/health/circular-breathinghttps://clarinet.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Circular-Breathing.pdfhttps://musicforbrass.com/blogs/students/circular-breathing-when-and-how-to-use-it?srsltid=AfmBOoraj42qmdEDlo2DNNb_CuAlJWFfp5S6JveqstCB_WKE_5SId3NE Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

Conditions that differ from "normal," sometimes called disability, don't preclude people with those conditions from being able to do regular vocational activities, and may even give them an advantage. Many employers have found financial and cultural benefits to hiring people with disabilities, people with disabilities have demonstrated their ability to thrive an be unique and meaningful contributions, and some activities are performed more economically. efficiently, or competenty by  people with disabilities. We give some concrete examples.RecommendationsAbraham: Recursion (Blake Crouch; https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42046112-recursion)Shane: The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52180399-the-only-good-indians) Holidays (17 December 2025):Clean Air DayInternational Day to End Violence Against Sex WorkersNational Maple Syrup DayPan American Aviation DayWright Brothers DayChristmas Bird Count WeekCookie Exchange WeekHanukkahHuman Rights WeekSaturnaliaLinks and References: https://rockfordisability.com/2023/01/13/10-perks-of-being-a-disabled-person/https://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/observations/the-case-for-disabled-astronauts/https://eri-wi.org/fact-sheet-employers/#:~:text=The%20Business%20Benefits%20of%20Hiring%20People%20with%20Disabilities&text=Businesses%20that%20hire%20and%20support,resilience%2C%20boosting%20overall%20team%20productivity.&text=With%20unemployment%20rates%20among%20people,who%20are%20ready%20to%20contribute.&text=Employers%20may%20qualify%20for%20tax,offset%20accommodation%20and%20accessibility%20costs.&text=Higher%20employee%20retention%20reduces%20turnover,investment%20outweighs%20the%20initial%20costs.&text=Businesses%20that%20reflect%20their%20customer,a%20wide%20range%20of%20needs.https://hbr.org/2023/07/disability-as-a-source-of-competitive-advantagehttps://disabilityrightsflorida.org/blog/entry/5_reasons_to_hire_people_with_disabilitieshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29392591/ https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/work-opportunity-tax-credithttps://www.london.edu/faculty-and-research/research/research-highlights/disability-as-a-source-of-competitive-advantage https://www.physicianleaders.org/articles/disability-as-a-source-of-competitive-advantage Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

Because this was selected the "word of the year," we decided we may as well discuss it. If you've been lucky enough to miss this trend, sorry to end your lucky streak. If you've been hearing this and don't understand what it means, we'll explain the history and what it means (spoiler, you're not missing anything). If you are a big fan of the "six seveeeen" craze, then maybe there's something here for you to learn as well. We hope you enjoy! Get extra content by joining our membership club: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcastLinks and References: https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/international/global-trends/us-news-the-mystery-of-67-why-dictionary-com-chose-a-number-instead-of-a-word-and-why-is-everyone-talking-about-it/articleshow/125008609.cms?from=mdrhttps://www.cnn.com/2025/10/18/us/6-7-meme-slang-explained-cec#:~:text=(He%20stands%20at%206%20feet,are%20you%20a%20party%20pooper?%E2%80%9D https://www.dictionary.com/culture/slang/67https://screenshot-media.com/culture/internet-culture/six-seven-trend-meaning/#:~:text=Skrilla%20admitted%20as%20much%20to%20The%20Wall,definition%20is%20%60%60why%20everybody%20keeps%20saying%20ithttps://www.cbsnews.com/news/dictionary-67-2025-word-of-the-year-meaning/#:~:text=U.S.-,Dictionary.com%20picks%20%2267%2C%22%20a%20%22nonsensical%20and,2025%20word%20of%20the%20year&text=Nicole%20Brown%20Chau%20is%20a%20deputy%20managing%20editor%20for%20CBSNews.com.https://whyy.org/articles/meaning-6-7-skrilla-philadelphia/#:~:text=The%20phrase%20comes%20from%20a,cooler%20group%20of%20their%20peers.%E2%80%9D Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

Sometimes investment groups will purchase and then unify individually-owned, small businesses that provide care for people with disabilities. Once they've acquired enough businesses, they'll turn around and sell the conglomerated entity to the highest bidder. There are some advantages... kind of... if you're being generous. But ther are a lot of disadvantages. We do our best to be fair while also explaining the reality of the situation. RecommendationsAbraham: Wicked: For Good (https://www.wickedmovie.com/) Shane: Code Talker: The First and Only Memoir By One of the Original Navajo Code Talkers of WWII by Chester Nez and Judith Schiess AvilaHolidays (10 December 2025):Dewey Decimal System DayFestival for the Souls of Dead WhalesHuman Rights DayInternational Animal Rights DayJane Addams DayNational Day of Animal RightsNational Lager DayNobel Prize DayComputer Science Education WeekHuman Rights WeekLager Beer WeekNational Aplastic Anemia and MDS Awareness WeekNational Groundwater Awareness WeekNational Handwashing Awareness WeekNational Influenza Vaccination WeekLinks and References: https://www.urblaw.com/the-effects-of-private-equity-firms-on-disability-services/#:~:text=Takeaways,extract%20significant%20short%2Dterm%20profits.https://www.statnews.com/2025/03/18/private-equity-ownership-care-homes-intellectual-developmental-disabilities/#:~:text=Private%20equity%20firms%20are%20acquiring,population's%20health%20care%20is%20growing.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sr-Cyx795p8&t=124shttps://stateline.org/2025/05/16/private-equity-snaps-up-disability-services-challenging-state-regulators/#:~:text=By:%20Anna%20Claire%20Vollers%20%2D%20May,that%20is%20to%20cut%20costs.%E2%80%9Dhttps://prospect.org/2025/03/18/2025-03-18-private-equity-vultures-care-facilities-disabled/#:~:text=Private%20equity%20giants%20have%20spent,More%20from%20Daniel%20Boguslawhttps://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2821686https://www.finance.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/120220%20Life%20at%20Cypress%20House%20-%20An%20Examination%20of%20Care%20Provided%20by%20MENTOR%20Oregon.pdfhttps://apps.ahca.myflorida.com/dm_web/DMWeb_DocsFO/13871688.pdf https://pestakeholder.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/PESP_Report_IDD_2025.pdf Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

This is not about the movie(s). Amazingly, that didn't even occur to us before, during, or even immediately after recording this... This is about the ability some people have to identify or possibly produce exact notes, called perfect pitch, or natural pitch, or absolute pitch. Is it genetic? Is it learned? Are those nonsensical questions? We'll explain a bit of the research on perfect pitch (and relative pitch, which is technically different). Give the gift of supporting us as a one time donation, or as a sustaining member: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcastLinks and References: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002929707634867#:~:text=Absolute%20pitch%20(AP)%2C%20also%20known%20as%20%E2%80%9Cperfect,musical%20tone%2C%20without%20an%20external%20reference%20pitch.https://www.huddlestone.es/en/perfect-pitch/https://news.uchicago.edu/explainer/what-is-perfect-pitchhttps://www.musical-u.com/learn/perfect-pitch-is-not-magic/Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

A touchy topic that some people don't want to touch is sexuality as it relates to disability. There is some "moral" prudishness that borders on (if not explicitly crosses into) eugenics for those who think sex is not a topic for diability. People with disabilities are people, and people have sexual motivations. We mostly dispell some myths people may have sex and disability as well as share some fun things you may not know.RecommendationsAbraham: Origin Story (board game; https://stonemaiergames.com/games/origin-story/)Shane: My band’s new records! GOD//MAN - DREAMSEEKER (https://godman.bandcamp.com/album/dreamseeker) and Cyberbully - Welcome to the Internet (2k25 Demo) (https://cyberbullyhc.bandcamp.com/album/welcome-to-the-internet-demo-2k25)Holidays (12/3/2025):International Day of Persons with DisabilitiesInternational Spirit of the Game DayLet’s Hug DayMake a Gift DayNational Apple Pie DayNational Green Bean Casserole DayNational Package Protection DayNational Roof Over Your Head DayWomen WednesdayCookie Cutter WeekLinks: https://www.independenceaustralia.com.au/health-articles/health-disabilities-and-sex/https://shq.org.au/2022/09/common-myths-sexuality-disability/https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20131952/https://sexualityanddisability.org/having-sex/mythbusting/ Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

The industry around sex equipment has been leading the charge in the development of equipment for different bodies and impairments. This mini describes some of the advances and innovations that have developed for various body types and impairments to engage in safe, sexual activities. Join our supporters club: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcastLinks: https://www.intimaterider.com/https://dds.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/dds/publication/attachments/Oct%202018%20-%20Adaptive%20Devices%20for%20Intimacy%20and_or%20Sexual%20Engagement.pdfhttps://abilitymagazine.com/disability-sex-and-adult-toys-by-and-for-people-with-disabilities/ Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

The vernacular treadmill is ever running and we often find we are behind on the currently accepted terms. While some struggle to accept change, many of us prefer to treat our fellow humans with respect by adopting the terms that are more compassionate. We briefly touch on the history of some terms as well as the current "best practices," including the controvery around person-first or identity-first language. What are some you didn't know? Did we miss any?RecommendationsAbraham: Hens (board game: https://www.littlerocketgames.com/product/hens/) Shane: The Running Man (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14107334/)Holidays (11/26/26):Blackout WednesdayCoton de Tulear DayGood Grief DayNational Cake DayNational Jukebox DaySpitegivingTie One On DayWhat Do You Love About America DayBetter Conversation WeekChurch/State Separation WeekGERD Awareness WeekNational Adoption WeekNational Family WeekNational Farm-City WeekNational Game & Puzzle WeekLinks: https://adata.org/factsheet/ADANN-writinghttps://www.ndrn.org/resource/communicating-about-people-with-disabilities/#:~:text=Avoid%20Using%20Euphemisms,part%20of%20the%20human%20experience.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GaGmxrPnYAM&t=7shttps://www.adcet.edu.au/resource/11292/file/19/3a-Guide-to-language-about-disability-FINAL_230209.pdf https://odr.dc.gov/page/people-first-language#:~:text=The%20People%20First%20Respectful%20Language,and%20publications%20and%20all%20internet Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast

Do you believe in the magic of sperm? The longer you hold onto it, the mightier you become. Except, not. The idea of sperm retention does almost nothing that it claims to, even to the point of being counter productive for some goals. But, if that's your thing. You do you. Become a supporter! www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcastLinks and References: https://youtu.be/cjmoiEakV9k?si=ahxthGfl7DsJG4M1 https://www.oxfordonlinepharmacy.co.uk/blog/what-is-no-nut-novemberhttps://medium.com/@nicole.prause/how-did-no-nut-november-start-72437eb89340https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/13634607231157070 Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/why-we-do-what-we-do--3419521/support.Support our podcast: www.patreon.com/wwdwwdpodcast