During the first few weeks of the COVID-19 lockdowns, many people found themselves scrambling to make the everyday things they do—jobs, classes, family gatherings—accessible from remote locations. Disabled people have been practicing, advocating, and innovating alternative ways of showing up and getting together since long before the pandemic—out of necessity, and to accommodate one another. On May 8, I moderated a Zoom panel on remote access with disabled artists and writers Kevin Gotkin, Johanna Hedva, and Yo-Yo Lin. The video recording is embedded here. Together, we discuss the importance of incorporating the remote access techniques we’re all learning now into future programs, as well as precedents (artworks, exhibitions) that incorporate remote access from the get-go, rather than tacking it on as an afterthought.
