This Ability: Mari Ramsawakh on queer disability and the arts

“I feel like people often think people like me don’t exist,” says writer and podcaster Mari Ramsawakh. “That’s why I think it’s important to talk about these experiences.” Ramsawakh identifies as bi, gender-fluid and Indo-Caribbean, and their work explores the intersection of disability, race, gender and sexuality. Their short film, Fluid, recently won the TVO Short Doc Contest.

In the second of a two-part series focusing on disability and LGBTQ2 communities, Ramsawakh talks to visual artist Wy Joung Kou and musician Rosina Kazi of LAL about the barriers they face and how their experiences with disability shape their art.

“I wanted to speak to artists who didn’t care about overcoming their disabilities,” Ramsawakh says, “and instead embrace them and let their experiences fully inform their art.”