Lens15's 2025 in Review
A Year at the Intersection of Disability, Media, and Climate
2025 was a year defined by teaching, public engagement, and deepening my work at the intersection of disability, journalism, and climate change. From classrooms and conferences to film screenings and editorial leadership, these moments reflect an ongoing commitment to making media more inclusive—and more accountable to disabled communities.
January — Returning to the Classroom
I began the year by returning to the classroom at Montclair State University, re-launching my course on Disability Representation in Media. This marked the third time teaching the course since I first created it in 2021.
I taught 24 undergraduate students, and some of the most meaningful moments came from classroom discussions. Many students brought their own lived experiences of disability—or experiences of supporting disabled friends and family members—into conversations about media ethics, representation, and storytelling. Those perspectives consistently pushed the class toward more nuanced and thoughtful analysis.
February — National Leadership and Editorial Work
In February, I served as a judge for the Katherine Schneider Excellence in Disability Reporting contest, sponsored by the National Center on Disability and Journalism. This was my second time judging in the Large Market category, and it was an honor to review reporting that continues to raise the bar for disability journalism. Congratulations to The Washington Post’s former disability reporter Amanda Morris Caitlin Gilbert and Jacqueline Alemany for winning First Prize for their investigation into how people with disabilities are not guaranteed a minimum wage.
Also beginning in February, I took on the role of Editor at CivicStory, a position I held through June. My responsibilities included publishing the organization’s twice-monthly newsletter and overseeing the seventh cohort of the Ecology & Civics Journalism Fellowship for student and early-career reporters. While the fellowship was not disability-focused, I deeply enjoyed working with fellows—helping them sharpen their reporting and encouraging them to dig deeper into stories about environmental conservation and civic participation.
March — Speaking, Screening, and Audio Description
March was especially busy. I was invited to speak on a panel at Northeastern University’s Reimvemt: A video innovation summit, focused on making media accessible, with particular attention to audio description. Joined by my friend and colleague Jody Santos, we discussed best practices for producing high-quality description, the growing role of AI, and the real risks automation poses to blind and visually impaired writers, producers, and voice actors, including job displacement.
Later that month, I screened my documentary film,
Invisible Impact: Disability on Climate Change’s Front Line,
at the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University. The screening was followed by a panel discussion examining the disproportionate risks people with disabilities in New Jersey face from weather-related disasters, as well as gaps in emergency preparedness, infrastructure, and policy.
April — Fulbrighters with Disabilities Screening
In April, I was invited by the Fulbrighters with Disabilities Alumni Chapter to screen Invisible Impact for an audience in Tampa, Florida. I joined the event via Zoom, while the film was shown in person. The screening was followed by a discussion on disaster preparedness, climate risk, and disability inclusion, underscoring how global these issues truly are.
Also this month, I participated in the Moxiecon virtual conference alongside colleagues from the National Center on Disability and Journalism. My presentation focused on making media more accessible for people with visual disabilities, including practical guidance on producing audio description. The conference reinforced the importance of treating accessibility as a fundamental part of journalism—not an optional add-on.
June — Oxford Climate Journalism Network
In June, I completed the Oxford Climate Journalism Network’s six-month program. During the fellowship, I hosted a workshop on finding the disability angle in climate change coverage. One especially meaningful outcome was learning that a colleague was inspired by the session to create a short film on how heat waves affect people with spinal cord injuries in eastern India.
At the time, none of us realized this would turn out to be one of the final OCJN cohorts, making the experience feel even more significant in retrospect.
September — Teaching, Virtually, and at Scale
In September, I launched the fourth iteration of my course on Disability Representation in Media at Montclair State University. This time, I taught 28 undergraduate students, many of whom identified as having a disability themselves. It was also the first time I taught the course virtually, which introduced new challenges—and new opportunities for accessibility and participation.
Together, these moments reflect a year spent teaching, mentoring, editing, and convening conversations about disability, climate, and media. They also reinforce a belief that inclusive journalism doesn’t just broaden audiences—it leads to better, more honest storytelling.
This post was created with assistance from generative AI and edited by Jason Strother.