At VidCon, creator Peet Montzingo was accompanied by Imani Barbarin, Briel Adams-Wheatley, and Pat Valentine of the Valentine Brothers during the panel titled, Accessibility for All: Creating Inclusive Spaces Online and IRL.

The panel came together to share their experiences as creators who advocate for disability rights. Pat Valentine, who produces videos with his brother Zach, who has Down syndrome, represented the duo on the panel, while Imani Barbarin and Briel Wheatley-Adams recounted their own stories.

When queried about the connection between accessibility in their personal and professional lives, Barbarin expressed, “I see accessibility as both imagination and practice. I believe that disabled individuals are among the most innovative people on the planet because we constantly need to adapt to our surroundings every day.”

Valentine commented, “Being inclusive as a community and as a society is fundamentally about honoring voices, listening to disabled individuals, and involving them in daily life and conversations.”

Wheatley noted, “Everyone has a disability, whether they choose to acknowledge it or not, whether it is physical, mental, or emotional, and we all have the right to belong somewhere and everywhere.”

The panel’s conversation centered on navigating disability in everyday life, with Barbarin spotlighting “the disability math” required daily to move through the world. Much of the discussion underscored the crucial role of visibility, highlighting the institutionalization of the disabled community during the Industrial Revolution, and the necessity of hearing disabled voices rather than speaking on their behalf.

As Barbarin articulated, “Disabled individuals are seldom recognized as reliable narrators of their own stories and experiences, leading others to assume authority over us, making it significantly more challenging to advocate for ourselves in a society that has silenced our voices.”