In this episode of Remaking Normal, filmmaker and host Alexander Freeman explores how assistive technology is transforming the way people with disabilities work, communicate, and thrive in the modern world.

Alexander sits down with Shamus Crowley, founder and CEO of the Boston-based technology company Accessebl, a pioneering startup dedicated to creating digital tools that bridge the gap between accessibility and opportunity. Together, they unpack how innovation can empower independence — and how technology can challenge outdated assumptions about ability and employment.

They also reflect on a powerful question at the heart of the series: How do we define “normal” — and what needs to change about the norms that shape our workplaces and our technology?

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In the debut episode of Remaking Normal, filmmaker, writer, musician, and disability advocate Alexander Freeman takes listeners on a powerful journey through the origins and evolution of one of society’s most dangerous and misunderstood words: normal.With his signature blend of personal reflection, history, and empathy, Alexander explores how the concept of “normal” was never just about averages — it became a tool of power, exclusion, and control. Drawing from research by Adolphe Quetelet, Lennard J. Davis, and others, he unpacks how scientific ideals shaped social hierarchies, from eugenics movements to modern systems of bias that still affect marginalized communities today.

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